Beautiful leaves, O Mighty Leaf Goddess!

They are beautiful.

I'm looking forward to the book and calendar too -- so keep after the editing job!

Wow. That's a lot of leaves.

Seriously.

The leaves are so beautiful--I want to knit leaves! GReat job!

Beautiful! The rows of leaves are so gorgeous, I'd probably just let them sit so I could look at them and admire them even longer before putting them on the socks. On the other hand, I'd also want the finished socks. ;)

Belated congratulations on your blogiversary, and on your increasingly-finished writing projects. Your blog and writings always make my day.

Well done on the leaves! So pretty all lined up. Although, it would have been funny if you had just kept on going - zen like - into leaf lotus land.

Me, I'm not saying a THING about those ends. Um, um, not me!

Besides, I think you don't so much weave them in as sew them on....could be wrong about that, but I'm in the middle of a sock bender when I should be quilting, so obviously my mind is somewhat warped.

Happy days!

oh yay! I'm so glad you've gotten them all done. They are lovely! Ask Joe if he catches you dream-knitting little leaves.

I am spellbound by those glorious, spectacular little leaves. I want them so badly it almost hurts.

They're beautiful leaves Stephanie -- thank you so much for sharing the knitting experience so I can vicariously knit them (as opposed to actually knit them which would send me right over the edge).

ends? what ends? i don't see no stinkin' ends...

[To be sung to the tune of Tah-Rah-Rah-BOOM-De-A]

"It's In-ter-VEN-tion time,
it's in-ter-VEN-tion time..."

They are truly beautiful!

Hey, do you need a rake?

I'm sorry I just couldnt resist adding that in!

(There's a kind of leaf besides maple those puppies resemble...)

Beautiful leaves-I think it's a grand plan to sit and look at their loveliness. I agree with Phebe-thanks for sharing the experience so I don't actually have to do it! I don't think I would be put into a zen state by knitting them- More likely a xanax state.

Your leaves are totally awesome ... I love this project, especially (and only!) since you're the one doing it!! Despite the tiny glitch with the dropped sock, you make this look so easy, so fun, so stress free that I find myself wanting to do this project myself.

And then I remember. You're you ... and I'm not!

So thanks for sharing with all of us!!

The leaves are lovely. I'm thinking leaves like that would really nice on a sweater, too. You know, a sweater to match your socks.

Greetings from a hot and humid South Africa. Your leaf socks are going to be beautiful. And(note conjunction!)I found a sweater pattern in Vogue Knitting International Autumn '93 edition Fall Magic that will match your socks perfectly -pattern 13 designed by Stephanie Sawyer-Ames. Alida

I know I couldn't do that many leaves without freaking out. The socks are wondrous to look at but I think I could be very content to watch someone else try them.

Couldn't you cajole one of your daughters into weaving in the ends? Surely one of them must be in trouble about something!

The leaves are still amazing! They always will be. But it did get me thinking......is there someway to adapt that leaf pattern into a shawl? I love leaf shawl patterns, and waves and diamonds, and hearts.....So whenever I see something like that, I start thinking...."could that be a shawl? could that be a sock?

I can't decide which ones I like best.....they mossy green ones, or the rusty brown ones. The rusty ones look like the leaves on the trees around my house in the fall. Beautiful trees of flame-colored leaves!

So that wouldn't be a fun contest?

The leaves are very pretty little things, especially on the right side as you have showed them. However, it seemed to me when I clicked onto the site of the sock kits that on a finished sock the leaves were sewn to the sock leg the wrong side up. I really wonder why. You will put yours right side up, right?
ps. I love your blog

Ends? Not me. I'll just let the ladies remind you about them.

They are lovely, though. Maybe you should make a bunch more (as long as you're in the mood for that sort of thing) and create a pillow top from them?

I really like the leaves and you have done a great job.
But what does rattle around in my brain since last week is the question why you had to knit the amoeba thing into the sock for the leaf?
I would have knit the toes as always and just have the leaf sewn on top of it....of course justifying my lazyness with creating a double fabric that would make the toe area sturdier.....
Can't wait to see the completed pair......

Saludos
Angelika
Mexico City

Forget the socks, do something different on the tops, then use the ends to tie the leaves together into a festive fall garland. Done.

they look so pretty on the table. ah, zen is a good thing.

They're so lovely! And... I can't believe you're really going to finish these things before the end of the month. You truly are an inspiration to us all.

In some ways Knitters are all alike....finish some increditble knitting feat, leave said item out in a conspicuous place, purposely walk through room multiple times to admire the item, bring in relatives and neighbors to admire work, seriously consider calling the media.... thank god for Ravelry and blogs! It saves some of us from being hauled off to the looney bin.

