New Things

Gosh it's been a rotten week here weather wise. I've found the low light levels quite oppressive at times and even during mid morning when our house is usually filled with light, it's been very gloomy and dull, dull, dull. Our days are very short now too and boy, we are really noticing how soon the twilight is creeping in after our return home from school (the above picture was taken at 4:24pm).

The dull gloom of this past week has been accompanied by continuous low cloud and wet stuff. Damp mist, drizzly rain and full blown thunderstorms have swept through our neighbourhood. But at least I've been able to pull on my brand new wellies and tramp out in style, a big grin on my face as I look down at my feet.

Over the past five years I've worn through (literally) two pairs of pretty floral wellies (you can see my last pair here) but my feelings for them (and I loved them dearly) are nothing in comparison to the way I feel about this current pair. I've developed a huge crush on them. I mean good-golly-gosh, COLOURFUL KNITTED STRIPES, could there ever be a more perfect pair of wellies for me?

Here they are along with Little Lady's new pair, we do cut a dash as we paddle to school along the canal together. Both pairs came from Next, and can be found in the Young Girls {Wellies} department. I can't tell you how much I love that "young girls" footwear often extends to include the size of my "middle age adult" feet.

If you like to scrutinise blog-pics the way I do, you may have already noticed my dotty spotty new watch. I was wearing it when I rediscovered my yarn basket. Did you spot it? This recent and spontaneous purchase came from a little old fashioned jewellers at the bottom of the High Street here in my town. One Monday morning I rushed past the shop window on my way to Musical Tots, caught a glimpse, back tracked, stood and drooled. It captured my heart completely. Two days later when I found I was totally pining for it, I did the only sensible thing and marched straight to the shop to buy it. The sight of it on my wrist makes me soooooooooooooo happy, day after day after day.

Yeah, yeah I know!!! What a terrific lot of self indulgence has been occurring of late!!! Tut tut!!!!! Very unlike me to give into the Wanties with such abandon, but there you have it. New wellies. New watch. And then a new scarf too. What complete extravagance (although I did get the scarf for Half Price). Well, I can offer you no excuses, no real reason either, other than I have felt the need for a few jazzy new accessories to brighten up my rather shabby and worn out charity-shop outfits.

My Autumn mantel is still giving me such a lot of pleasure. The Chinese Lanterns that I bought back in September have dried out completely now, and are still holding their beautiful orange colour remarkably well. I've got some new fairy lights for this mantel too, and I love how they sparkle and glow and make everything look so sweet and pretty.

I'm also thrilled that pots of hyacinths are back in the supermarkets again, yayaaayyy for Seasonal Consistancy! These blue ones are at their peek now (the scent is amazing) and I've already got a pot of pink ones waiting to take over.

Ahhhhhhhh candle lit hooky, how cosy and lovely! This is some Festive Bunting in progress which I'm going to hang in place of my heart bunting on the fireplace for the Festive Season. The idea is to string them up with little bits of crochet holly in between each pennant, and I'm also planning on adding some felt letters to spell out a suitably festive word. My first idea was to use 9 pennants to spell out the word CHRISTMAS. I also thought about possibly doing JOY♥LOVE. I was explaining all this to the curious Little People the other day and they very sweetly offered their own suggestions. PRESENTS! was one such suggestion, followed by CHESTNUTS. Hmmmmm. I told them to maybe try instead to think about feelings instead of objects. Ok, they said. How about EXCITED? Or  AWESOME? Ah well. I think maybe we need to go back to the drawing board....any suggestions???? I've just remembered that YULETIDE was suggested by a friend last night, and I like that a lot.

Oooooo, can I show you my new Felt Stash, ready and waiting to be cut into Festive Lettering??

Tadah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to the amazing Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate at the weekend, and I found this felt there. I have to tell you this is awesome-exciting felt, it's called Kunin EcoFi and is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles!!! Felt made from PLaStic BoTTleS, how cool is that??!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I also found this string of red glass beads at the show which are destined to become holly berries. I gave up trying to work out how to crochet small berries (the leaves were enough of a struggle) so I'm hoping these beads will do the job nicely. Speaking of holly, I've actually managed to lose all the holly leaves I made last week, I cannot find them anywhere. I'm hoping they've not become part of the Shelves of Doom. I'll try (promise, promise) to hook up some more during this week and get the tutorial made for you. Hooky Holly is incredibly essential at this time of year I'd say.

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Comments

[maggie]

Oh you all look nice and cosy. I really love reading all about you and your adventures. Thank you

[Colleen]

Your weather sounds like ours in NW PA, USA. It's been unseasonably warm, but gloomy and wet. It gets dark here around 5:30 and I feel like I should be putting on my PJ's...LOL

I LOVE the Wellies!! I need a pair for this coming Spring so I'll have to do some internet shopping over the winter...what a shame, huh??

Can't honestly think of anything for the Festive pennants. I have YULETIDE stuck in my head :)

[Jaymie]

Thank goodness for your blog on days like this when it perks me right up. You have consistently been teaching me to enjoy the little things as often I pass them up worrying about the big stuff....then missing everything!! I'm also embarking on a ripple blanket. My first project ever and oh how soothing it is at night after the kids are tucked in bed to sit and crochet. As for your bunting I like Joy<3Love or Happiness or Happy Love. It's hard to get festive in Los Angeles when it's 75 degrees out but I'm trying!! -Jaymie

[Country Rose]

I love the new wellies.. I thought I had seen the somewhere and then it all clicked into place when you said next! I saw them when I was in the buying a gift for a friends new baby.
I know what you mean about the low light levels... it can make you feel quite gloomy..

