Little Cotton Rabbits

a visitor

Firstly I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has voted for Saving Rare Breeds or made a donation, I know that they are hugely grateful. There is still time to vote for them (until the end of today) so if you've not already done so please pop over and lend your support, it's free, just takes a few moments and would make a great deal of difference to the animals that Stephen and Tracy are caring for, especially if we could vote them into second place.

edited Feb 1st: It's now closed.

A few posts ago I mentioned a special crafty project that I am involved with. It was dreamt up by Emma from Silverpebble and Ros Badger in order to raise money for Red Nose Day and involves lots of other crafty and creative people making 4 little dolls, each with a collection of clothes, playthings, blankets, jewellery and all sorts of other delights. I can't wait to see all of the wonderful things that are being made for them and when they are finished each one will be auctioned off.

My involvement began last week when a special visitor arrived in the post...

 

 

Her name is Lily, she was designed and made by Jodie At Ric Rac and she normally lives with the small Silverpebbles but she has come to stay with me for a while and fulfil the important task of modelling. I have measured her up and she's been very helpful in trying things on as I go along and so with her help I am making a dress and a cardigan for one of the Red Nose Day Dollies. I'm also making some teeny tiny teddies for each of them.

 

 

The Red Nose Day Dolls have their own blog where you can read all about the project, how it came about and who else is involved and they're also tweeting updates and news and are on facebook too.

It's lovely to be involved and hopefully they will help raise lots of money and spread some goodness to those in need.

 

a request for help

Earlier in this cold and snowy week I received a heartwarming email which I'm going to share here because it says everything so perfectly and shows in such an inspiring way the power of friendship.

 

Dear Julie,

I write to ask for your help. One happy day, when I happened upon your blog, I also saw a post for a raffle being organised by Saving Rare Breeds. It was a happy day, not just because I found your blog, but also because since then, I have become more involved with Saving Rare Breeds and the work that they do.

Unfortunately, Stephen and Tracy who are Saving Rare Breeds are having a really rough time at the moment. Frankly, I don't know where they find their strength. They are struggling in lots of ways. This week, they have lost a number of their animals to a mystery illness. They describe it as their worst week ever.

They are presently trying to do two things. Firstly, they are running a 1000 club (http://www.savingrarebreeds.org/). The take up has been slow to say the least. Secondly, they are trying to raise votes through the following link - http://www.facebook.com/FeelGoodPark?sk=app_440439032678865. I understand that if they get enough votes, they will get a much needed donation. Sadly, despite this second option costing nothing, again the take up has been slow.

As your blog is so widely read and as you have helped Saving Rare Breeds in the past, I wondered whether you might be able to post a link to the 1000 club and the Animal Friends vote. If all of your readers took the time to vote, they would easily reach their target.

I have become extremely fond of Stephen and Tracy and humbled by the work that they do. I am desperate to help them in any way that I can. I am also very grateful to you for leading me to them!

 

It has been such a cold few weeks here in the UK and for anyone working the land or caring for livestock it must be a challenging time. I don't know if any of you are able to help, I know that there are so many worthy causes to choose from but if you are able to help in even the smallest way either by

giving a few moments of your time to vote for Saving Rare Breeds here

or by donating a few pounds to support their work here

I know that Stephen, Tracy and their animals would be incredibly grateful. Thanks so much x

 

image copyright: Olive & Harry

 

Tiled blanket

Isn't it strange how things sometimes go?  I have been coveting the blanket that I mentioned in the previous post for a few months now, but it was on a site that at the time had no link to the source - it does now :)

Then coincidence (in the form of a special joint project with some other lovely crafty people, Ros Badger included, which I'll tell you about another day) led me to her blog where I found the original picture. And now thanks to mentioning it in the last post I've discovered that the pattern has just been published in the latest issue of Mollie Makes magazine (thanks to everyone who left a comment or emailed to let me know) and I've also been told it is in Ros's latest book Homemade: knit, sew and crochet. I do love coincidence and it makes me certain that I was supposed to make this blanket (that's what I'm telling H anyway)

I began working on this at the beginning of December before finding out there was a pattern and I've therefore used the original design as an inspiration rather than replicating it exactly. The main design elements that I admire most in the original are the 'oriental carpetish' colours and the lighter surround to each square that makes it look like a little tile. Those are the two elements that I'm incorporating into this blanket and here's where I am so far ...

 

I've been playing around with colour combinations and have ruled out using the deeper indigo (pictured in the basket at the end of the previous post) which seems to overpower the other colours. I'm also not quite sure yet whether to randomly order the squares or whether to be more structured. I'm leaning towards structure at the moment, but am keeping my options open (having learned my lesson with 'the old china blanket' when I had to unpick a load of squares because one of the colours didn't make me happy).

 

This time I'm being un-characteristically patient and won't start sewing the squares together until I've got a plan.

 

Unlike my previous blanket projects I'm not going to commit to one square a day - more 'one when I feel like it' and will just go with the flow and see how big it grows. Though I have a feeling that this will end up being a big blanket :)

Some blankety details:

Based on the Granny Square Blanket originally published in Homemade: Gorgeous things to make with love by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson (April 2009, republished May 2010).

using a 3.25mm hook

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers yarn in:

2425 provence, 2427 Glamour, 2431 chocolate, 2435 Japanese maple, 2437 kansas, 2440 vinci, 2442 fog hatt, 2444 flame, 2453 pumpkin spice, 4010 straw, 8013 walnut, 9332 sapphire, 9491 greystone, 9562 coffee bean, plus some oddments of yarn from my stash    

and Cascade 220 8011 aspen heather as the surround for each square.