Yesiree, Bob, that is some fine lookin' OCD ya got goin' on there!

They are FANTASTIC!!!

I am sooo ...well, I would be jealous, but not of the Harlot!!! You are just too fun!

It looks GREAT, and congratulations on the leaves, as well as the second inset!

Oh no weaving ends comment here - but be very careful Stephanie...Don't take the leaves outside for pictures for I think the yarn gods may have alerted the squirrel to watch for pretty leaves....

No agony? No angst?

I believe I agree with Rams.

Here, I'll come weave every end in for you. It would be a pleasure.

Ooh pretty leaves. Very soothing even to me who's just discovered I will have to rip back the 3-month- in-stocking-stitch-h*ll of a cardigan as drop shoulder on me is not a good look.(I was staring at the yarn while the shoulders were being handed out). Leaves.

How gorgeously, fulfillingly zen.

I swear I wasn't going to say anything about ends..... or weaving... or finishing...

Sheesh... I thought the internets were a public place... banning? Man. Harsh Harlot... harsh... and for something you'd be just as likely to say? You're bluffing;)

Socks are lovely.....leaves are beautiful... I would really like to knit a wreath from those... a sock yarn remnant wreath to hang in my (non existent because we have to eat somewhere and it's currently a dining room) fiber-arts studio...

Can't wait to see what I knit vicariously through you next;)

ooh look at all those lovely leaves! I kind of want to see the pattern just to make a few for myself, since they're so zen.

Soon, leaf-knitting might become more In than sock knitting.

Haha, no. What am I saying?

An Awsome Autumn Array

or how about Fabulously Festive Fall Frivolties

They are simply gorgeous !!! Congratulations !!!
So I know you said you want to leave them as is for now to admire them but I was wondering what next? I know you have made a lot of sweaters and stoles and shawls and what not. I dont think I have ever seen you make a bag. How nice it would be to see you put these leaves together in a bag for your daughter or even for yourself?

I wonder if its possible to get the pattern for just the leaf and then enlarge it to a washcloth. that would be pretty for the bathroom.

This "leafs" me in awe of you once again!!!!!

Beauteous leaves - & the calendar looks neat - can't wait to buy it!

I bet the wool stealing squirrel would like some of those for his nest :) Simply beautiful! And I'm totally hyping on the page a day calendar. Who wouldn't love reading your wittiness everyday for a year?

So happy for your "om" moment. If that isn't why we knit, I don't know what is. It must also be nice to know you have Tues. free for the gansey ( 8~} )

They're gorgeous. I hope your cat doesn't show any interest in them, though, because I know mine would be running around the house with wee little yarn leaves poking out of their mouths.

At the risk of being banned... not as many ends as you might think. Really only one per upper leaf, since the other is absorbed by the i-cord, and the lower ones are hidden and can be snaked sloppily into the ribbing with no one the wiser. Of course, then there's... hmmmm, I think I'll shut up now. They look simply beautiful.

Belated congratulations on your blogiversary - sorry I missed the boat on that entry, but you know whose fault it was because I was up to my ears in printing patterns. Evidently uncool is the new cool. It was only a matter of time before we dorky folk claimed our universe. Thank you for leading the way!

The leaves are stunning! I think there are fewer ends than on an argyle. What great accents they would make if you decided to keep a few on hand.

Coolness, what a lot of leaves! Looks like autumn, only without the rain :)

Wow! Kids saved you from knitting up your own jungle! They're very cool. And I'm very tempted to get myself some of that leaf love there. :)

Have you tried moving them to different locations around the house so you may enjoy them in various tableaux? I know I would.

Congratulations on the leaves, but I'm singing along with Rams. Maybe we can blame all this on leaf fumes.

A calendar? Hurray! I can't wait. Congratulations on completing the leaves AND getting the second one "installed" without incident. Looking forward to seeing the finished socks.

*insert witty comment here* I have no words to say how pretty the leaves are. I'm also biting my tongue because I don't want to be banned from the blog. Ouch, I think I drew blood....

Hmmmm, you could put them in a big pile and jump in them. :-)

Love the leaves. Just love them.

I wouldn't dream of mentioning the number of ends to be woven in. Not for an instant.

I may be tempted to call your attention to the fact that per your own published schedule, these bad boys were supposed to be finished and gifted yesterday. Perhaps I'd even go so far as to ask how you think you'll feel about the little leafy dears after spending the night feverishly placing them in their respective positions and - how shall I put this, ah yes - ensuring they are attached in such a way as to prove their umblemished beauty from the outside, and unmatched, smooth comfort for the wearer from the inside.

But I'd never mention the number of ends there are to be woven in. That would be wrong.

