Hooray! I’ve wound all those lovely colours into nice neat balls with my trusty wool winder. I do like using it, it makes such nice soft balls which mean that there is no tension on the yarn to stretch it. I’m working on an idea at the moment, which I hope to show very soon, although I have had very little help from the four legged members of the family.
Apparently the only reason I ever sit down is so that my legs form a lap, and the only thing in the world that a lap can be used for is not to support a book or some knitting, or, heaven forbid, a pattern and knitting, it needs a cat, no, a dog or both, or a jealous punch up between cat and dog.
So keep your fingers crossed that tonight the fire is hot enough to keep them squabbling over the warm spot on the hearth rug instead of the warm spot on my lap so I can get to grips with my woolly project.
I have made some really cute little baby shoes though. there’s something about tiny baby shoes, isn’t there? My three babies were born with enormous feet and were really slow at learning to walk so by the time I came to buy them shoes they were practically into adult sizes! (I’m going to get into trouble for this!)
However, I was really keen to find out how well the wool I have just dyed would felt so I knitted this…
…and then I just popped them in the washing machine with a normal wash and they came out looking like this…
Aren’t they sweet? I’m so excited about them! (and yes, they are nearly small enough for Higgins to wear before you suggest it, and no, because he would eat them!)
And today the sun shone and Higgins and I went for a walk and there was NO MUD! (well, it was sort of fudgy, but it didn’t stick) and I’ve just realised where I got my colour scheme from..
See that shadow? It’s me!
After so many grey days it’s just magical watching the pink splashes spreading across the purply violet clouds and that golden glow before it vanishes as if someone has flipped a switch. Then it’s a quick trot home to get back in the warm.
And finally, I have been working on the Hearts and Pompoms tutorial and if you want to make your own version it’s on the Tutorials page at the top. Please let me know if you do, I’d love to see.
Right, ok, I’m going to tiptoe off to the sofa now and try and do a bit of knitting befor someone spots….THE LAP!
See you soon x
P.S. Siobhan, I tried to email you but it didn’t work, but I just wanted to say Yes! my cat is Henry and the ‘My Fair Lady’ connection IS why we named Higgins as we did. By George, you got it!
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What utterly beautiful photographs!
Jane x
You can’t beat an East Anglian sky can you!!!! Woo your photos made my heart sing 🙂
OMG Penny those little shoes are magic! That is so very clever i want to drop what I’m doing and do knitted felt NOW!!!!
But I’m going to be sensible and just have another look at you photos.
Celia
x
What fabulous little shoes, yes, they do look Higgins size but can understand he “might” eat them!
Lovely photos, we’ve had sun today, still really cold but I’d rather have sunny and cold than warm and dismal.
Hope you manage to keep your lap free this evening but somehow I doubt it.
Carol xx
Hi Penny .. I love your baby shoes – is there a pattern available anywhere? I can see how you did all the squares but am puzzled about how to join it up properly. Lovely pics too. Cheers from Australia.
Oh Penny those booties are sooooo cute! And the nature pics, just beautiful!
my package arrived today and I love it so much, Karen loves it too and wanted me to say a big thank you to you, it is just amazingly beautiful and feels like such a treasure for us to own :O)
I’m excited about hearts! Yesssss!!!
Those are the cutest baby boots ever. Did you follow a pattern?
Penny ! How? Please? Covet! Covet! Covet! xxx
Hello Penny, I just saw your beautiful needle felting over at Alice and Raymonds….lovely work! I am a wool junkie as well from Queensland in Australia. Alice is right a fab blog, I love finding new friends and I have to say that your Higgins is a special little dog, what a cutie! Looking forward to reading more of your posts, Jen 🙂
Aaaah! Those little boots are just the dearest things … I’d love to have a go myself.
Gorgeous little boots, smashing skies, cute Higgins. Could you send some skies here please, I haven’t seen anything but cloud for weeks.
Hi Penny,
Lovely to meet you. Thanks for visiting and for your comment. I was pleased to see your ball winder- I have just invested in a yarn swift and ball winder and am planning to try them out this week. I am more than reasonably excited about this!
Laura x
Ooh I feel all clever now! Thanks for confirming the My Fair Lady connection. I’ve realised why the email didn’t work; I had put .co.uk instead of .com. Have changed it now. Thanks for showing those adorable little booties – I would never have imagined those shapes would end up looking like that, the construction is so clever. I wouldn’t mind a pair myself on these cold winter nights! I rather like the unfelted little squares too; whatever you do with the rest of your dyed wool it is going to look beautiful. What wonderful skies in your pictures and such a cute little Higgins at the end!
Ooh such sweet little elfin booties in lovely colours :o)
and the most gorgeous sweet doggie xxx
Love the baby slippers! And your pictures are breathtaking! And I always love to see Higgins and your cat is so handsome… It’s always fun to check in with you!
Val in Kansas
I’m always so impressed that you dye your own yarn Penny, and your latest lot is as gorgeous as ever. Those booties! They are adorable. But then I came to that last photo of Higgins, and all was lost in his cuteness! That expression on his face is just squeeze your heart cute! Love Vanessa xxx
I loved the comment about baby feet – my three also needed large shoes once they learned to walk. The lap problem (or lack of) seems to be a general one for cat/dog owners (or staff for cats). One of our cats couldn’t bear anyone to try to read a newspaper – it usually had a paw through it.
Happy knitting.
Chris
Hello Penny and Higgins! Thank you for taking us for a lovely trip to your beautiful countryside! Most wonderful photos!
Those tiny baby shoes are adorable!
Sunny wishes from Teje and Nero
Oooohh now I’d love another wee babe to put in those shoes. Gorgeous Penny as is Higgins in the last shot, looks too civilised to eat shoes. Walk pictures made me think I must get off my bum and go for a wander, all too stunning despite the bbrrrr temperatures.
I wanted to email you to say thank you for your kind words, but couldn’t find an address, so here I am doing so instead. Thanks for saying I do well, but it’s just a mad balancing act of being shattered at the end of each day.
X Lisa X
Those little bootees are gorgeous.
I love the little baby shoes. So cute, and of course the lovely Higgins.
Sweet little booties! And your wool winder made me think of my Mom. She had one (and Saturday would be her 79th birthday), so it was funny to see that pop up when I opened your page. 🙂 I always enjoy your blog.