little tree socks!

Good evening, everyone.
How are you enjoying these long autumn nights?

Here, my days are filled with dyeing and knitting — a rhythm I truly enjoy.
And today, I have a piece of happy news to share.

Our yarn will be used in a new kit designed by Sunao Shiota!
I was asked to dye the yarn for her pattern called “little tree socks.”


Please take a look — aren’t they absolutely charming?
This pattern was inspired by the plants in Sunao’s own garden.
The bobbles and textured stitches make such a beautiful design.
It must be so much fun to knit while imagining, “Is this a seed? What could this part be?”

And here are the two colorways I created for the kit:


They were inspired by Kuro-moji (Lindera umbellata) and Tsuribana (Euonymus oxyphyllus).

When I asked Sunao about her favorite plants, these were the ones she mentioned.
I knew Kuro-moji as the wood often used to make picks for Japanese sweets,
but I must admit I didn’t know Tsuribana before.
After looking it up, I was charmed by its delicate red fruits — I instantly wanted to dye it!
The Kuro-moji flowers have a soft yellow-green tone, also quite distinctive and inspiring.

These yarns will be available at Sunao Shiota’s upcoming exhibitions and knitting events starting in November.
For the schedule, please check her Instagram account.
She’ll also be present on certain days, so if you have the chance,
please do ask her directly about the inspiration behind the pattern and the yarn.

Now, a little side story.
I don’t usually buy many things, but a few years ago, I purchased one special book —
a mitten pattern book filled with designs inspired by the author’s travels around the world.
Unlike most knitting books, it also included travel photos and essays,
which made it a real joy to read, especially for someone who loves travel like I do.
Whenever I feel like catching a bit of that “overseas air,”
I pick it up and flip through the pages. It’s still one of my treasures.

The title of that book is “Tabi kara Umarareta Watashi no Miton”
(My Mittens Born from Travels),
and the author is — yes — Sunao Shiota.

So when she reached out to me this time, I was honestly stunned.
Along with the surprise came a flood of questions — “Why me?” “How did this happen?”

As we talked, she told me it was because we share a similar approach to making things.
And she was right — my yarns each have their own stories,
and my designs are often inspired by places I’ve visited or by small moments in daily life.
Realizing how much we have in common, I happily accepted her kind offer.

I hope many of you will enjoy knitting little tree socks.
Thank you as always for your warm support.