When I’m feeling low or tired or ill or all three together there are just a few things that can soothe me.

Firstly it has to be home made soup. This is ham, leek and pea soup. The ham hock was begged from the sliced meat counter of Waitrose for the princely sum of £1.73. It has been simmered for five hours and then the meat was taken off the bone. Lots of lovely homegrown leeks were gently fried in butter and added to the stock along with the yellow split peas. Its not quite ready yet, but it will be soon and then it will be in my tummy for lunch and I’m really looking forward to it.

Then just a few rows of something soft which is beautifully coloured soothes my tempered brow. I am a fickle knitter, I love my Lizard Ridge, I do. But (there’s always a but isn’t there) I need variety and this yarn has called to me from the very first day that it was placed in my stash. Its a sock yarn from fybrespates, I have three skeins of yarn from fybrespates bought at a show a long time ago. I don’t know why but they didn’t have labels on them and I’ve completely forgotten which was which. All I do know is that they are machine washable, this is a requirement of sock yarn that is not negotiable; and I remember asking.

The pattern is Show-off Stranded Socks by Anne Campbell. Its an interesting pattern in the way the heel is turned. It would be perfect for a diabetic or other person with a sensitive foot as the turn leaves no edges and is smooth and soft. And if you just kitchened the toe instead of pulling the last few stitches together it would truly be a sock without seams.

And after that, well could there be anything that could match up to the previous two. Well yes there can. There can be good friends. Who without prying just give you a little fiber hug. Thank you Carie, I love them All. They are just so gorgeous, it was wonderful the way they tumbled out of the bag onto the table to reveal their full glory.