I love the leaves! If I owned the pattern, I fear that my universe would be covered in tiny little leaves without any socks. So much faster to claim FOs!

Love the blog, discovered it a few weeks ago and have now caught up in reading your archives. It feels a little weird to be able to post in real time, now.

Wow wheeeee! 34 LEAVES!! What beauty you've created. Congratulations - each individual leaf a piece of art! One question, though, while you were thus occupied, who fed the kids?

Why don't you make a leaves scarf or shawl of them? They look so gorgeous all lined up in the pic... I love all your books and the blog by the way, though I am afraid they are not yet popular here in Italy. You rock, Stephanie!

I don't see any ends to be woven in. Nope, no ends whatsoever. Tendril thingies, maybe, but no ends.

Your leaves look great, Steph. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Ends? What ends? I don't see any ends.....

Can't you use them to sew them to the sock?

Sure, take my fun away. Don't let me mention it. Threaten me with being banned.

Must... not... mention... them...

Rejoice in the leaves! If the child hadn't stopped you, you could have decorated your house with leaves, you could have lined the room with leaaves, you could have knit a tree to hold the extra leaves, you could have made another pair of socks, you could have....

Yeah, well, guess it was okay since you still have the lovely editing to do.

"Done, and done without incident. Nothing unravelled. Nothing mis-knit, no great honking errors, no wrong counting or gauge mistake"

I hope you knocked wood when you typed that.

Speaking of weaving in ends. . . maybe sometime you could post on how you weave in so as to not have little ends poking through the knitting. I always get that (it's especially bad with cotton) and nothing ruins the finished-project buzz faster than the one little end that wants to show it's ugly face. I'm really sincere in this request. . no fooling. . . please don't ban me. It might sound like an elementary issue but it's been diving me wild for years!!

If those were my leaves, I'd tie them to my depressingly bare trees.

They're like potato chips: once you start, you can't stop. Only, unlike potato chips, they have no calories. (How many calories does one burn weaving in an end?)

"ZEN LEAVES"... that sounds like a good name for another sock pattern. Maybe the new design could include say 64 leaves per sock. Anyone up for it?

How I love the leaves. So prettyful.

I can't wait for the new book and wooo wee!! A calendar! Please, for the sake of my sanity tell me there is an index. Please. My first (and only) knit a day calendar is never used because I can't find anything.

OK, I may be kind of lazy about reading comments and the answer to my question may be in there somewhere already...but I'm just wondering where all these lovely leaves are going to go on one pair of socks???

WANT. LEAVES. SEND. PLEASE.
leaves leaves leaves leaves leaves want dose.
BEAUTIFUL! :)

Hey! Did you get your Rockin' Sock Club box yet?!?!?!?! Are you in love with the colour?!?!?!?!

Just asking....

Not that I got mine; not that I could not put it down; no, not me....

Ends? I don't see any ends. Nope, no ends here. ;)

I once had a particularly flaky yoga instructor who used to chant things like; "Imagine you're breathing in light...the light is all around you...you are the light...". Just substitute "leaves" for "light" and you'll be well on your way to inner peace! (Tantric knitting?)

Dude, keep a close eye on those - it'd be your luck that the cat decides that she desperately wants to eat them. Or just hide them behind the fridge.

And where was Millie the gorgeous cat when you were photographing the leaves? Oh, right, she was probably sleeping on top of your grey cardigan!

They're gorgeous! Concentrate on that. (And remember that end-weaving is a lot less annoying when it's accompanied by wine and something good on TV) Congratulations!

complete and utter madness! i love it!

You Inspire Me!!!

They're so gorgeous! I love them all lined up in rows like that. But I agree with Deana and Melissa that they look like squirrel temptation, so I hope you keep them safe! =)

Wow they are stunning.

All I could think of though when you said not to mention the ends was "don't push the big red button." And then oh no, I don't want to be banned from the harlot. What ever shall I do without her witty repertoir?? This last feeling of remorse has led me to beleive that I might have actually said something about the ends(only because you said for us not to), if there was not threat of being banned. And what is truelly astonishing is that I didn't really notice the ends untill you mentioned it, they were part of the art of it all.

Wow, what fun. I would think you would notice you made too many leaves when you ran out of yarn. (or maybe not.... ) It would be funny (in a horrific kind of way) to have to unravel excess leaves to get the yarn back only in smaller segments. Kind of like that monty python sketch about the guy who'se trying to sell the little bits of string... heehee. I love that zen feeling though. I get like that when I'm crocheting a motif I like.