Ashley xxx

[Deborah Bartlett]

Thank you so much for cheering me up. I was feeling a bit jaded until I encountered your beautiful colourfest. I always get the serious wanties when I see your lovely things, but that Swatch - I really do NEED one! I'm also going to tie up my floppy hyacinths with ribbon. The felt looks glorious too, and the wellies of course. I'd also go along with 'Yuletide' and can't wait to try out my novice crochet skills on some holly leaves. Thanks again, for the pleasure and inspiration. You really should write a book - I'd buy it like a shot.

[Kezia]

I thing I really really LOVE about your blog is all the amazing colourful stuff you show us! So lovely on these horrible grey days!

[Joaninha]

I was hoping you'd posted a new glimpse into your days:) Thanks for sharing... Your festive bunting reminded me of seaside houses, waiting to have windows and doors stitched on, so they can happily hang side by side... as for your festive wording... how about Emanuel (as in "God with us", which is, as far as I can see, the whole actual point of Christmas)?

[Reality Jayne]

Crap...No matter how hard I try A24...I can never be the first commenter.....Oh well I like the scarf especially...Yum

[Rosemary D]

Lovely boots, lovely watch, in fact everything's lovely..

[Vanessa]

Knitted stripes on a wellie? How perfect is that?! I laughed when you mentioned the next kids footwear, I do that too and have several pairs of shoes from their kids range. Actually I'll admit that when I worked for monsoon I bought the odd piece of girls clothing. In my defence, I'm short and I was (at the time) really slim so I could fit into it! I did get a bit embarrassed though when mums on the school run asked me where I got bits from!!!!!!

Ooooohhhhhhh spots too. I got a couple of pairs of tights from white stuff the other week. One with spots and the other with ditsy flowers. I felt okay about the indulgence though as it was birthday pennies. But it's nice to get things to perk you up, especially to combat the dull, grey days we are having.

I tried making holly and berries a couple of nights ago but had the opposite problem. The berries I could do okay but the holly kept turning out REALLY wonky! So I gave up and did mistletoe instead!

Well Lucy, I hope the weather improves, but your new brights will sure make your days colourful!

Much love

Vanessa xxxxxxxxx

[Heather]

FESTIVE!

[Delirious]

One time my husband surprised me with a very colorful "Swatch". It had a sort of middle eastern pattern on it. I LOVED it! Now I always look for colorful reading glasses. :)

[Jacquie]

I'm loving this post Lucy.......so cozy and colourful. Your pennants look great , can't wait to see the finished project. I bought some red beads last week in anticipation of your holly pattern :0)
Jacquie x

[Jill]

How 'bout "HO HO HO"?

Love your site! I'm hyperventilating trying to get a baby afghan done so I can start my snake!! NOT....ENOUGH....TIME!!

[lily]

I've been knitting stripey dishcloths, just thinking how lovely it would be to sit and knit stripey dishcloths in stripey wellies.........random late night musings!

Very cosy, pretty post. x

[Denise]

BELIEVE on your pennants! In fact, I like that well enough to put on my to make list for next year! Definitely toooooooooooooooooo late for this year!!!! Lovin' the colors as always!

[Julie]

Wellytastic! Goodness me, they are the most fab wellies I have ever seen, I was Bly saying to DH earlier this week that I need to find some for the predicted bad weather Mr Weatherman said we will get next month. Lucy you have made me very happy and i hope to be sporting a pair of those knitted beauties soon myself. Thank you x

[Cindy]

Well now Lucy I just bought some dotty rainboots and I just posted them on my blog. Tis the season huh? We've had lots of rainy weather. BTW-I do like your wellies, and I should just say, that my first choice of boots would have matched that scarf EXACTLY!

Now get those shelves cleaned off....one day at a time girl. If you would have started it when I said to a few weeks back, you woulda been done by now!

Cindy Bee

[Jennifer]

Nine letter word? How about BLESSINGS?

[Lucy]

I love your wellygogs! You would like mine I have bright spotty ones! I will have to show them off on my blog. We will all do the rounds of welly sharing on our blogs now! I will have to rush out for hyacinths too. I may plant the amaryllis bulb tomorrow, when I am on strike! :) x

[Teresa Kasner]

Hi Lucy.. I like the word "Christmas".. it's just a wonderful word. I like your bunting project, can't wait to see it done. I hope you pop over to my blog and see my new holiday "decor".. :-) I also want to get a hyacinth. I have my Snake plant in bloom.. have you ever seen that?

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*H*A*P*P*Y* * *H*O*L*I*D*A*Y*S*!*!*!*
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((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[Lorena Sonido Retro!]

... all nice. I love swatch, I woud not wear anything else. Good choice. My son has something similar in boysh design.
jojojo
x

[Helen]

I've been pining for a pair of jazzy gumboots for ages, but I can never find a pair that is "just right"! But I think you've managed to find all the ones destined for me! If you had asked my little ones for festive words (and only one of them would really understand) I'm sure the answer would be "chocolate". I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with that felt. I have a felt toucan toy that I have had since I was a child and sadly it is now falling apart. I don't think it is repairable, but I have plans to make another one. But my sewing skills are sadly lacking. I'm sure I'll get there eventually.
xXx Helen

[Rachael Iddon]

Hi Lucy,
Shocking school run weather here in Teesside too. It was a wellies moment for me. And waterproof trousers. And raincoat.
Thanks for cheering up my day. I love your blog, I've raved about it to everyone with the slightest passing interest. It's restarted my chrocheting habit. I've also been inspired to join blog world myself. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the holly.
Rachael X x

[Steph @woolythyme]

Aren't dotty spots the BEST??? On everything and anything!
It may be gloomy outside, but you color your world so well on the inside! Love to peek!