Hot water bottle cosies for a midsummer heatwave

Just two weeks ago the hot water bottles were in use. (Though Patch did dash back into his bedroom this morning before swim training for his microwaveable cosy and asked for it to be heated. Even at half four this morning it was already most certainly not hot water bottle weather.)

These two hot water bottles are the result of me continuing to use the teeny leftovers of yarn, and some really were scraps. But I love these scrappy cosies. I gathered together all the aran scraps, and found a suitable (free!) pattern on Ravelry - Mary J Stephen's hot water bottle cover

The length was a little long for this hot water bottle, but I like the look of the turned back cuff.

I soon happily realised I had still enough leftovers for another cosy... I am sure I chose a pattern by Sez Manning, again on Ravelry, as I liked the idea of a side opening. But I know I didn't purchase a pattern, and this now looks like it is a pattern to buy. Hmmmm... This is when I wish I didn't take so long between making things and blogging about them.

Anyway, whichever pattern I followed used a zip for the side opening (surely it was that pattern - there can't be many patterns for hot water bottle covers on Ravelry with a zip opening?) I opted for a random button closure instead. Any excuse to raid Great Nan's button tin

Just thought that I'm not sure I have ever shown this most dreamy of pillows here on my blog. It is, of course, made by the lovely Beata of by rosehip , and such a lucky duck I won it in a giveaway. So pretty

It does seem a little strange to be talking about such woolly makes at this time, so I shall leave you with some photographs of pretty flowers in the garden this summer. So, so excited as this is the first year the peonies have flowered. I think I must have planted them about four years ago. And what a summer for the roses...