The zen feeling can be dangerous though. I got all zen a while back while working on a sweater. I was doing so well compensating for my off row guage until I went to sew up the sweater and realized I had made the arm holes like four inches wide while the sleeve caps were like 15 inches wide. (I stupidly started the shoulder shaping like 2 rows after the initial shaping for the arm holes. For some reason it hadn't occured to me that there might be some distance between my armpit and my shoulder.... DUH!) =^)

Off topic to be sure, but my Mum (Briticism?) and I are planning to meet in Halifax in August (she's in Ottawa) for your release!!!! OMG!!!! I hope that the rumour is true... OMG!!!!
Beauty leaves; true that about the comment of being mindful of Millie... my girls couldn't resist the opportunity to force an archy dig of such magnitude.

You obviously handle repetition wayyy better than I do! I'd have been on board the Crazy Train after the third one. The leaves are spectacular, as are the socks. Thank you for allowing those of us who would otherwise never work this pattern enjoy a quality vicarious knitting experience. :)

O, Mighty Harlot!
Thy Leaves are Many!
Thy ends will be everlasting, but
Thy socks will be gorgeous!
Amen!

Kinda makes you want to find a way to knit a Leaf Clapotis, doesn't it? (hint, hint)

Wow - so many leaves!

And they are so pretty too! I would be tempted to just leave them...... just as lots and lots of lovely leaves - like autumn had come to my house!

I am stunned and in complete and utter disbeLEAF over your accomplishment. ;-) Congratulations!

You mentioned the ends first, so I think we're safe.

I still want to get the pattern just so I can make a crown of these leaves (I'm not sure I could handle the fiddliness of socks, but that's mostly because I'm in denial about wanting to get the kit).

Calendar! Looking forward to it!

(In the style of CarolynD above):

Nutty Knitter Knows Neuroses

enjoy the leafy view.. cuz you just can't leaf them there forever, right?

Hopefully the tub-stalking kitty doesn't "love" them as much as she did the great grey sweater. My kitties would have them undone in two minutes flat!

Geez, I hope that table isn't at cat-swatting height. i can think of some kitties that'd have a field day with those perfect rows of leaves. hell, if I were a cat... Lookin good tho..

Wow. Look at all those ends you'll have to weave in.

*smart-ass*

Will you bring your socks to Madrona? I'd love to see them.

I signed up for your Sunday morning class.

I haven't forgotten that I owe you a beer (when I couldn't stay any later in Denver because I had to get up for work the next morning).

Oddily, seeing all those perfect leaves lined up makes me want to knit leaves. Not the socks mind you, just the leaves.

Laughing at Rams and Presbytera, umm, yes they do sorta.
Lovely lovely leaves.
Your final statement, (warning?) really cracked me up.

Oooo - I'm imagining a whole scarf of those leaves, that would be gorgeous - wouldn't it? :P

That is an awful lot of leaves. I'm glad that you enjoyed their tiny perfection, or else they might have been an awful chore.

If you want to knit a couple more, Barb (Wild Geese Fibres) is making a hat for a very very sick friend and sewing flowers and leaves to the outside. :-)

Waitaminute, a calendar? Oh, how excellent!

Well, technically, I think you're the first person who...wait! Scratch that. Never mind. I said nothing. Nothing!

Those are so cute! The colors are just incredible. I don't think I could manage actually wearing those. I'd frame them. Or steal Cookie A's leg and display them.

I love those leaves sooo much... I'm waiting for my kit to arrive. Apparently because of your leafy obsession, they had to print more patterns and dye more yarn. My yarn is still drying.

Well thanks to you and all your talk about leaves, Jennifer at vanCalcar just sent me an email this morning that my shipment of the Imbas sock kit will be delayed - seems she's trying to keep her head above water getting out all the orders from your readers for the Vintage socks! But hey, your blog is how I found her and Imbas pattern in the first place, so I guess I'll have to overlook it ;)

Imagine how you'd have felt if you'd knitted 36 or 44...it just doesn't bear thinking about. Are you sure that you don't want to count them again, just to make sure?

I put the Vintage sock kit in the cart, with the international shipping and the big foot option, looked at the total and put it all back. Far too spendy for little old me. The next day I went back and signed up for the sock club instead. No, I don't understand it either.

Will we be seeing a matching sweater with lots and lots of leaves in the near or not so near future? or maybe a hat and scarf with mittens to match?

I love weaving in ends. Feel free to mail your leaves to me, and I will happily weave all night. :D

Um. So these beautiful leaves, all 34 of them, are for ONE pair of socks?

If Millie is anything like my cats you better hide the perfectly forned leaves or you will be chasing them down or (heaven forbid) reknitting them when you come up one or 10 short!Cant wait to see the finished sockies, dont forget to take a picture when they are done :-)

Loverly leaves. I'm glad you found so much zen. It would have been the opposite for me. Make a heap more and make a leaf pile.

