Baby it's cold outside....

I am very lucky to have a group of extremely creative and crafty girlfriends with whom I catch up with most Thursday evenings. We began as a quilting group and then as invitations extended to a few who are more inclined to knit, crochet and spin I began to understand the world of wool that currently exists. Up until a few years ago I only knew about wool purchased from a department store, that which is found in balls, matching dye-lots in a range of ply and is either pure or poly. And in so far as needles....well they certainly didn't screw off to become interchangeable and had nothing to do with 'magic'.

So after lugging my machine over most weeks for a bit of sewing I decided it was probably easier to yield to the masses and reignite my knitting skills.

A year ago I was lucky enough to accompany a few of the girls to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show  and with my spending money in hand purchased my first skein of indie dyed sock wool, Rose Gardens by Kathy's Fibres.

And now, after weeks of sitting at drum lessons (which causes me to miss some Thursdays) and just shy of this year's Bendigo show I'm celebrating a pair of finished socks, an item of clothing that two years ago I wouldn't have dreamed I could have attempted. And, I'm so glad I now have a beautiful warm pair of hand knitted socks to wear in the middle of this bitter winter we're currently experiencing!

So thank you crafty friends for inspiring, coaching and above all, sharing.