My stash has got bigger!

The Harrogate Knitting & Stitching Show is to blame! Some lovely sock yarn, mainly from Knit n' Caboddle & Web of Wool Stalls. Favorite yarn is probably this, just Schoppel Wolle sock yarn but I love the colourway. Best of all from K n C was the 'gadget' -a work in progress 'keeper'. Keeps knitting & needles safely together. Two tubes for £7! Perhaps I should have got two packs! On the needles are (another) pair of 'Embossed Leaves' in Cherry Hill supersock. Love the yarn, love the colours, love the pattern. Nuff said!I got some hand dyed worsted from 21st Century Yarns. I bought two hanks each in two colourways. One browns, one reds. I think at least one is destined for a Mobius, as are these little orange ball of delight.

I also had my first 'go' on a spinning wheel, courtesy of the lovely ladies from the Craven Spinning Guild. The result was a little organic. They meet every third Saturday in Skipton so I may well join them, although it may be some time before I can afford a wheel. I am told I was using an 'Ashford Traveller'. One of the (many) reasons for a certain lack of financial fluidity in this household is this:Son & heir is 18 today! This photo was taken last Saturday when his Aunt & Uncle were here. We followed a growing family tradition & had a 'table' party. Yes it was a 'Pirate' Party! The Pirates ate curry! I think his celebrations last night were slightly more sophisticated, although as he is still in bed, I am not sure!

The River Rapid Socks (well it was intended to be a knitting blog, not just a buying yarn blog!) are finally finished & I am very pleased with them. Less pleased with the photo but it will have to do for now. I have alot of school based work to do before S&H arrives downstairs!

Final picture, cos I like it! Moss & Mr J discussing current sporting news!

What happens when you start knitting socks....

You just don't like anything else on your feet! This was the Saturday sock handwash -even if they do machine wash, they feel so much nicer for that extra bit of TLC! I feel real empathy when I read Celtic Memory's post! I have some socks on the needles at the moment. They are my ASK's for October, Nancy Bush's 'Whitby' socks. They are a lovely knit, here is a picture of early progress. I have other projects on the go that I can't mention here in case certain parties remeber I have a blog & spot them! There will be details on Ravelry! I have stumbled into more temptation -Socktopus is shipping copies of Cat Bohdi's 'New pathways for sock knitters' book into the UK & one of the next batch to arrive has MY name on it, so whilst placing the order it seemed silly not to order some yarn. She has a tempting array, but I went for

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock 'Fall Foilage' and Bearfoot Mountain Colors 'Winter Skies'. I think Alice is the first stockist in the Uk of Bearfoot Mountain Colours! The service is excellent & speedy with excellent communications.The Cherry Tree Hill yarn is destined to become Brigit I think, Mountain Colors may be a pair of Whitby's more me. Gigi Silva is a member of Ravelry's ASK's group & so as long as they get started this month they will be my November socks!

On the theme of Autumn foliage & winter skies, Moss & I have just got back from a lovely, chilly walk at Brimham Rocks.

We are so lucky that we are only a five minute drive away from Brimham. It is a well known National Trust owned site of amazing Gritstone outctops & moorland. The paths around the rocks can get fairly busy but step onto the edge of the moor & you can have them to yourselves. In our family this is known as the 'second best view in Yorkshire':

This was taken today, an earlier picture (June 2005) can be viewed here & is more 'composed' -today's picture was a quick snap taken with my phone camera & it was too chilly to hang around! The best? The one from our back door!