Little Cotton Rabbits

flitting knitting

I don't know what is wrong with me at the moment but I just can't seem to settle to anything. I have over 20 different projects on the go and none of them getting finished! Here's a case in point - wrist warmers that I started ages ago from Eunny Jang's wonderful pattern Endpaper Mitts.

Instead of having one finished pair to wear I have the beginnings of 4 pairs! I'd like to blame the weather with it's one-minute-sunny-next-minute-wet-and-rainy inconsistency but I am beginning to suspect that it's just me and I'd better get my act together and finish off some things before starting anything else new! For those of you interested there will be some animals in my etsy shop before the end of the month - hopefully some hedgehogs too!

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PS: Earlier this week the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP) launched a new campaign to try to uncover more information about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. They've put together a video on youtube called a minute for Madeleine.

acorns

Earlier in the week the postman brought me a wonderful package from Lilfishstudios containing a little present to myself to celebrate autumn.

It was so beautifully packaged in a vintage sewing pattern bound with twine, with a felted autumn leaf and owlish card as lovely little details.

Inside were pretty muslin bags topped with felt leaves and inside those a collection of gorgeous felted autumny acorns!

I've had my eye on these for a while and they are greatly admired by all here as you can see - I just hope the hodgers don't gobble them up!

thanks

Thanks so much for all of the kind and supportive messages. I'm glad now that I didn't continue festering on in silence - that old 'a problem shared is a problem halved' adage is true. This kind of thing must happen daily to people posting images, ideas, creative writing, designs on websites all over the world. Hopefully though by sharing information and shaming the people who have no regard for right and wrong we can send a message that it's not acceptable to take what doesn't belong to you just because you can.

Just for the record I wanted to say that I wrote about this because there is no doubt in my mind that those are my images and my designs. I have however never had a problem with anyone copying any of my designs for their own pleasure, to make for their own children or to give to friends and loved ones - no problem whatsoever and I'm very happy to think that others might be inspired by something I've made. Where I do get upset and angry is when others either take my images, cut and paste my writing or make replicas of something I've made in order to sell it as their own work. I do have a problem with this because it is dishonest and quite frankly stealing.

I also want to stress that I am not laying any claim to knitted animals in general, I did not invent the idea and neither did I invent any new knitting stitches or techniques. What I did do is create a pattern with a 'look' (a signature if you will) which is distinctly mine and that is all I'm trying to hold on to. There are many, many other knitters who've created their own animal patterns which are distinct to them and I know that they would defend their rights to their own designs and rightly so. I suppose the message in essence is to go your own way, make something of yours, take inspiration from others but not the whole enchilada.

Anyway, thanks again for your very kind support and comments. A couple of people asked about my bunny egg cosy situation from earlier in the year. It is partially resolved in that Tesco took their product off the shelves following my blog post but that's all I can say for now.

Well, the weekend approaches and I'll be going into it with a smile - sharing a happy after school snack with my two lovelies, enjoying the autumn sun in the garden and thinking happy thoughts (helped out by my lovely new snack tray from ISAK which makes me smile everytime I look at it.)

Hope your weekend is a happy one and once again, thanks x

naff stuff

A few posts ago I alluded to the negative and depressing side of blogging and having anything on the internet. I've had a really bad year for having my designs, images, writing etc copied and it's been festering in my mind so I thought I'd purge it by writing about it. 

Basically it's stuff like this. This person* has cloned over 400 of my images from flickr, my blog and my redbubble page and posted them as their own on a picassa account. Not only that but they've made replicas of some of my knitted animals and are using my images as their printed tags, business cards and on listings on taobau (which seems a chinese version of Etsy). This is only the latest occurance of many and some days it truly makes you just want to jack it all in. I guess I continue because knitting is really what gets me through the day!

I know that I'm way too sensitive but it hurts a lot and I get so upset by this kind of thing. I started making the animals in 2004 as an antidote to some of the difficulties in raising a son with severe autism and I worked very hard to make my designs different to other knitted animal designs that were around at the time. I started the blog in 2006 and quickly discovered that as soon as you post images and people like what you're making then others will steal from you. I'm lucky that there are lots of people who look out for me and let me know when they see things that are copied. I'm lucky too that my work is distinctive and so copies stand out a mile.

In the UK the legal rights of designer/makers are protected by unregistered design right. In the UK you do not need to register a copyright for something that you create. This right is automatic and the instant you make something unique (ie not copied from something already in existence) it is protected by law. The organisation A.C.I.D (Anti Copying In Design) are an excellent source of information and they are strong in championing creative rights. But, regardless of the legalities I see it as more of a moral issue. How you can blatantly copy something you have no creative claim to is beyond me. If people had an ounce of creativity, imagination or integrity it wouldn't happen but in the 'want it now at any cost' culture we've arrived at, the honest, hard working people who just want to make something of their own are the ones that suffer both financially through lost business and emotionally.

