As spring sprung I seem to have need of an injection of colour into my life. Perhaps it was a knee jerk reaction against the really long winter we in the UK endured, perhaps it was the loss of Roger. What I do know is that the colours are eye searingly bright.

In no particular order,

I was incredibly lucky during the sales, well alright then tenacious! I did keep going back again and again, but on one trip I found two packs of colourscape chunky for just £30.00 each which is an incredible discount because they should sell for £130.00 Of course I immediately told Diane because I know how she likes a bargain and at some stage later as I was admiring her Valour she reminded me that I had some colourscape in my stash. And that was all the encouragement I needed and quickly cast on.

Today I finished my Valour by Sarah Hatton and this is a photo of it blocking in the sun. I am feeling slightly nervous and am hoping there are no naughty birds around today. These aren’t the best photo’s, the bright colours don’t work against a green background. I am sure there will be more photo’s of Valour once it is dry.


These socks are knit in Wollmeise 80/20 in colourway Grapes for Sheri. I originally started to knit a vanilla sock pattern a 60 stitch 2.5 mm needle and the pooling was in a straight line, not even a slight swirl around the sock, I didn’t like it at all. So I started to knit my fall back pattern which I love called Wildflower socks by Fawn Pea and sure enough the yarn started to behave beautifully. It obviously wanted to be a very pretty sock and I love the way you could almost pick the daisy’s on the lawn.

These socks are knitted from Babylonglegs Blue Faced Leicester sock yarn in colourway Blue Banana. I loved the yarn but am very disappointed with how the colours fell. If you look at the heel and turn of the heel you can see how pretty the yarn is. In another life I would have pulled them back and changed the pattern but I just carried on knitting. I am not even sure why. I may frog them.

Whatever happens to them they are going in my sock stash. I don’t need to add to the circulating pairs of socks that I currently have on the go. But I may need socks later on in life and be uncomfortable knitting them, which is a horrible thought, but it could happen, I needed a plan. And the plan that came up was to have a sock stash and to knit extra pairs. I think that my socks will wear out at a maximum rate of three pairs per year, bearing in mind I am still wearing the first pair I knitted some four years ago. I have had to mend the odd pair of socks that have been made with wool that simply wasn’t strong enough, but from that I have learn’t the lesson on what to look for in sock yarn or equally as important what not to wear when wearing delicate socks. Walking boots can tear a heel apart in seconds whilst soft Ecco sandals with their padded straps are quite happy to partner a deliciously soft pair of delectable socks.

So I will need to knit approximately 120 pairs, some of which will be circulated quite quickly and some will be stored carefully to be used on a needs must basis. It makes me feel more comfortable that I have a plan rather than worrying that I may have cold feet later on in life. Having warm feet makes me feel happy. Being wrapped in wool makes me feel warm and happy.

On a trip to Stitch Perfect which is based in the Custard Factory in Birmingham I became entranced with Fleece Artist Trail Socks in colourway Hercules and realised it was much too pretty to make into socks. So I searched Ravelry and found this very pretty pattern called Willow Cowl by Amelia Lyon. It is very clever the way Amelia has designed the cowl so that the cowl flops down on itself in concentric circles.

I really love it, so simple but so effective.

And there is picot edging too, whats not to love.

And it keeps me warm, it’s proving very useful when I am wandering around in a tshirt before the heat of the day, it keeps me warm enough without having to resort to finding a cardigan. I have another skein of this colourway, it is very tempting to make a hat, you won’t be missing me in a crowd this winter.