Little Cotton Rabbits

The first signs of spring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Firstly, thank you so much for all the kindness in your messages from my previous post, the words you have gifted to me have been like a big warm hug.

In my journal of happy things Kit is still featuring, not daily, but every 2 or 3 days she's arrived for snacks and without a doubt she is pregnant. Twice her mate has accompanied her but he's very shy and has bolted for the bushes as soon as he's seen us. I've also jotted about the early evening sky, made beautiful by the planets Venus and Jupiter being so very bright and visible low in the sky to the west just after sunset.  I am hoping that we get clear skies on March 1st when they come close together, I love a bit of star and planet gazing - search 'Venus Jupiter conjunction' if you're interested in seeing the spectacle in your part of the world.

Out on my own in the woods I've been paying attention and noticing the tiniest details that show the shift in the seasons from winter to spring. Despite the recent sharp frosts there are tree buds swelling on the branches and the first emergence of catkins, but a carpet of snowdrops in a local wood is the most emphatic sign of change. These hardy little plants are such a hopeful sight, pushing their blunt tipped leaves through frosted soil throughout January to produce such delicate bell-like flowers each February. They're beautiful en masse and when they tremble in the cold wind on a breezy day it looks like the whole woodland floor is shimmering. And drifting down from the bare branches overhead come symphonies sung by small birds - being in a snowdrop carpeted wood is one of my favourite natural pleasures.

It's been a cold winter this year, so spring will be a while yet but it's been nice to embrace the last weeks of winter by curling up in the warm to work on new patterns. The horse pattern is coming along nicely and I'm now working on a cow pattern too. I will show you some pictures when I've ironed out some of the wrinkles. I'm also putting the finishing touches to a couple of mice that I'll be giving away. I've been holding off on this because of the disarray of the international post (Royal mail has suspended international deliveries throughout January) but now it looks like the situation is resolved I'll post about the giveaway soon. See you again when they're ready.

 

 

All is quiet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January is often a quiet month for me and I'm grateful to be able to be able to slow right down and take everything as calmly as possible as I make my plans for the year. Especially so this year, because for a little while now I have been been feeling rather down and becoming at times overwhelmed with anxiety, so as a way of trying to cope with that I've decided to start a 5 year journal and record all of the positive and beautiful things to remember from each passing day. I think that I am very lucky because it is so often the smallest of things that do lift my mood and bring me joy, and once you start to actively look for these moments you find there are actually quite a few in every day. But such moments can often get forgotten and overshadowed by everyday life, so recording them is a good way to bring them to mind when I need to feel brighter.

So far I've jotted about red kites soaring over the house, goldfinches and robins in the garden, Toby's laughter, Amy's smile, H's hugs, the taste of a good cake, the delicious feeling of sitting in bed and knitting away a weekend morning, the quiet calm of a gently flickering candle, the glory of sunrises, the delicacy of frost, the gentle balm of music *, and the delight in deciding to finally use a much loved skein of yarn from my stash - this one has been treasured for almost 10 years and is irreplaceable as Asti of Juno fibre arts is no longer creating her beautiful yarns, so I'm enjoying some very careful pondering of what project to cast on.

But above all else there is has been one totally unexpected, unbelievable and utterly delightful moment - the return of Kit the fox!!

It has been over a year since she was last here and I had written here on the blog that she might have died - I secretly feared she had been run over on the main road as there have been a few fox corpses at the roadside in the intervening months. But no, we were joyfully so very wrong because on Jan 13th she sauntered nonchalantly into the garden, as though she had just been here a day ago, sat down by the garden table and looked expectantly at me through the kitchen door. I have never had a jaw-dropping moment before, but I did then. A snack of Toby's cocktail sausages was swiftly found and as I approached her to put them down, still slightly disbelieving that it really was her, she stood up and approached me, confirming without any doubt that it was. You can see from the pictures below that she's a little more scarred about the muzzle than when she was last here but otherwise is looking well nourished and cosy in her thick growth winter coat. I suspect that she is pregnant and has come back because it's been especially cold recently and she's has difficulty finding enough food. She's arrived every evening since, just after darkness has fallen and I am so utterly overjoyed to see her again, and she's featuring heavily in my new journal of happy things :)

I hope she sticks around for a while longer and I'll be sure to bring you further news of her if she does stay around. If you are interested you can see the story of how we became friends and see my previous blog posts of her visits over the last four years here.

