Pain Relief of the woolly kind.

Thank you all for your helpful comments, I will be reading them in depth later.

In the meantime I have added some new non pharmaceutical pain relief to my days.

No, I know, it isn't anything new really, just a combination of retail therapy and self indulgent knitting with some pattern ogling thrown in. 
I am just fed up with popping pills and then "floating round the ceiling". Concentrating on something else does help me to push the pain barrier forward.

As I not so subtlety hinted I ordered some yarn from Little French Meadow.

The top skein is candy cane and is for Christmas socks, I had been looking at it for several days and then made that leap and threw it in my basket.

Quickly followed by the middle skein, Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans. That is possibly going to become a shawl for Francesca.

Then I spotted the last skein, Lavendar a very subtle tonal and just too pretty to pass up.

Fran loved her socks and now has 2 pairs but that means she is having to wash a pair every day. I did a bit of stash diving ( a bit like skip diving but clean) and found 2 x 50gm balls of Drops Fabel in this yellow/pink print. I have used Fabel before, it is not the softest yarn but is not at all harsh. It is very hard wearing and is just about the cheapest sock yarn that I have knit with. It isn't a high twist but is not at all splitty, I am using my Knit Style Symfonie 2.5 fixed circulars and it is galloping along.

The pattern is a FREE one on Ravelry called Sugar Frost, I will be putting in a slip stitch heel flap, rather than the one in the pattern, for added strength.

While I am on the subject of patterns, do you realise just how many wonderful people offer their patterns for free. 

I have printed off The Impossible Girl sock pattern by Madeline Gannon for my next pair.

 I also wanted to try a crescent shawl and some of the patterns are around the £5 mark. Not much for all the work that goes into developing a complicated lace pattern I know.

It is a great deal of money however just to try an idea out. So I had a shufti through what Free shawl patterns brought up on a search.

I printed off two, the first is called Terribly Simple by Caitlin ffrench and is in garter stitch. The second is called Demalangeni by Wendy Neal and is a lace edged shawl with a patterned body. Both take 100 gms, 450 yds of 4ply yarn. I intend to knit them both from stash.

If I enjoy the process then there are a couple of paid for patterns that I will buy.

That brings me up to date I think, it will soon be time to take Ben out, my washing is hanging out in the sunshine and I am having dinner cooked for me. 

I have pretty knitting to hand and new yarn to stroke. What more could I ask for?

                  TTFN                                                      Pam