I'd love to make the leaves by themselves and add them to everything... I'm afraid of the socks but those leaves look like fun.

I think I've enjoyed a similar state of delight while knitting roses from Nikki Epstein's Knitted Flowers. They're quick, and it's such fun to twirl the resulting goofy looking spiral and get a lovely red rose!

The leaves are beautiful! I have been similarly obsessed with tiny knitting: http://web.mac.com/lielamac/iWeb/Site%203/Little%20People.html if you are interested in my WIPs.

Somehow, I think if your hair were on fire during your present leaf-induced euphoria, you'd be worried about the leaves catching fire. Remember, stop, drop and roll!

They are very cute. And also rather Escher-esque. Maybe you could design an afghan using noting but leaves? Then you could keep on going for the next few months!

Ends? I don't see any ends.

That is quite an impressive display of leaves. I can imagine they would distract you from just about any worries.

Especially since you have to do all that end-ignoring.

Only trees can grow so many leaves so quickly. What kind of tree are you!
I wonder if the socks will hold the weight of so many leaves... but they are very pretty for sure!

Fantastic! And please don't set your hair on fire to prove your point.

Well, one less decision to make. I have my 2009 calendar all picked out. Thanks!

Now you ignore Rams, Presbytera and Rachel H - those leaves are a work of art and could be displayed in a picture frame on a wall! Oooo - title, Cascading Leaves...that would be something. Thanks for sharing!

The leaves are FAB U LOUS!!!!
The Yarn Harlot kicks arse again!

Ok, I think someone else may have already said this, but it seems a shame to hide those leaves under pants legs. If I could make them, I would put them where they would be visible, like on a hat, especially if I was Canadian.

I'm so excited about the calendar! And that's all I wanted to say. ;)

If you make another 34 leaves, you could still make the socks AND have a lovely piece of leaf art. ;)

Couldn't you use the ends to sew them on to the sock, thus ultimately reducing the number of ends?

Rock on.

You provide enough Canadian beer (Unibroue would do nicely) and I'll come up and help with the ends!

I shall leave the leaves to you. Well, maybe not. The more I see of these socks, the more I think I may take leave of my senses and knit tiny leaves. This despite the fact that my husband (he of the chubby foot name-calling) may leave. He's already weary of digging my circular #1 sock needles out from between the recliner sofa cushions.

I love the socks! Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Since my "Vintage" kit arrived on Saturday (along with my Jan. 08 RSC kit - it was like being crowned Miss Knitter America), you must keep up the inspiration or I just might become intimidated by those wee leaves.

Look at that - leaves in the middle of winter. You are truly a miracle worker!

I could picture a whole rainbow of leaves fluttering the length of a shawl - that's how much I like leaves.

But I wish they were gingko leaves, my all time favorite (although I guess that would look odd on a sock meant to honor wine).

You are truly the leaf queen. Can't wait to see the finished sock in all their leafy glory.

So exactly what color is the third row of leaves from the left? They look different in every photo. Sometimes they look purple to me, other times I think definitely, dark green and a couple of times I have wondered if they were black.

So...exactly how many ends will you be weaving in? the cat wants to know
d

Honest to God you are SO FUNNY and have such a gift for being able to put it into the written word. I had tears from laughing at the Zen like state you must have been in at the end of them . Thank you for the GOOD laugh today and the leaves are pretty ,but I still wouldn't be puting them on a sock --that is IF I EVER had the patience to knit them in the first place. Done ,done ,done!! Makes one wonder if you would go to that zen place again with them .There's a song called " The Falling Leaves" and its going around in my head no stop.

Leaf Harlot?

Not enough points on those leaves to be the "other" left-handed kind. Since the county I live in claims the left-handed product as its first or second cash crop!!

Beautiful leaves! All colors of leaves...very nice.

I am very excited to see all the leaves on the socks where they are destined to be. It's a gorgeous pattern.

Looking forward to the next book...and the next book tour should include a stop in maybe Williamsburg, VA...lots of American history there for a wonderful Canadian to learn...

Hey,Rams? What about just the word "Intervention" set to the Ride of the Valkyries? Or the Hallelujah Chorus maybe?

The leaves are DONE!!!! Well done! Done well! Very beautiful! You could, you know, just leave all those ends dangling inside the socks...... By the way, I used the word "kinnearing" today, just came outta my mouth before I realized that I wasn't talking to a knitter who would know what it meant. ARghhhh. Then followed a very confusing explanation of who you are and how the word came to be. :O) "Twas funny! Person receiving explanation still has no idea what I meant, I'm sure.

I was thinking the ends weren't going to be that bad. Of course, after making Thomas the Tank Engine in intarsia there has to be a real mass of ends before I start getting bleary eyed (that was years ago and I'm still not over it).

go back into the zen mode and make them and make some more and then make a necklace to go with the socks....

