spring! rock! socks! books! baby!

this last week we have had fantastic (but cold) weather, and i am finally getting some hope that spring will come eventually. of course, tomorrow it's supposed to snow again. oh well. here's a pic from my garden yesterday. things are happening!



friday we went to see a great band called silverbullit. they're swedish and if you like interpol, you'll like silverbullit too. (btw, where have all these ian curtis soundalikes been hiding up until now? they all seem to be popping out at once.) my only complaint for the evening was that none of my girl friends were there. i haven't been to a concert with them for years, i think. either they're not that into music, or don't like the same music as me, or they're busy giving birth ;-). i usually go with my husband and his friends, and great as they all are i just can't discuss how cute the band members are with them. i'm afraid i sent a somewhat drunken e-mail to beth about this when i got home that night. sorry, beth! i will get my husband to hide the computer the next time we go out drinking.

yesterday i was a busy little bee and finished my cascading leaves socks:



specs:
pattern: cascading leaves socks by jean townsend
yarn: sandnes sisu in 7133
needles: 2.5mm dpns
modifications: i did ten pattern repeats instead of five, as i like my socks to be as long as possible. also, i used a three-needle bindoff on the toes because i was too lazy to graft.

here's how they look on:



i had to crop out my white and hairy legs ... also, the angle is a bit funny because i took the picture upside down and then rotated it.

last week my friend had a little baby girl and i found this cute hat pattern through a link at glampyre's:



specs:
pattern: cameron's cap by sarah peasley
yarn: dale sisik in 167
needles: 4mm circs and dpns

the ear flaps are created through shortrows. i think i'm finally getting the hang of shortrowing now, so i plan to try some socks with those horrible heels again soon!

finally, marta tagged me with a book meme:

1. What was the last book you read or are reading?
a wild sheep chase by haruki murakami

2. Where did it come from (library, bookstore, gift, etc.)?
a local bookstore, i think

3. How many books do you read per year?
not as many as i did before i got obsessed with knitting, but usually i get through two to four a month.

4. What is your favorite genre?
contemporary fiction.

5. Who will you tag now?
let me see ... beth, because i'm curious to know what she likes to read; jacqueline, because i'm so happy she's back blogging again (i missed you!); and shobhana, because i know she likes murakami too.