A bit of cosy crochet!

Hello all and I hope that you've enjoyed your weekend - and are getting ready for Halloween and Bonfire Night!  It'll be Ruby's first experience of both of course, and hopefully she'll cope well with the fireworks, etc.  I think she'll get more excited if any of our local children call tomorrow for Halloween - or she'll be trying to pinch any sweeties!  Here in North West Lancashire our half term break seems to be different from the rest of the UK (typical!), so we're actually on our week off this coming week and I am soooo looking forward to a break.  There's nothing exciting planned apart from a couple of arrangements with friends to meet for coffee and cake (always a welcome trip!) - and I'm hoping some crafting time too, as it feels as though that has been in very short supply lately!  And in a few weeks I'm sharing a craft stall at a local Christmas fair with a friend, so really need to make some 'stock'!

Thinking about what things might be popular at a Christmas fair, I decided to make some snuggly, cosy crocheted hot water bottle covers (with the hot water bottle inside of course!).
 

There are many examples and ideas on the internet for these, but I decided to make up my own pattern to fit the bottles I'd bought! 

I love the candy colours for this one - and used the 'cosy stripe' pattern that Lucy uses for blankets on her Attic24 blog (a fabulous colour and yarn fix on grey days!)

I'm hoping that they might be popular on our Christmas craft stall - but they'll make great little gifts for family and friends.  What's not to love about a cosy, cuddly hot water bottle on a cold winter's evening? I've also added a couple into my Etsy shop HERE.

I'd love to know what you think!

And thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post - when you've been missing for quite a while, you do think that people will have forgotten all about you and your little corner of Blogland.  So thanks again for remembering me! 

Kim x

Back once more....!

Well, what can I say?  I haven't packed up and emigrated, or got lost, or forgotten how to use the computer. And most importantly, I haven't stopped crafting!  But sometimes life just speeds past, with lots going on when you have jobs, family, pets, etc. - definitely pets!  As I mentioned in my last long-ago post, we have now acquired a puppy, Ruby, who is 18 weeks old today.  She's adorable, a sweetie and full of puppy naughtiness - it's just like having a toddler in the house again!  So the combination of that, and a very long and busy term at school, has meant that computer time has been a bit restricted to the essentials - especially because I'm using one most of the day at work!  But I am still crafting and have some crochet bits and pieces to share with you soon.  But, as anyone who has had a puppy or kitten will know, the lure of yarn is irresistible to them - not to mention the fact that they have this innate ability to know that your attention is elsewhere (so they will either pester you until you put your toys down and play with them - or they will go off and find something to play with that they definitely shouldn't!).  So crafting and crocheting time is restricted to Ruby's nap-times! I must warn family and friends not to expect fancy handmade cards this Christmas....

Anyway, I do have a card to share with you today that I made quite a while ago - and using one of my favourite LOTV stamps.  I haven't tried any of their digi-stamps yet - I'd be interested to hear if anyone has tried them and what they are like!

I love using the lilac and aqua colours - they always seem so fresh and bright! 

I coloured the image with copics, Graphit pens and a little pencil.

The backing papers are from LOTV and flowers from WOC. The butterfly dies are from Joanna Sheen.

Hope you like it! 

And just a few pics of the fast-growing Rascally Ruby!

Enjoying sunshine on the promenade (& ice cream!)

Trying to work out what's going on in that stupid machine....

Me? Naughty? I think you must be confusing me with some other hound....

(She's gradually growing into those ears and feet!)

All that activity takes it out of a girl. Time for a nap, cuddled up in blankie...!

Thanks for looking

Kim x