I'm back! ( and fully? recovered)

Phew, it was touch-and-go whether I'd make this weekend at Anne's , I was not at all well Thursday (on 24hour fast to be precise) and it was a case of sheer willpower (and bloody mindedness) that I got there on Friday. However, much relaxed and rejuvenated, I am now feeling much better. So here first is a photo of my kind hosts...
We went on a walk on Saturday round a local lake, it was really pretty and I got some lovely photos.

Anne was collecting some moss for dyeing ( note Islay? in the right hand corner eyeing it up as potential food- typical dog!). So, a grand time was had by all, and much fine spinning was done, but try as I might, I couldn't fill the bobbin! No point in posting a pic yet as ther's not much to see, just wait a week or two 'till i've spun another bobbin, plied and dyed, hopefully that'll be more interesting!

I did get in a few hours of knitting too, and finally finished these babies...

Fyberspate's yummy Alpaca yarn, finally knitted up into the Helter Skelter pattern otherwise known as the Socks of DOOM because of the amount of frogging and re-working of the pattern I had to do to get the tension right. They are very pretty, and, yes, the second one did knit up like a breeze after the traumas of the first. So 2+ hour journeys can be fruitful too!

Here they arev from the side so you can see ( just about) that I've modified the pattern so the pattern is only on the top, not underneath so there's no bits to dig in.

Still, I'm now ready for February's sock yarn when it arrives- it's a bit off 'cos the pattern that went with it was meant to have a Valentine's theme which has long since passed so I'll have to decide whether I use it or not. Lord knows when March's delivery will turn up!

I also had a smackerel of plain knitting ( for chatting time) so I didn't lose track of the pattern. So the current WIP is...

...Renee from Colinette Yarn's La Bella Vita Book. The yarn is Fandango, knitted on 8mm needles and boy, does it shed as you knit ( it's a Viscose chenille). It's actually a lot more subtle than the pic ( usual camera tricks) but only after I finished the back (which I love) did I realise there are 4 seperate shades in the 5 balls I have for this project so the front is now a mix of 3 balls and will look more orangey than the back. I'll see once it's knitted up further whether I'll do a minor frog and make the back the front and vice versa, but it's a quick knit so I should have it finished in a week either way.

GOOD NEWS: while I was turning the house upside down looking for packaging materials for my recently sold Ebay items, I came across not only the lost ball of Bigga but also the lost pattern for Cargo so I'll finally be able to finish one project and start another.

Unfortunately, I also see a grand zip-sewing-in fest in my near future as the now-completed Point 5, the Bigga and an old Noro project are all overdue zips. Deep and boundless joy!!!! ( NOT)

And finally, blame Kath for working in Abakhan for this one, my Marble mountain! Brand new out, each of these unassuming balls actually weigh in at a whopping 200g! James C Brett have really outdone themselves this time, first creating the super cheap (but very pretty) Marble DK, and now Marble chunky, same gorgeous colourways but better, softer and with more shades of colour. I'm in love!!!

So I had to ( persuade) my husband to pick me up from Chester and on the way home, stop in at Abakhan so I wouldn't miss out! I can't wait to start knitting with this BUT I'm going to trawl my ( somewhat massive) pattern library to find 2 beautiful patterns to knit it into- in a month or so's time - maybe... 'Till then, I can just look at them...