I happened upon At Upper Pond just as I was finishing the first of my Jolly Hockey Socks, only to discover Jane had knit the same socks in the same yarn in the same colorway and likewise christened them Hockey Socks!
Then, the very day I completed my second pair of sKNITches socks,
I logged on to find Jane had just finished a second pair, too! This time we used different colorways--Handsome Devil for Jane and Collegiate for me--but it still felt a wee bit spooky!
But a recent visit from Jordan, who handily knits socks between drafts of her dissertation, prompted me to try again. And aided by advice from Jordan and Purls of Wisdom, I now have a complete pair of hand-knitted socks!
The yarn was custom-dyed by sKNITches in the Mint Mocha Latte colorway on a merino-cashmere-nylon base: cashmere for softness and nylon for that little bit of stretch and strength.
Chuffed with my latte leggings, I already have another pair on the go, this time in sKNITches' Collegiate colorway. Though considering the time of year, perhaps I should have cast on in Caramel Apples!
and the boats
and drove over to Snape Maltings for a tramp through the reed beds:
Luckily Lilla Cottage was cosy,
with comfy reading and knitting nooks,
and it was just off Market Hill, where we happened upon the highlights of our visit: the Wild Strawberry Cafe and Twist.
The Wild Strawberry Cafe has been voted the best coffee shop in Suffolk and for good reason. G and I agreed our sandwiches were the best we'd ever had, hands down.
And Twist was an equally exciting discovery. When we arrived Friday night, the doors were locked, but we could see people moving inside, busily assembling shelves and unpacking boxes. I went to bed with my fingers crossed, and sure enough the next morning they opened for their first day of business!
The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, happy to discuss everything from lace life-lines to toe-up socks. There was a spacious room in back fitted out for classes and groups, a couch and newspapers for waiting partners, and a complete selection of Sublime yarns--hooray! I picked up some Sublime (of course) and this book,
because if I can't live in Woodbridge, I think Little Cake would have to be my next choice!
in the mercury glass,
and in my cheeks, when, in the narrow passageway between the Nurseries and River Lane, we ran into Valentine Warner.
image © Martin Pope (Telegraph.co.uk)
I was struck dumb and just smiled inanely. But silence was probably better than any of the silly and embarrassing things I could--and probably would--have said!
But other than the insistent patter on the roofs, the Nurseries were eerily quiet. Suitable, I suppose, considering the day. There were a few nods to Halloween, with ghostly gray wreaths
and acid green books:
But there were also grays and greens of the Christmas variety:
Petersham is one of my best sources for mercury glass ornaments. We used to make a special trip every December just to see the decorations, but now I guess that would be leaving it too late!
I was soon on the search for a silver pinecone, to match a favorite I bought two years ago. No pinecones this time, but there were some fabby maple leaves
and maple-colored balls,
which I really should have bought at the time. This (as usual) means a trip back, which means G will likely be reaching for that little green book!