They are so beautiful! What fantastic things to become one with! You know, I'll bet if you searched your house diligently enough, you'd find something else that needs the finishing touch of an appliquéd leaf. I'm just saying...

I'll bet those are the only leaves in your wintry neck of the woods! Most adorable in a tiny Japanese girl kind of way. Right up my alley.

Please tell me you're not actually drinking icky chablis while making this lovely sockart? What wine goes well with Vintage sock knitting?

I wasn't thinking ends, I was thinking cat toys. Doesn't your cat bother stuff like that? Mine would grab one and run. They look very nice, though.

*said in best high-Anglican stuffy minister voice* Oh, yea, verily, the Leaves are a wonder and most beauteous creation, O! Great Knitter!

;)

Truly they are lovely. :)

It's like autumn again!

So I'm curious, how exactly does one block a leaf? Do you actually pin all their little edges out? Or is there an easier way that I'm totally overlooking?

Yippee, you did a calendar! A day-by-day!
Just pre-ordered both the calendar and the new book - no pressure or anything (-:
Your leaves are wonderful.

They are gorgeous.

Wouldn't it have been clever if there was a way to knit the leaves together? Sort of intertwine them, so to speak.

What a cool pair of socks this is going to be. Will you wear them in the summer to show off the leaves?

Wow! That is a lot of...leaves. I didn't say ends. :)

Ooo, so many pretty leaves!

Were I a cat (and I'm not, but I have known many cats in my day), that table-full of leaves would look like the PERFECT play place.

What? Weaving...there's no weaving. Just use 'em to tack the leaves in place. Or my personal favorite when the chips are down...glue gun that baby!

Those leaves are gorgeous! Tell me one thing, do you have problems with cats sleeping in your yarn basket, or biting the yarn in half, or sending it unraveling all over the house?

Weaving in ends is kind of zen, too. By the bye and off topic, I finished my first ever pair of socks which I made from your recipe. The first one took about 9 months and I cursed every second of it. When it was done and I delightedly put it on my foot, I couldn't WAIT to cast on for #2--which was done in 4 days. Have I caught the sock bug? You betcha! Thanks, you wonderful enabler, you.

Do you have them in some high-tech, space-age, cat-proof bubble? In my house, they would just be an invitation for someone to slide across the table . . .

Ends to weave in? What are you talking about - I see leaves, beautiful leaves OH - and two inlaid ones at that!

I have to wonder, since this obviously did not send you over the edge, what you would do to top this feat? How could you even go back to say a sweater with 18 different cables in it? I would have to frame the socks. I couldn't bear to have someone walk upon their beauty. I'm speechless. And there are no ends, just sewing up strands.

Look at all the little leaf-sies! The way you have them laid out makes me think a leaf-scarf might be pretty neat. That also sounds a little terrifying, though...

(I didn't even think about all those ends when I saw the picture! Good luck with that. I will send patient thoughts your direction. Haha!)

I'm so excited about the calendar! Ends? We would not speak of the evil of ends.

Ends? I don't see no stinking ends. I see a fall parade of little leaves, not an end in sight! Oh, Little Leaves...that I might never have to knit thee, only so you can keep your brilliant, endless charm:-)

Harlot, calm in Zen
Vintage leaves of yarn appear
Turning into socks

Needed more than 17 syllables to say "turning into GORGEOUS socks"...

SO beautiful. I'm *almost* tempted to make those socks myself...*almost*...

oooo.... pretty pretty leaves AND news of a calendar?

Today was a good day, then.

What would you have done, if you had knit extra leaves? I like the leaves, but would never knit the socks. But the leaves...

Ah, those sweet little leaves. Once I finally get to knit those socks, afterwards I'm dreaming of taking the leaf instructions and making scarves, hats, tiaras, cuffs all built from tiny little leaves, leaves, leaves... And maybe some upsized leaves too... Mmmm...leaves. Oh the possibilities...

Beautiful leaves! Now don't let the cat steal any...

I'm with Angelika. I have wondered about the evil of working the perfect leaf-sized hole and then fitting the leaf in. I, too, would have thought it sufficient to just knit the sock and applique the leaf after the fact. And the fact that you did it as instructed and did it beautifully is why they pay you to write books and why you have all of these blog readers, and I'm just sitting here turning a lovely, leafy green with envy.

pretty pretty leafs!

since you're Canadian I'm not going to write you up, but just so you know, it's "git along little dogies". dogies is pronounced with a long o. I suppose "get" for "git" is forgivable, but dogies are calves and not canines. or so I was told when I said doggies. ;)

Anyone who can deal with the ends on those argyle socks you did around Christmas will laugh in the face of 34 leaves worth of ends. Rock on!

but can't you use the ends to tack them to the sock?

