Hot Water Bottle covers

I've put aside all my WIPs this week and used my crochet time (mainly in the evenings) to make two hot water bottle covers. This one is for my mum whose birthday it is on Sunday, the family is getting together to see her and have a meal out tomorrow.

The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK in acrylic and the colours are the vintage ones that Stylecraft launched earlier in the year which I bought on Yarn Shop Day; Sage, Storm Blue and Parma Violet. They look really nice together and for contrast, I've teamed them with Petrol.

I used a 3.5mm hook instead of the 4mm recommended for this yarn, I wanted a firmer fabric for the covers. The squares are standard grannies with one chain in the corner. They're joined together using double crochet* and the top is stripes of trebles*.

The other is for my dad, more masculine colours for him; parchment, walnut, gold and mocha. He already had one of the books that I bought him as a present recently and so this is a nice replacement for that.

I liked some I saw online which were made from standard granny squares crocheted together. Most of the ones I found with patterns relies on you rolling the hot water bottle up and inserting it in through the top or had button fastenings. I couldn't imagine having buttons on a hot water bottle when trying to warm my feet, I think I'd find them annoying and rolling up a hot water bottle is quite difficult to do for me, let alone my elderly parents. Mum has arthritis in her hands and my dad isn't that good at fiddly stuff any more.

I decided a flap opening would be better and simpler for them Buttons aren't necessary as the fit is snug and the snugness will hold the flap in place. As none of the patterns were exactly what I wanted, I made it up as I went and I'm hoping the recipients will like them!

I'm doing one for me now ... have a happy (and warm) Halloween weekend!

EDITED: A pattern for my Crochet pattern for hot water bottle cover is now available to purchase (just click the underlined link).


*Using UK crochet terminology

Three glassy things

This little lady leapt into my life yesterday with the postman. I bought her from a lovely lady called Rachel Elliot of flyingcheesetoastie a fellow British Sellers on Etsy team member. Last weekend the team had a buy and replace (BNR). The organisers create a Treasury made up of team member items from their shops. If you buy something from one of the shops featured, one of the items from your own shop replaces the one you bought. It sounds complicated but it's a lot of fun. I sold some Harveys Bristol Cream sherry beads and I'm looking forward to seeing what my purchaser makes of them (cue future blog post!)

Anyway, my little glass leveret is called Warwick. She's adorable, keeps me company in my studio and eats surprisingly little so she's cheap to keep too! When she arrived, I instantly called to mind some Reichenbach glass (from the top of my head it's called Antique something-or-other). I made some very simple beads, today I etched them and I'm really pleased with the colour match!

She also called to mind a vintage bottle that I dug up from my garden nearly 20 years ago. It has the name "Warwicks and Richardson" (hence my leveret's new name) on it and also "Stoke on Trent". This is one bottle I wouldn't ever melt to make beads as it has sentimental value.

 

I don't think the brewery is still in business.  A quick search on the internet revealed their premises on Northgate in Newark that are still standing - impressive looking and converted into apartments from what I can gather.

The beads' shape I'm calling curvy cubes. When the glass was still molten, I roughly mashed them into cubes and then a couple of the corners have been flattened on each one. After fire polishing to a smooth finish, they're popped into the kiln to anneal. Acid etching after they've been cleaned takes off the shine and gives it a similar finish as my vintage bottle.