I've added the pattern to ravelry. I've also ordered a copy of Ros Badger's book so when it arrives I'll update the ravelry page with the yarn details and hook size that she recommends.

Meanwhile it has been snowing here all day today and we now have quite a covering.

 

 

H cleared the driveway earlier but it's covered over again. If it continues to snow overnight we will no doubt have a snow day tomorrow and the children will be off from school. The perfect excuse for a day of cosy cuddling and crochet!

 

cosying

It has been so cold here this week. We started the week with snow, have carried on with sub zero temperatures and it looks like we'll be finishing off with another snowfall tomorrow.

 

 

Not that I'm complaining. I like snow, a lot, especially when I don't actually have to go anywhere and can use it as an excuse to park myself on the sofa with some wool and stay warm and cosy!

 

It's given me time to finish those gloves, (full details on ravelry)

 

and wear them! I'm really pleased with how comfy they are.

And some time for bunny knitting too. But the thing that is really entrancing my fingers at the moment is another crochet blanket. At the end of last year I became slightly obsessed with this wonderful blanket that I'd found on my travels around the internet. It really bugs me to not know the source of an image and therefore give proper credit and appreciation to the creator (and often tumblr and pinterest don't link back to the source **) but by happy coincidence I did actually discover the original over on Ros Badger's site.

I am so in love with this blanket - the colours are wonderful and remind me of old oriental carpets with their natural dyes like madder root, larkspur, weld, oak bark and indigo. I also love the way that each square looks like a little tile with that rim of lighter yarn looking like the grouting inbetween. Although I am informed by H (in slightly testy tones) that we really don't need another blanket I have bought the yarn and made a start on a blanket inspired by these particular details.

 

I'll show you where I am with it next time! In the meantime have a lovely weekend and if you're in the snow zone - keep warm and cosy x

** Update: Happily, Solange has kindly updated the tumblr page and linked to the source. I've also had messages to let me know that the pattern is available in the current issue of Mollie Makes magazine and Ros's book 'Homemade: Gorgeous Things to Make with love'

 

workshops

Well, I'm getting back into my term-time stride again: I've caught up with the washing, tidied up the house from the Christmas bits, started bunny making again in earnest and am now feeling settled after the flurry of unsettledness that dominates during school holidays. I'm also feeling excited at the thought of some new things that are happening here this year. We are planning big changes to the garden which will hopefully make family life a lot easier when Toby is having meltdowns, but more of that another time because today my head is full of thoughts about workshops.

 

Towards the end of last year a wonderful new craft shop opened in one of my local towns and after chatting with Angela the lovely owner I am now going to be teaching a couple of workshops there. I'm really looking forward to passing on some of my tips for neat finishing techniques. I know I'm a bit unusual in loving seaming and the like but hopefully some of my enthusiasm will help others to enjoy the more fiddly bits of knitting.

 

 

The Creative Sanctuary, Hertford, SG14 1AS

 

My first workshop is on Tuesday February 5th and will be a 3 hour session making mini bunnies*. I'll be covering various finishing techniques including mirrored/paired decreasing, mattress stitch seaming, i-cords and anchored french knots and hopefully everyone will go away with a finished mini bunny ready for Easter. If you are interested in booking a place the link is here: Finishing techniques workshop.

 

 

The next workshop is in March and I'm planning to make knitted Easter eggs and there will hopefully be a hedgehog workshop in May, but I'll post details about them nearer the time.

If you are in Hertford any time please pop into the Creative Sanctuary and say hello to Angela. She's so knowledgable and entusiastic about crafts and always gives a very friendly welcome to any visitors. You may even bump into me browsing yarn or buying new needles!

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*  My free pattern for a mini bunny is here and if you use different weights of yarn and needle sizes you can make a family of different sized ones. The three above were made from chunky yarn on 4mm needles, DK yarn on 3.25mm needles and 4ply yarn on 2.25mm needles.

 

2012 in pictures

Today Toby is at CHIPs club and Amy is out with a friend so I'm really enjoying the peace and quiet of a couple of hours all to myself. I thought I'd pop in briefly and share a few of my favourite pictures from the last year, a few of the things that brought me smiles and pleasure...

 

1. edge, 2. a bundle of bunnies, 3. blossom, 4. Misty morning in autumn afghan, 5. garden, 6. waiting for arms..., 7. campout, 8. carrots, 9. line, 10. hedgies, 11. misty afghan, 12. packing

 

Hopefully there will be plenty to smile about in 2013.

We've had a good start here at our house, the first day of the year was bright and beautiful and Toby and I were awake at dawn to see the sun rise and then off to the woods for a lovely walk - a perfect start to a bright new year. Amy and I have been busy in the kitchen with our new years resolution to bake more...

 

 

These are little lemony yoghurty 'baby bundt' cakes from Nigella Lawson's 'How to be a Domestic Goddess'. Tomorrow we are making cheese scones - though all this baking does put in jeopardy my second resolution to loose a bit of weight! My only other new years resolution is to try to worry less about things I cannot change and focus on each day at a time. Have you made any resolutions this year?

I'll be back properly next week after the children are back to school and I've caught up with some much neglected housework - look forward to catching up with you then.