Ends? I don't see any ends to be woven in, I see ends that get to be knit in, just like I knit in all the ends of the semi-intarsia project I'm working on :)

...they look so darned sweet...i *almost* want to make some!

The leaves are lovely, but I'm excited about the calendar. I have a thing for calendars, and I'm glad there will be a Yarn Harlot calendar next year. I took a look at it on Amazon and at the same time was treated to another look at the book cover. It really, truly does need to be changed. Yeech!!!!

Rams, you and Rachel are in charge of the music at the knitting retreat...oops, I mean intervention.

I'll mix the drinks.

Ends. There. I said it.

Go ahead. Make my day.

Oh. My. Freakin. Bob. That's a lot of leaves.

Do we, uhm... have a picture of what these socks are supposed to look like when they're done?

I'm having visions of the Harlot tromping around looking like an Autumn version of a feet tar-and-feathering.

This is definitely one of those projects where I'm content to sit by the sidelines and watch.

Wow they look so cool! I can understand why you didn't want to stop. You could make a sweater to match your socks, or a hat, etc....

Can't you use those "ends" to sew the leaves onto the sock itself? I looked at the picture of the socks (the link you provided) and it looks like you need to sew all those leaves on, no?

I love leaves and these are so pretty. You can almost make syrup they are so cute.

By the time you put all those leaves on the socks, they will be too heavy to pick up! They are attractive --I just did not realize you had to put THAT MANY on the socks. LOL

If someone hasn't already mentioned it to you, Miss V suggested on the last podcast that it would be cool if someone designed a scarf with all those little leaves on it. So you could knit more leaves if you wanted!

Have you thought about framing them? Seriously beautiful leaves.

Very nice leaves, a lot like false Aralia, or what rams said. You don't want to be caught on an airplane armed with sharp sticks and knitting those leaves.

Peace and Love, sister.

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree." --Emily Bronte

Enjoy your bliss.

I think weaving in is another one of those zen exercises.

I'm just impressed that you could get all those leaves knitted while trying to get your book edited. Wouldn't surprise me if the word "leaves" appeared somewhere in the book. LOL

Well, my kit arrived the other day. I began knitting leaves-had 4 done. Went to pick up the knitting today and could only find 3 leaves. Now, I didn't see them do it, but the 2 cats looked guilty(as guilty as cats can possibly look since they are snobby and snitty as cats always are) and now I am down a leaf. They may bring it back when they have finished with it. I wish I could teach them to weave in ends-but it is beneath them.

Don't leave them near a window, you know what squirrels make their nests out of & you've got wool ones!

First, let me be clear, I am not going to talk about the ends... of anything. Now, in honor of the crazed US event called 'The Superbowl', I would probably have to say that you were 'in the zone'. Normally, that means a state in which, to quote Bill Murray, "... You are the ball." Of course, in your case, "...You are the leaf." Still, pretty cool, and pretty pretty.

Truly Canadian, eh?

I am so excited to hear about a calendar that the leaves have totally taken a back seat...must go order calendar!!!

(This may have been mentioned but there are a lot of comments to read through)

I'ed just like to say that chanting "I am a leaf on the wind..." Repeatedly is asking for a universal smackdown or at least a rather unpointy death at the hands of Joss Weadon. So here's hoping you weren't doing that ;>

Amazing. Doesn't seem like that many leaves can fit on one pair of socks. COOL

Love dem little leafies...Love dem just to bits... Not going to go for the socks, but when the Tsarina comes out with the leaf pattern for sale separately? I. Am. SO. Going to get it! No idea what the heck I'll be doing with leaves, but I'm sure I'll figure out something. What a lovely way to use up leftover sock yarn!

I think my favorites are the purple/green leaves. Followed by the pale green ones. And look look look, you've gotten way past the toe on the second sock! Brava! I'd want to leave the leaves out to look at for a while, too. Especially with editing still going on. Soothing leaves. (Really, those suckers are another form of knitting crack.)

Wow, I'm so impressed! What pretty, wonderful leaves! I want to rake them together in my hands and *mentally* jump in a pile of them.

I pre-ordered that thing that you're editing! The leaves are precious!

Simply sumptuous leaves. I hope they were suitably celebrated with a glass (or two!) of wine ;-)

Banned, eh?

Not worth it. ;)

Beautiful leaves
knit in the most lovely hues
zen knitting is done.

Beautiful little leaves! If it were me, I would be leaving them out where I could look at them too.

I like the idea of knitting a bunch of them and making them into a little crown. :)

Nice leaves. Ends to weave in? What ends? We see no ends?

