Casting off..............casting on..............

Last Saturday really was quite an amazing day.............

...........because not only did I finish Mr Locket's Gorgeous DK socks............

.........AND my beautiful pink Spring Forward socks..............

.........but I also finished my Monkeys that have been hanging around on the needles for ages!

Three pairs of socks finished in one day.

Yup three PAIRS of MATCHING socks.

In the Locket household!

Matching socks.

Now there's a rare thing indeed!

So to balance things out I clearly needed to cast on three more pairs of socks.........

......especially as the lovely Quinn had sent me the most unexpected parcel of goodies including this gorgeous hand-dyed sock wool

I didn't get chance to photograph it in the skein because I leapt so quickly at Dottie's suggestion that she help me wind it.  I wasn't going to turn down an offer like that in a hurry.

So I cast on a pair of No Purl Monkeys in some Regia Sock Monster wool that I bought at Barbara's the other week (this is the wool that I liked but didn't LOVE as much as the gorgeous dk wool I simply HAD to buy)

Then I cast on a Summer Lovin sock with Quinn's gorgeous wool............

and I actually knitted two repeats of the pattern until today....... 

............when I decided that it really was too loose and baggy and didn't do the gorgeous wool justice.  

So, very rarely for me, I frogged it and have been busily searching Ravelry for a new pattern to show off this lovely wool - any suggestions would be very gratefully received.

I've also cast on another pair of mindless-telly-watching-dk-socks - but I haven't photographed them yet.

So I must go, there's knitting to be done...........

New wool, new dishes, new techniques and a new friend

More wool accidentally jumped into my hands the other day when I was at Ring-a-Rosie's.  In my defence, I was minding my own business, buying totally different wool, when I spotted Barbara's latest sock knitting lying there in full view on the counter!  What was I supposed to do?  Ignore it?  Or fall head over heels in love with a ball of wool. Yup, that's what I did.  Totally irrational - but it is lovely.  I just wish I had a decent photograph of it but here goes - this is my Regia World College Color sock that I started this morning -

it's dk so it knits up super fast.

And look! I've got sock blockers! I'm SOOOOOOOOOO excited about these (maybe I need to talk to the doctor about my medicine levels?!?!)

I've blocked my first Spring Forward sock so you have to endure two new photos of it in all its glory

 The distance shot......................and the close up

and to prove that I haven't been completely lead astray by my new sock wool here is Spring Forward #2

As you can see, the way the wool works means that it is going to be an upside down version of the first sock, but that's fine.

Another new purchase was a beautiful set of blue pressed glass Sundae dishes from the local auction rooms which have been put to use for sweeties and jelly and ice cream.  

In fact I seem to have a camera full of photos the children have taken of their latest jelly creations - I even have videos of them turning the jelly out of the mould but I'll spare you those. ;o)

Daisy made me laugh the other day when she came through to the kitchen like this...........

her Heath Robinson-esque solution to the need to finger-knit on-the-go!  (her ball of wool is carefully stored inside the basket)

And finally, my new friend...............

.................likes to hang out in front of the computer checking out his antipodean cousins

Here's Baxter's cousin Spike.  Not an original name I know, but it's what Dottie was called when I was pregnant so it seemed a good name to choose.

He looks like he's striding out purposefully here!

Another fantastic pattern Jodie - and I might be able to squeeze a second hedgehoggy friend out of the fabrics you sent.  Once I've properly finished poor Spike -  who doesn't have his arms and legs sewn on tightly!  Only blog-finished, the poor chap.

Right, I'm off to knit some more of my sock..............

Poor photos but lovely presents

Once again I need to apologise for the state of my photos - my camera doesn't seem to have a flash (it's second hand so I can't really complain) so all my photos at the moment have a horrible soupy yellow quality.

But I have had some lovely things to photograph including some fabby presents from very kind bloggy friends.

The first from Jodie who sent me the very arduous task of pattern testing the lovely Baxter (woohoo! can't wait to get started!) along with this gorgeous make-your-own-bunting panel

(I can see all the printed instructions being included like selvedge in my spiderweb quilt and quilt as you go panels once the bunting is made)

and this adorable tape measure and badge - I'm definitely happy with a world where craft is the new black!

Then this week I received a parcel from the lovely Michelle who had made me this beautiful sewing kit to cheer me up

all I can say is that it worked a treat!  I love it! 

And I also loved the chocolate and sweeties that came with it!

Thank you both very much xxx

I made a concious effort last week to knit instead of crying and by the end of the week I had a very beautiful sock instead of a manky pile of soggy tissues.

I can't claim that it worked ALL the time but knitting certainly helped and I have now cast on the second sock (don't faint!) and have also cast on this cowl so I have plenty of distraction therapy to hand.  So why didn't I knit today instead of feeling sorry for myself?  Stupid girl!  Off to find that knitting bag............

Lucy x