A well earned coffee break...

Phew! Another couple of projects off the hook and it really doesn't feel like I'm doing much crochet. Life is quite busy in between with M away for a week and the children needing a full time chauffeur. Not to mention the zoo needs feeding and walking. It's only two dogs and a cat but it feels like I am constantly seeing to their needs! Not that I mind too much when I give Harvey and Riley a foot bath in the butler sink and they both lean towards me and nuzzle my ears as I'm scrubbing their pads! I'm taking the opportunity to comb the loose hair out with a special brush while I've got them confined to the sink too. They seem to love being pampered, though I have a theory that they've made the connection between clean paws and access to the sofas!

The charcoal grey hat is finished. Adorned with Mother's Day brooch (how perfect is that design for me?). Naturally I've been out and about to test it out. It's a really good fit and warm too. I'm getting quite good at hats!

Bunny is quite pleased with his new pal Sheep. They've been inseparable; sharing jokes behind my back, casually leaving magazines lying open at crochet animal patterns... I've taken the hint and although he's really not going to find it cold enough here, a polar bear is in the making. Who says sheep and rabbits can't be friends with Polar Bears?

These are all the toft alpaca crochet animals I've come across in my magazine back copies. If anyone knows of any others let me know.

Bunny: Simply Crochet Issue 2

Sheep: Simply Crochet Issue 13

Polar Bear: Mollie Makes Issue 34

Hedgehog: Inside Crochet Issue 48

I've finally got round to joining our local library and I'm looking forward to picking up my reserved copy of Edward's Menagerie. Most of the village libraries near here are now 'Community Hubs' and therefore run by volunteers. The central library is still a quiet zone but the 'hubs' are full of all ages making a terrific din over tea and cake, craft activities and general Mother's meetings; an interesting development and probably one I'd have liked when the children were small. J might even have enjoyed the whole library experience if cake had been part of a weekly visit! I seem to remember that he only enjoyed visits that involved reclining horizontally on a beanbag in the children's area and catching forty winks while E made her selection.