I love lsb's kaffe fassett sock. So much so in fact that I'm rather tempted to make some excuse and keep it for myself. I love the colours in the landscape earth colourway and it's actually turned out a lot nicer than the ball band photo indicates - there's a lot more purple and less maroon than you'd think, and because of the frequent colour changes it's something that I'm keen on knitting for sustained periods because it keep my interest. I've had a pretty busy week so haven't had a massive amount of time in which to knit or keep up with the blog. To be honest I've found myself getting rather stuck into a new approach with the people i work with and the work of the hearing voices network who do some wonderful work helping people to manage their voices without the use of medication. I'm so excited about all the potential these methods have and so i'm concentrating rather more on this than any new or exciting knitting. Back in a week or 2.

I love my new jelly yarn bracelet. It only took me half an hour to do last night as I watched hollyoaks (which by the way I'm intensely annoyed at right now. Anyone following the storyline involving Newt should know that as mental health professionals we don't nor can't section scared 14 year old boys without giving them the option of an informal admission. It's neither ethical nor legal), I picked up the charms from a local bead shop for a total of 25p and I think they add to the over all childish look of the child's charm bracelet pattern which comes from jelly yarns' site. I rather enjoyed working with the jelly yarn, though the concept of smothering my needles with hand cream to keep them lubricated took a bit of getting used to. Despite looking like washing line the yarn is suprisingly soft and pliable and was easy enough to manipulate round the needles, plus I adore the colour so I definitely think that I'll be finding sometimi else to use this for. In other news I finished off my pablo blue socks this afternoon. I'm rather pleased with them and will post some photos when I'm next on the computer. Given that I promised to start on a pair of socks for lsb once I'd finished either the pablo blue socks or my slalom socks this afternoon I started a pair of socks in a kaffe fasset regia in a rather plain stocking stitch, which for a change isn't so bad as the colours change rather regularly so the project manages to keep my interest a little better than a more solid colour. Of course stocking stitch socks make for perfect office knitting where for me it's back to on Monday, thankfully feeling quite refreshed after my break and eager to get on, particularly as the last 4 weeks have given me a fairly solid idea of where I want to work.

That would be a photo of my other purchases from the London trip (Cherry Tree Hill, Spanish Moss, fabulous leopard print needles and Great Adirondack in a cooly named Eggplant Eddie colourway), the photo doesn't really show how bright and amazingly cool my ball of jelly yarn is. It's in colourway rasberry sorbet and it's the business I absolutely adore it and keep removing it from its home every time I venture upstairs to gaze at its pinky purple amazingness. I am however having to be very good until I can get to the bead shop to buy the charms to make it really funky. I've also been distracting myself from a variety of slightly more boring tasks by playing with my new toy - an umbrella swift. This also has the added effect of causing lsb to stare in wonderment at the swirling colours and watch the ball grow, and so forget that I'm not actually getting on with the enormous pile of washing that emerged from our collective suitcases this morning.

I must admit I was very, very glad to be back up north yesterday, if only for the comfort of my own bed and the lack of American tourists that seemed to fill the rest of the hotel. Though I'll admit I enjoy London (and its array of very nice yarn shops) it's so nice to be back in a place where shop assistants understand my accent and people get my humour.

On a lighter note I'm currently lusting after the gorgeous new Knit Picks harmony straight needles. I think I have a pretty good idea what's going to top of my birthday list this year.

As it's a miserable day here in london here's a picture of my recent purchases. Apologies for the picture but obviously I don't have my laptop with me. I love the kaffe fasset sock yarn. Hence why I ended up with enough for 4 pairs, the brightest of the 4 isn't for me for a change but for lsb who picked it out for himself. On the more miserable days, the train and the times I've met with fellow knitters I've managed to be quite productive with my knitting, I'm only a few rounds away from the heel on my second pablo blue sock (made all the more easy, and enjoyable by my new harmony knit picks) and I've got as far as the gusset on the first bamboo slalom sock. I've also bought some rather cool, rather pink jelly yarn with a plan to make a child's charm bracelet which thanks to my freakishly thin wrists will fit me just fine. On first glance it resembles washing line, and I've been informed that to use it you need well lubricated needles. The colour is just so gorgeous though that I couldn't resist and i'm actually quite looking forward to knitting it up the minute my suitcase hits my bedroom floor. Lsb's been fairly busy himself knitting me a bag in Rowan big wool, which looks fantastic - he's also been something of a novelty at the various knitting meets I've dragged him along to being the only male present who was there for a purpose other than to carry bags and purchase yarn (though he did manage to do both of those quite nicely as well) I do feel though that the situation was helped slightly by the fact we've been to iknit london twice this week and as well as selling lots of lovely yarn they also have a bar. I really think that's my sort of yarn shop and don't see why more places don't do the same. Yarn + knitters + alcohol = much fun. In between lots of knitting related things I've been doing lots of typical tourist stuff like the museums and the eye with lots of decent pictures. Anyway I'm now being pulled away to play with my newly knitted bag.