Embossed Leaf socks, knitted

Green socks, just in time to wear for Christmas...

I was a bit worried that I would finish them in time, especially since I had to allow a couple of days for blocking and drying. It has not been good sock-drying weather here, but, nonetheless, I braved a bit of the outdoor temps to attempt a photo which shows the true, bright, emerald green of this yarn. At least there was some sun, even if the glow is a bit weak this time of year.

Tomorrow the days will start becoming a bit longer--hooray for that!

Even so, I'm sure I'll be much more comfy indoors during the coming weeks. It's time for heavy knitting. I'm still playing around with small projects that fit into my holiday schedule, but I'm thinking about larger things.

Sock details: Embossed Leaf Socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks book. Yarn is Baruffa Aerobic merino, a heavy fingering weight, maybe even a sport weight yarn knit on size 2 dpns. These socks knit up a bit on the large size, but they knit up quickly. I eliminated the last eight rows before the toe to snug them up a bit. The only modification I made was to screw up the double-stranded tubular cast-on for the first sock.

I took a few hours last Sunday (or was it the Sunday before?) to study a couple of on-line tutorials. After about three tries, I accomplished a halfway decent version and saw the full effect. It is quite nice, and certainly worth the extra trouble. Maybe not completely worth it for a sock, but definitely for ribbing on sweaters and such that would be more noticeable than the cuff of a sock.

I've rewarded my efforts in completing my Christmas knitting and learning a new cast on by starting a project just for fun. I was looking at some nice versions of the Modern Quilt Wrap on blogs and on Ravelry, and wondered if the same approach could be used to make a seamless mitered-square dish towel.

Obviously, it can. This is just the beginning, the first three blocks. Nine more to go. It will be a large, 18" x 24", towel.

Also on the go are a couple of more cowls. One is almost done. I'll probably blog about it next, along with this ribbed one I've started.

I'll also be adding a few blocks to the dish towel. It's a free pattern, thanks to the graciousness of Interweave Knits on line downloads to Knitting Daily subscribers. I'm using leftovers from other towel projects and enjoying it a lot.

I've been weaving the ends after I finish each square. Since the backside doesn't look very neat, having bi-color garter ridges at the color changes and picked-up stitches at the edges, I figure woven-in ends won't hurt. However, I might start weaving in as I go, using the recommended tutorial.

I do wonder why I'm liking such a mish-mash of colors. Maybe I just need something bright on these dull gray days.