So far I am doing well in the 12 Pairs in 12 Months sock challenge issued by my LYS.  My April socks are finished and the May pair has already been cast on.  I am loving the April socks and wishing it was not too warm to wear them, but I am glad that our spring has finally turned warm all at once.  The yarn is a cheerful springy green, like the colors of new leaves unfurling in the breeze.

Pattern: Kai-Mei from Sock Innovation by Cookie A.  [ravelry] This pattern is brilliantly written, and fairly simple to knit.  I am toying with the idea of knitting another version and substituting a different pattern into the lace panel.

Yarn: Yarn Chef Minestrone in Sedum.  Mmmm…like butter.  I love the way she dyes yarn, but really I only have a slight addiction.

I was well on my way to finishing my April socks when I got distracted by some yarn and had to cast on my May socks a bit early.  Oops.  I do plan to finish the April pair before the end of the week, that is if I can put the May ones down long enough.

: : April Socks : :

Kai-Mei socks from Sock Innovation, knitted with Yarn Chef Minestrone in Sedum [ravelry].  I love they way this yarn is dyed.  The colors are hard to capture in a photo, but these greens are exquisite – so cheerful and springy.

: : May Socks : :

Anastasia socks, knitted with Ancient Threads’ Sockittome in osage orange/cochineal/quebracho black [ravelry].  These sock reflect the colors I see in my neighborhood this spring…the colors of dogwoods, redbuds, and new spring leaves.

Ok, so I have not really decided to give up knitting. I also will never take up plastic canvas as an medium for my creative endeavors. April fool! You found me out. I really did not think anyone would buy that…but surprisingly, some of my real-life friends did! Too funny. Actually, I have two new projects on the needles, as well as a project I finished a week ago that only wants a sunny day to be photographed.

The above project is my latest WIP: Miralda’s Triangular Shawl [ravelry]from Knitted Lace of Estonia.  This shawl is interesting in it’s construction.  It begins with the long v-shaped bottom edge and ends at the top center, so each row is progressively shorter than the previous one.  This is a nice change from the traditional grow-as-you-go method of knitting a triangular shawl.  I’ve chosen to use Lacy Lamb, a springy 3-ply cobweb weight merino, and it is lovely to work with.  The rusty orange color is a nice bright spot in my very gray and rainy day.

I also recieved my very own copy of Sock Innovation yesteday!  Woo-hoo!  My husband preordered the book for me back in January as a birthday gift, and I have been looking forward to its arrival ever since.  Last night I promptly cast on my April socks using some lovely Yarn Chef minestrone from my stash.

And for those who missed it…here’s what yesterday’s blog looked like:

I am not exactly the pink-and-kitten type, for those who did not spot the incongruency immediately.  Nor am I the plastic canvas type (no offense intended for those who enjoy making tissue covers and such).  My real blog makeover is making it’s debut today with a springy new look!