Boot toppers are essentially just tubes designed to look like socks when worn tucked into tall leather boots or wellies. Not that I have anything against socks, I love socks! But as a general rule I buy boots to fit my feet, not my feet plus a good centimetre or so of wool. And as much as I complain about London weather it isn’t that cold and I do spend the majority of my time indoors. So… I want the look of a chucky, rustic sock with none of the hassle of limping or breaking a sweat.

This pattern is called String. It is knitted on double pointed needles, in the round with no seam, but if you’d prefer you could quite easily break the pattern down and knit it flat. I’ve used Carpet yarn which comes in an array of colours from Prick Your Finger in Bethnal Green (which is lovely, by the way, every should go. Right now.) It’s quite rough which was great for the country-bumkin look I wanted, but these would be gorgeous in something softer which would slump down and feel more cosy.

I apologise profusely that there isn’t a photo of them flat. I have no camera and I’m struggling to make do! I think I’ll treat myself to one of these swanky ‘compact system’ numbers, they look vey shiney. I’ll hold my hands up and confess: my knowledge of technology is summed up by shininess. New things work better, new things are shinier, therefore shinier things must work better. No?

Well, we will all soon see because my next sample is knitted and ready for it’s close up…