*hopefully these links will be disappearing soon as Google's legal team are currently looking into the matter.

PS: It's not just my images and work that have been taken but Dilka's beautiful work has been copied too and another artist who created this image. I know I've seen it somewhere but have searched flickr in vain. if anyone recognises it and know the artist please let me know so I can contact them. Perhaps between us we'll be able to get Google to terminate the offender's account.

back in the saddle

Thanks so much for all of the kind comments about my arm, you're a very compassionate lot and reading that I'm not the only one to ignore the advice of my mum made me feel like less of a twonk! The arnica and cold compresses helped lots and the bruise has definitely reached the 'looks worse than it feels' stage and is currently a lovely shade of chartreuse.  Anyway, now I'm able to knit again which is a huge relief - was jonesing there for a bit!

I'm enjoying a bit of gentle-paced lacey knitting and am working on a scarf from this beautiful pattern - simple 4 row repeats giving a really effective result especially in the lovely kidsilk yarn from Rowan.

Enjoy your week and remember - no running in the house!

giveaway winner

I've so enjoyed reading all of your comments over the last week. It's wonderful that so many people find happiness in life's small and simple things and something I count myself incredibly lucky to share in. Anyway, thanks for the smiles that your comments gave me and for all of the very kind compliments about Gracie.

I've put the numbers into the random number generator

and the one that came up was:

"Hi Julie, Today what has made me happy is a peaceful day at work, the dishwasher repair man being on the doorstep when I got home, my niece having a baby, finding the perfect shirt to buy, all my shopping at Waitrose being on offer, selling a painting and a sunny walk with the dogs - why can't every day be like today!

I just love the little pocket-rabbit - I'd be happy with just that!!"

Caroline x

Posted by: Caroline B | September 10, 2009 at 04:02 PM

I hope you like her Caroline.

I'm sorry there can only be one winner, but I do hope to have more giveaways in future - maybe I'll have one in time for christmas. Thanks again to everyone who commented and took the time to share their happies. I'm off to join my knitting bag for a little happy time!

That time of year again

Well, the summer holidays are over, the children are back at school and my living room is once again echoing to the sound of clicking knitting needles! At this time of year it's become a bit of a tradition for me to start thinking ahead to christmas and so my knitting bag at the moment is stuffed full of reds, greens and creams and I'm having fun with those nordic motifs that I enjoy so much. I like the challenge of coming up with different ideas each year but there are some favourite patterns that pop up a few times.

:: 2007 ::

:: 2008 ::

:: 2009 ::

This year I've been having fun trying out some new reindeer motifs and I have a few other ideas yet to be put into yarn. It does seem a shame to be turning my back on the summer already but there's something nice about autumn's approach with it's promises of log fires, frosty mornings and warm socks!

If you're around later in the week please pop back and visit as I'm planning a little giveaway to celebrate the start of my fourth blogging year!

irresistible

I love the change between seasons and probably the main reason I love it so much is my childish excitement at all the new yarn types that are released. This year is no exception with Rowan launching lots of irresistibly gorgeous new yarns - thicker weights for the felted tweed range, a lovely mix of wool and silk in the new Silky Tweed, intriguing textures with Lima and my favourite; the lovely fluffy and soft Alpaca Cotton which I've already made a bunny with.

The only difficulty now is choosing which to use next!

Hedgehog pattern

Thanks so much for all of the kind comments about the knitted hedgehogs. The little pattern is all finished and I'll pop some copies into my etsy shop and on to Lulu shortly. I thought I'd give away *20 copies of the pattern and also 2 of the finished hedgies at random - so please leave a comment below if you'd like to be entered into the draw.

The pattern can be made from leftover yarn and is very simple and with just 1 seam - the little feet are optional if you're in a hurry or don't like fiddly! They can be used as toys or make useful little pincushions.

 

I've decided to donate a portion of the profits to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society who were so helpful when we were hand-rearing Herbert Hogwart 2 years ago. Hedgehogs are in decline in many areas of the UK and if you'd like to encourage them in your own garden they have some great tips and advice on their website. They're lovely little creatures - very entertaining to watch and great to have around the garden as they hoover up all those pesky slugs and snails!

* sorry, I've just ammended the draw from being first 20 comments to a random draw (in order to give everyone in different time zones an equal chance!) I'll draw winners on Thursday morning (2nd July)

Comments are now closed (Thursday July 2nd 9.59am) Thanks x

hedgehogs

At last I have a picture of the hedgehogs in our garden!

OK, so I cheated - but the truth is that I feel really mean blasting the real ones with the camera flash while they're eating!

So here are the knitted hodgers that I made over the weekend. I'm still playing around with shaping but am hoping to write up this hedgehog pattern to share very soon.