Inquisitive Felines and Fibers

I bought a hot water bottle. Living in northwest Connecticut for most of my 50+ years you would think that I would remember such a delightfully easy way to warm up the foot space in bed, but no, at some time over the years it slipped away from memory. In looking through some of my new-t0-me WWII pattern books I found several patterns for covers and I thought that they might make a good item for craft sales. Now being a conscientious soul, I ordered one to use as a model and to give me a basis to design my own, never giving a thought to its other practical uses…i.e warming my feet.

One dreary, rainy, raw January afternoon, just home from school and tidying up the house I picked up the hot water bottle yet again to place somewhere until I could sort out a pattern design when it finally occurred to me that my still slightly damp feet would probably welcome a tuck up with the hot water bottle on the couch under an afghan with a cup of tea. That is if the hot water bottle really did work as touted.

I read the directions, yes, it came with directions which mainly said not to use boiling water – personally I thought that a bit obvious, but then I find that a lot of obvious things aren’t always that obvious to others – and proceeded to fill it with hot tap water while the kettle sang on the stove top for my tea water. A short time later I tucked in on the couch with the bottle warming my feet, the tea warming my soul, and a book warming my brain. All in all a delightful experience. Now my only problem is how many  patterns will I choose for my cover/s and with what fibers should they be made? Do you use a hot water bottle?