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

[wellies]

Lovely boots, lovely watch...

[Kelly Garland]

I adore the bunting that you've made, and would love to make something similar for my niece. I looked through your posts on it but could not find a pattern for the actual bunting squares....do you have a link you could possibly share with me? Many thanks and Happy New Year!

[Heidi from NJ]

How about PEACE ON EARTH for your bunting?

[Laura]

LOVE the wellies!!! Such eye candy on gloomy winter days! Am also working on mantel bunting ... unfortunately I'm not good enough yet at hooky to experiment with holly - well done you! x

[Loopysheep]

Love everything dotty, especially when it's colorful :)

[heidi]

what an impact those wellies made on all the A24 fans! i admit i often brouse the kids shoe section and i am *ahem* 55. not a thing wrong with that. i even go further and check out socks and accessories... lately the styles do give me a bit of a rush since they seem more up my alley than ever before in the past years. MY new wellies are black... sound boring? no way 'cause they are covered with turquoise colored polka dots WOOHOOOOO :* love 'em.
i had the exact same watch last summer 2010 and lost it and would like to take this opportunity to send it my love and wishes that it has found a happy home :(
can't wait to see the bunting when it is done! remember the german saying "a house never loses a thing"? i bet your holly will pop up in no time! that felt you know, is GREAT girls because it also can be washed if it really needs it... it doesnt get all out of shape and the best part is the colors stay the same. i DO have to add i havent tried it and would LOVE to hear from someone who has... am i skeptical or what?
to all a great weekend and cozy second advent... have you all been baking something yummy?
xoxox

[Leslie Hayes]

I would have to say it seems those wellies were made with you in mind! They fit you AND your blog so well!

[Shannon]

Red and white polka dots are my absolute favorite pattern; I have to admit that I am feeling a bit covetous here! And I thought your pennants were upside down houses... I am a small-house nut, wouldn't they be sweet all strung together like a holiday neighborhood? You always have such lovely projects brewing.

[Katie Hanken]

Hi Lucy!

I love your blog :) I am just starting with pattern design and am offering free advertisement on my blog for a short time to crocheters that inspire me. If you would like you can send me a picture (180x180) and where you want it linked to and I will post it on my blog :)

My blog: www.optimisticbynature.com
(pic will be posted on righthand side)

:) Katie

[Joanne]

Oh, I love that spotty Swatch. I am a massive Swatch fan and have always worn them, but combining spots + swatch = fantastic!! No wonder you had to have it.
And those red beads.... Can't wait to see the holly.
Look forward to seeing your festive bunting.

[Kathryn Oster]

Ha! I feel a bit slow because I could not figure out what a swatch was. A swatch of fabric, a fancy name for felt, I dunno. Then I realized it was the watch and I had a wow moment because Swatch was THE watch to have when I was in High School! ( umm that was not last year or even the year before almost 25 yrs ago). Really they are awesome; cool designs, practical, and affordable. With your a-mazing tutorials I can crochet! Thank you from drought stricken Texas.

[KayElleC]

AND....I've just realised one of my new birthday books is.... Scandanavian Needdlecraft by Clare Youngs!

Doesn't she get about?!

She is fab though....oh to catch a glimpse inside her creative mind!

:D

[KayElleC]

Lucy!! On Monday my family bought me the Swatch that is stripy with a clear aqua watch housing...it looks just like your stripey felt!!!

My In-laws are buying me wellies for my birthday and I have been looking at Next too!!!

I've also got the PRIMA mag - it IS just great!

Thank you for such wonderful, colourful, fun-ful, inspiring words and pics.

ENJOY! xxx

[Jackie]

Lucy ~ they are great wellies! I did see them in Next but I opted for some lovely blue and green stripey ones from Joules with the fabby name of Waterfall. Hope that you have a lovely weekend and I'm not hoping for rain even though I love my new wellies! :O)xx

[Carrie]

How about BE MERRY?

[Vibeke]

Me thinks you are being terribly unfair on the Little Peeps - the bens are just telling you what is in THEIR little hearts for Christmas - who says that your feelings are more "true" than theirs? Is it so wrong to want pretty prezzies? Me thinks that they are not asking for Love because they get that in abundance from the lovely Mommy and the big strong Daddy of theirs! :)

[Karen]

Although my tastes for Christmas tend to more of a traditional religious theme, for wordings and such anyway, I feel "AWESOME" was a great suggestion! Christmas *is* awesome to me - only I think for decorations I will stick to love, joy and the like. But I will be smiling all this season at the thought of AWESOME.

thanks for sharing. :)

[Katie]

What about WONDERLAND? I like YULETIDE very well or HOLYDAYS. Have fun. Thanks for all the cheerful ideas!

[verónica]

Hello Lucy: I looove all you show to us and I want it all! even the dark sky at 4.24 p.m

love

Verónica

[Kate - The Garden Bell]

Man-O-Live...did you score some goodies on that trip. What fun. Can't wait to see those Red Beads turn into holly berries. One word about your Red Polka Dot Swatch....jealous....oh, so...jealous.

[angela-southern USA]

Those boots are definitely you!Love the new dotty finds.I found a new dotty vase in bright green:)The bunting looks great,how about WONDERLAND?You could use them to make a 3-D little attic 24 house for the mantle too:)Seasonal consistancy here=chocolate covered cherries,YUM.For crochet berries you could try-chain2,then work 8 single crochets or more into 2nd chain from hook,finish off ,weave tail thru top of each stitch and pull tight to form a ball.Hope it helps.Have a great day!

[Heike]

Beautiful new boots and watch and scarf and goodies from the show. Gloomy weather always makes it even more fun to spoil oneself ;)

[Val E (Wales)]

Oh, and thread a crochet cord through the edging with (dare I say it )small tassels or beads on......

[Val E (Wales)]

Love the idea of knitted Wellies -would you think me completely MAD if I suggested that you punch holes evenly around the tops and crochet a pretty (shell??) edging or turnback cuff? It would have to be Acrylic Yarn I suppose, to dry quickly..... I'm sure I have seen childrens' wellyboots with knitted cuffs around the tops... Just a thought..

[Misty Cunningham]

Ok this has nothing to do with your boots sorry. It's all about yarn. I got a look at your bedspread, and it says made with Rowan wool. And I love all the colors. So I looked it up, and it's like 8-9 dollars for only 156 yards. Do you have like a special place you buy it cheaper???
Misty