Blog addiction induced blindness!

Well, now we know that Spring is coming ;D

They are perfect. I understand.

Did you ever sing the song when you were a kid about "the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah"? I found myself looking at the pictures of all those little leaves fading out into the photographic distance and singing under my breath, "The leaves go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah."

i love how the leave look placed like that, when knitters take over the world I think our flag should look like these knitted leaves :)

When I was hand piecing 1 inch squares for a double nine-patch quilt I overshot my 225 nine-patch goal. Did I even think that was possible when I started? No.

Nevermind that they now need to be pieced into big blocks...(scurries off to pull out the needle and thread)

(lost in fantasies of what to do with excess leaves...)

If you knit enough of those you could have your own little pile of yarn leaves to jump into. Just think warm soft wool leaves, cushy alpaca leaves, cool cotton leaves, leaves of every yarn imaginable. Ooooooo....what a great picture.

Those are great leaves! I can't wait to see the finished socks. Every time you show a picture I can't help but think better you than me. I am sure that my kids would somehow destroy something so perfect and tiny.

You still planning on giving them as a gift? I'd want to frame them and hang them up somewhere!

I love reading your blog in the morning(UK time difference)
It never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Thank you.

I only had to do eight leaves for my Woodins. In worsted. Tiny knit leaves are so cute and adorable like babies or puppies. I too am avoiding the finishing.

I love the leaves! I want to knit leaves now! The colors are beautiful!

A haiku to the leaves:

only thirty-four
autumn color neatly knit
the vintage sock crown

Ah, the leaves. I love the leaves. I need to knit some leaves. Like, maybe, an Escher-inspired tessellating leaf entrelac blanket.

Good luck on the calendar edits!

"Yee Haw" ?

I love the leaves. I was tempted, for a long while, to only knit tiny reproductions of everyday objects. I felt that afixing a tiny leaf, or perhaps a tiny hippo (or a toaster or a tiny car) to any outfit would make it better. I still believe this could be true...

That IS a lot of leaves!!!

FYI - I got #1 world ranked welter weight MMA fighter (and Canadian native) Georges St. Pierre to hold my sock for a picture. I thought you might get a kick out of seeing this tough and quite hunky guy (half naked) holding my knitting. :-) http://annie-knits.blogspot.com/

if we raked them all together, could we jump in and play?

LOVE the leaves. Truly! In fact, pardon my blasphemy, but it seems a shame to use them on socks. I could see them on a scarf, 'falling' from the tree, or on a hat or a sweater. Some place visible. Because I believe they are truly works of art, and now I want to make some leaves, too. Actually? I don't want to work here in my office on campus, I want to go home and knit......

Do those wonderful socks come with a knitted leaf covered garter belt to hold them up? All those leaves could make for slouchy socks! Plus the garter belt would mean you could knit more leaves...glorious leaves!

Hmm, the Zen of Knitting book. Perfect.

And we get book this year and calendar next? Yippee!

I can't get the Mammas and Pappas song "All the leaves are done and the sky is grey" out of my head.

what about a headband or a pair of earrings. I bet you have yarn left over...

They're beautiful! I think I would pile them all up and use them as a pillow and take a really long nap:)

And what Lori said! A headband would be so cute...

Oh my! The obsession was contagious and here's what I encountered after ordering my very own little slice of zen: "The Yarn Harlot has been known to cause many people to trip and fall down, accidentally hitting the 'add to cart' button on the Vintage kit in the last few days."

Must...Order...Kit. Helpless, totally helpless, in the face of little leaves.

You are the Yarn Leaf Goddess or is that the Yarn Leaf Harlot?

Staring at all those leaves made my mind start to churn on how to attach all the leaves together and make a wicked cool falling leaves scarf.

Hummmmmmm

Now you have me wanting to knit a leaf. They are so cute and fun. That's one pile of leaves I'd love to jump into.

And YAY! -- a YH page-a-day calendar!!! I can still get my dose of YH when you don't blog and a double dose on days that you do. Sweet!

The calendar - is it dated or a perpetual calendar?

Better you than me knitting all those leaves. How you fitted that one into the toe I have no earthly idea!

Can you really ban people from the blog?

Even without the threat, I was only going to say that the leaves look fabulous.

Holy crap, that is a lot of leaves.

Holy crap. lot of comments.

love the title of this post!! this is the phrase that inspired the title of my blog. Oh, and the leaves are good too... :)

I am a leaf on the wind...watch how I soar.

Since I've been reading your blog my neighbors have been looking at me funny. Maybe it's the fact that I sit here laughing out loud all by myself. They seem to think that knitting while on the computer and laughing hysterically is a bit odd?