Moody Blues socks

This is another pair of socks made from leftover wool (the stripe) and the plain blue Patonyle sock wool I bought to help eke out the leftovers… these socks have shrunk to the extent that only my daughter can wear them.  I’m just relieved she likes them; she says they’re nice and warm.  It’s hard to believe they once fitted my feet!!  
It’s obvious in this picture that the blue stripe sock wool (Italian) has laundered and worn far better than the Patonyles (Australian) wool; which has shrunk and pilled and felted somewhat… a lesson in sock wool purchasing for the future…  it probably just means the acrylic content in the Italian wool is higher, normally I would plump for the pure wool product every time but an acrylic component is a desirable evil in a sock wool.  Particularly in my household with its high teenage population, where tossing the socks in the washing machine is always going to win out over handwashing…
This morning I was telling my friend E about my self-imposed 6 month shopping ban and she reacted with the same incredulity that all my friends have (what a funny thing to do! why on earth are you doing that? the general response)  It’s funny that my 6 months is almost at an end (end of June! not that I’m counting!) and it’s only just now I’m telling my friends about it.  Why is this?  I shouldn’t be ashamed, but proud.  Maybe I was afraid of failing?  However there it is, I’ve been too embarrassed to tell my closest friends until now…  E wondered if I was going to rush out and spend up three times as much as I would have, but I truly think my shopping habits may be permanently changed by the exercise.  Not that I’ve ever been a big shopper by any means as I’ve habitually made such a lot of my wardrobe.  And my shopping habits have always been to buy high quality, infrequently, and that won’t change.
But high up on the shopping agenda will be some new sunglasses (I’ve lost mine and am borrowing Cassie’s lately!) and some underthings (I know some clever people make their own, but I prefer to spend my sewing time making other garments and just buy the undies!)
Today’s random picture below; taken by Sam