Fast forward a few months...
Christmas is over, the manic shopping has finally stopped, the decorations are down, the money has been spent, and the January blues are setting in.
But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered!
Meet Miss Moo the Highland Coo.
She’s bound to put a smile on your face — and hopefully on everyone else’s who meets her too. And perhaps that’s exactly what we all need at the end of January, the longest winter month, with gloomy February waiting just around the corner!
If I’m being completely honest, Miss Moo is probably my favourite member of the Growl Family so far. She’s certainly the biggest!
You don’t have to be obsessed with Highland Cows to want to make her (although it certainly helps!). She follows Hetty the Herdwick and Mr Growl the Bear, and, just like them, she has a little Growl Tilt Box hidden inside.
How Miss Moo was conceived
When I first designed Hetty the Herdwick — a sitting Herdwick Sheep with a Growl Tilt Box — followed by Mr Growl the Bear, with his slightly larger Tilt Box, I never imagined quite how much I would love seeing these creations put a smile on people's faces time and time again.
And that’s exactly what so many of our lovely makers told us after making their own versions, either from our kits or during our Zoom workshops.
It made me realise something.
If I can design something that makes somebody smile, or even laugh out loud, that is a gift that just keeps giving.
And what better animal to combine with that idea than a Highland Coo?
We all love a Highland Coo!
Let’s face it, they have to be some of the cutest animals on the planet.
I’m lucky enough to live in an area where Highland Cows graze freely on common land in Gloucestershire, so they’re a familiar sight to me. I love their vibrant colours (although they come in beautiful browns and blacks too), their enormous noses and those wonderfully fringed faces.
There’s something incredibly charming about them — perhaps it’s their woolly appearance, perhaps it’s their gentle expression, or perhaps it’s simply that fabulous hair!
Whatever it is, Miss Moo has captured all of it in my woolly world.
So, combining the smile trigger of the Growl Tilt Box with one of Britain’s most popular and iconic animals seemed like a bit of a win-win to me!
More than just making a pretty thing
This is something I think about a lot as a designer maker.
My mission goes beyond simply being an artist. I don’t just design and create something and then sell the finished piece.
I design with other makers in mind.
I’m thinking about how something is constructed, which techniques I can teach, how I can break it down into manageable steps and, most importantly, how I can help someone else experience that wonderful feeling of “I made this!”
And I simply cannot wait to teach you how to make Miss Moo.
I guess that’s what makes being a designer maker different for me. The finished piece is only part of the story.
The real joy comes when someone else picks up their needle, starts stabbing that wool, and creates something they never thought they could make.
And then, hopefully, they look at their finished Miss Moo and smile.
That’s the bit that keeps giving.
Make Miss Moo with me
You can join me for a full-day Zoom workshop on Saturday 30 January 2027, where we’ll spend the day making Miss Moo together.
And yes, there will be plenty of time for chatting, catching up, and putting the world to rights too!
The technical parts of the tutorial will be recorded, so you can revisit them afterwards and make Miss Moo at your own pace.
If Zoom isn't your thing, we’ve also made Miss Moo available as a kit-only option, because we know many of you will want to make her in your own time.
We'll ship both options in January. We’re doing this deliberately so that those joining us live get the first opportunity to make Miss Moo. It seems only fair!
A little word about our Zoom spaces
Our Zoom workshops have become increasingly popular, which is absolutely wonderful, but it means we now have to cap the number of people who can join us.
We want to keep the workshops personal, interactive and full of the chatting and support that makes them so special.
So, if you’d like to spend a day making Miss Moo with me, grab your Zoom space while you can!
And if you’re feeling a little glum when January rolls around, remember...
Miss Moo is waiting for you.