Big Progress, Little Progress

First off, I have finished the first Spring Leaf Sock. As I mentioned in the previous post, I have changed my mind about the feeling of the Sockotta yarn. I think it didn't help that when I started these socks I was also working on a scarf with merino and silk and lets face it, nothing feels as good as that. I made a lot of progress on the second sock last night and am half way through it, so it is very close to done.












After a few different attempts with the toe I decided to to a round toe from the description given here: Joan's Toe. Which I think worked out wonderful. My mother and myself do not have the dramatically sloped toes like most of the rest of the public, with the toes being more of similar height. So I think this should work well for her and I am definitely trying it next time I make myself some socks.

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Also, I finally got a shot of the small amount of the shawl I have done, which lets face it, is not much, but it is 400 stitches across. It's roughly intended size is 3 feet by 6 feet. My mother is tall and this should be a good size for her. All that I need to do is clean up my chart for the frog pattern and knit like the wind (to quote Brenda Dayne of Cast On.











Both of these pictures, especially the first one really get across the depth of the color in this yarn. It is a gray that is made up of other colors and close up you can see it and it just looks so nice.

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I also took some pictures of my little balcony garden today. I have the start of my very first strawberry! I have to admit, I love "gardening" just as much as I love any other craft I do, it all fits into the principal of the ability to help create something which is just such a magnificent feeling. Any who, onto the pics:



Herbs on the back ledge, a tomato hanging planter, tomato plant underneath, three pots of varying peppers, and radishes to the far right. (In the window, inside, are my rescue plants - I had this weird desire to save discount/dying plants when I worked at Lowe's.)


Far right are tomato plants grown from seeds, then cucumber plants from seeds, garlic plant in the butter bucket started from a sprouting piece from my fridge, chives in the milk container from seeds, behind are the strawberry plants, very bottom right are green bean plants from seeds. In the little containers are lavender, chamomile, cilantro, sweet peppers, and cactus - all from seeds. Three bottom containers are my radish experiment.* In the front bucket are carrots(from seeds) and to the far left is my rose bush.


* = My Radish Experiment. I read online that if you plant a radish again it will sprout a plant and flower and produce seeds. So, a few times I purchased radishes in bags, there were sprouting radishes and I figured what the heck, I can try this. So far they are growing like crazy and blooming beautiful little flowers. We will see if I actually get any seeds though.








My first strawberry, the beginning of my harvest! :)





Well, that is all for today folks. Hope you enjoyed my little garden.