Making a dog.

Yes, a little wacky, I know. I spent some of this weekend sticking needles into a wodge of felt in order to make a miniature dog. Writing this down makes me ask myself why I actually did this but it was basically because I'd seen this little hound on a website and as they had sold out could only buy a kit. So I ended up prodding the felt until it changed form and I could shape it into a (rather large headed) dog.

My new best friend - in felt form.

I was shocked that a bag of felt cost over £30 until I found out that the finished dogs sell for £90 upwards. My mongrel is probably only worth a few quid by the time I'd finished pricking him but I did enjoy making a character out of nothing but fibres. It was a little bit of creative fun whilst the weather was so wet.
We also nipped around next door to see Jack's creation - a lovely wooden spinning top and a new bowl he has fashioned out of maple.

Can't wait to get into the garden again though and start designing for this summer. Luke has almost-too-late garlic to plant and some onion sets and I got to walk around looking at all the tiny lupin plugs which I shan't be buying as we will have more frosts before the summer comes. I do believe or at least suspect, that garden centres bring all these summer bedding plants in early to sell them on to their customers only for these little plugs to be cut down by more frosts whereby the customer has to go back and get more. Maybe that's my cynical marketing brain working but for me, it's much too early to be risking these little beauties. Better to grow things naturally and give them a good sturdy beginning in my view. What do you think?
Actually, I have to apologise if anybody has put a comment on which hasn't shown. My mum and Luke's have both commented only for it not to show so please don't think I've removed any. They simply don't show.