Uncategorized – A Cottage Crafter

Heat pads?

This weekend I have been working on making some heat pads. I have tried these out for myself before making some and I have found that they are really, really good!

So, I set to work with some small pieces of scrap fabric. I soon had four made up and had a look for more material to experiment. And I did!

I had made a lovely hero themed heat pad along with two handkerchiefs. They look really good and I can’t wait for them to find their new home.

Have a look for yourself via my website for further details.

Thank you all xoxo

Update on what I’m making

Hi all, I have been working hard behind the scene to complete something that I have started!

I have quite a few on the go and I really do need to stop my head from turning into a crazy mad woman haha.

I have a hexagon cardigan that both sides have been started and I could finish it in one to two days!
I have a crochet t-shirt that I tried to get finished before the sun went down on Sunday.
I started a sock pattern that turned into a bed sock as it was far too bulky.
I started another sock pattern but it wouldn’t go round my feet and I’m really thinking it should be pulled back a bit and made into mittens (hmmm, I wonder?)
I’m on with a lovely pair of fingerless mittens that I think look absolutely fabulous but I just can’t seem to get the pattern on the thumb part to look right!
I have a sewing project of making as many heat pads as I can create and sell for a way to save water and to stop rubber hitting our landfill sites.
Another sewing project of handkerchiefs, also to help the environment from too much waste.
I have started (last night) to make a 0-3 month cardigan for my friends that have informed me that they are expecting their first baby.
For the last 4 years I have had a shawl on the go and I must finish it sometime.
And I have lots of cotton yarn that I make into dishcloths. Another great idea I have to be more eco friendly.

I seem to have many great ideas and need to focus on just the one thing really.

It’s such hard work trying to work out what I should make first, but I will eventually I will get to the finish line with some of the projects. I think I will have at least 4 completed before the end of September! What do you think?

So there you have a preview of some of the things I’m currently working on.

Please leave a comment to let me know what you think is going to be the first finished.

See you again soon blogger friends

ZJ xoxo

Latest makes

This month I am on with a few projects at the same time! I should be really but that is just how I roll. So, I will show you one of the items that I am currently enjoying and once finished will appear on my website.

This make is a jumper where I thought I could use five different colours throughout and use up a fair amount of wool in the process.

And here it is!! Doesn’t it look fabulous in it’s lovely colours.

I am hoping to get this completed before the sun goes down on Sunday, here goes nothing!

I’ll update the progress as soon as I have some to show.

Bye for now

ZJ xoxo

Being social media active!

Wow!! I really do need to keep a check on how many times I do not make any updates! It is really hard to keep a check on things sometimes, especially if, like me, you are creating new products along with running a home. Unfortunately, I am taking my husband to the hospital every fortnight for treatments, and that can be exhausting for the both of us.

It is just so hard to keep up.

So, I have decided that every Wednesday I will make the necessary reminders for me to have an admin day!

I do hope you enjoy reading the latest posts or even the latest additions to my online shop.

See you all soon folks

ZJ xoxo

Land prices!

How can buying a piece of land be so expensive? This is just so silly!

I’ve wanted to have my own piece of land since I was a young child. I always thought my grandfather would leave me some in his will, but that never happened! So I thought I’d look for land myself.

Looking for that perfect area to buy land was harder than I thought, but the cost was good at the time I started looking.

As the years have passed, the cost of land has risen. I have no idea why it should rise, but I get rather cross and upset by it.

For example, when I saw a perfect piece of land in my neighbourhood, I thought I would go for it. But at the time, I was a little short of funds, so I had to save a little first. This was going to cost me £5,000 which for the size of it was ideal! Then, two months later, when I was nearly there with my savings, I looked again to see if it was still for sale, and to my amazement, the price had increased to a whopping £140,000!!

How could this be? What had changed?

So, i did some digging. I found that some planning permission had been passed to build 2 houses or a small block of flats! Why?

Why do we have to keep building? Why can’t we just do up old buildings and have some land to grow food?

The government and the powers that be, are so so stupid! Why can’t they just leave the land alone? It is just so unfair!

So, my idea of having my own plot of land to become self-sufficient and not have the everyday stresses of the technical world we live in today is becoming increasingly difficult!

But one day, I will succeed and have my own land.

Keep positive out there and stay happy

XOXO

Handkerchiefs

Hankies used to be deemed as very unhygienic. I agree with this to a certain extent, but if you look at it in a different way then you will see what I mean!

So, you have a runny nose and go for the tissues. But when you have used those tissues, where do they go? Does it affect anyone or anything? What happens when the bins are emptied or when they’ve been flushed down the loo? Well… these are the kind of things that do go into the landfills or the sewage and then all of our germs are spread into the environment.

A handkerchief, when it has been used, can be washed with a detergent and the germs do not get exposed to the environment as much as tissues. These can be used multiple times and once they have got to a stage of extensive wear and tear they can then be put into a compost bin or food waste bin which is collected by the local council.

I think that we should go back to using handkerchiefs just to cut back on the amount of waste that we are accumulating. It probably doesn’t seem that much when it is just tissues, but when you think about how many people are disposing of said waste, it adds up to a larger scale!

I have made my very own selection of handkerchiefs to buy on my website. You can purchase them via the link below.

https://acottagecrafter.sumupstore.com/product/handkerchiefs-6-pack

13/08/25: new handkerchiefs will be added to the online shop on Sunday 17th August 2025, hope you all like the new additions!

Buy me a coffee!

Hi All, I thought I’d tell you about a new little thing I’ve set up, “Buy me a coffee” page!

I’ve seen people add them to their pages and have even bought a few folk a coffee if I’ve not bought anything from their shops, but shown my support by buying them a coffee as it were.

I don’t know if it’s a good idea for me to do this but I thought it was worth a shot. Even if no one buys me a coffee, I’m not losing out on anything!

But, if any one of you lovey people do buy me a coffee it would be greatly appreciated. So I thank you now from the bottom of my heart xoxo

https://buymeacoffee.com/acottagecrafter thank you

Sock Happy

Well I’ve just finished another sock. As always, I am very pleased and happy with the outcome.

It’s a sense of achievement, a pure happiness that I’ve created this masterpiece!

It’s a delight to see. Very soon, I will be writing this pattern up and advertising it on my website.

I mean, just look at them. Just pure beauty in a sock!

There’s nothing better than a great pair of socks to keep your feet toasty and warm throughout these cold days ☺️

If you would like a copy of this pattern, then please share your interest.

Stay happy xoxo

Dish cloths

At the moment, I have a liking for knitting dish cloths! I have no idea why, I just do!

In my lys I’ve seen many different colours of cotton yarn that have made me go bananas for them! I love all the different colours so I’m making different patterns with them to make colourful dish cloths. There will be quite a few coming onto my website and the patterns too! Keep your eye out for them xoxo

Footy day crochet

Well, today we’re off to see Grimsby Town v Doncaster Rovers and we’re not really looking to see the Marriners win today!

Over the last couple of months the boys have not performed that well for the fans. In fact, they’ve not really played well for the league!

Today for me supporting my husband I feel quite bored. But, I came prepared! I brought my crochet with me! So during breakfast (at McDonald’s) I started making a dishcloth!

Doesn’t it look good? I think so too!

So, I was crocheting away and my husband says to me, that it’s all well and good that I’m enjoying myself doing my craft but there’s no way I’m doing it in the stadium!

How unfair!!!

I’m not at all happy he said that and nor is my crochet!

My beloved work is stuck in my bag and not able to come out! Pffft, he’s allowed his soduko book out!

I’m not counting down the hours and the minutes to when I’ll be back to crafting again…