 

 

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The 5 year journal was purchased from Mål Paper with some of my Christmas money, (thanks M & D xxx)

 

* my music of choice at the moment is  'Found' by Martin Gauffin which is playing in the background at the moment and I find especially uplifting

 

New small mice and bears patterns

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello and wow! I am completely humbled by the response to the first giveaway of my anniversary year. Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and outpouring of kindness on the previous post. I admit that I've not yet managed to read all of the comments and hope to do so by the end of this week, though with 2,179 of them I hope you can understand why I'll not be replying.

Yesterday evening I used the random number generator to pick the winning numbers and these are now posted on the previous post. I've emailed each of the winners and will be sending over the first of the pattern prizes shortly.

My three newest patterns are all ready so I've just uploaded them to Ravelry and Etsy.

There is a small (7 inch) bear/panda, a small (7 inch) mouse and some small sweaters with panel designs on the front. Both the bear/ panda and the mouse come with a variety of outfits including dresses, sweaters and shorts and the existing extra patterns for the small size animals (dresses, sweaters and removable shoes) will fit them too.

I really hope that everyone has fun with these new patterns and as always I'm so excited to see what everyone makes. If you do give any of them a go it would be lovely to see your project uploaded to either the Ravelry or Facebook groups.

Thanks again for all the wonderfully kind comments. I look forward to sharing more give-aways with you as the year progresses and am off now to finish a couple of wintery themed regular-sized mice ready for my next giveaway, hopefully sometime in February if all goes to plan,

J x

Anniversary give-away no. 1

 

 

Hello, I hope that your new year has got off to a good start. Toby has started back at college and so I'm just beginning to find my feet after the Christmas break. I am trying to ignore all of the household chores that have built up and instead have spent my morning photographing bears and mice - a much nicer use of time in my opinion.

As I mentioned in the previous post 2023 is a big anniversary year for the Little Cotton Rabbits and me, being 20 years since I started making them and 10 years since I wrote up the bunny patterns. To celebrate I am planning a series of give-aways across this year and this is the first of them.

Free Patterns giveaway...

This giveaway will be for 10 people to win free copies of all of the new 'Little Cotton Rabbit' patterns that I produce in 2023 (I'm hoping for at least 5 new patterns). As always I'll use a random number generator to pick the 10 winners, so to be in with a chance of winning one of these 10 prizes please just leave a comment below, you can simply write enter, or if you have time to spare tell me about something that you are looking forward to this year.

Important note: Only comments left on this post will be counted in the draw. I'm not able to add in comments sent by email, left on a blog reading service or on any location other than this post on my blog. Can I also please ask that you only post once in the draw in order to give everyone a fair and equal chance. Thanks for your kind understanding of these conditions of entry in this free prize draw.

I'll draw the 10 winners on Monday January 9th 2023 which will be just before the release of the 3 new patterns that I've been working on. I'll be back next week with full details of those.

Enjoy the tail end of your week and thanks as always for dropping in to visit with me, J x

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Edited to add: Comments are now closed, 17.08 Monday January 9th

Here are the winners (I've now emailed the patterns, so if you are one of the winners and have not received your first 3 patterns please let me know) J x.

57 Alice Smulders said...

You knitted animals are so delightful and they bring joy to all that see them. Thank you.❤️Alice

January 05, 2023 at 01:13 PM

 

169 Christine Lewis said…

I’m looking forward to being able to sit down and knit some more LCR animals now Christmas is over. Thank you again for such awesome patterns

January 05, 2023 at 01:36 PM

 

698 Jan said...

I love your patterns (and the company name!). Currently making a lot of mini bunnies for an Easter Garland for my Granddaughter. Can't believe it's been 20 years - well done and thank you for all the super designs.

January 05, 2023 at 04:47 PM

 

1025 Julie Paquet said...

Thank you for this nice giveaway. Happy anniversary!

January 05, 2023 at 06:38 PM

 

1048 Abby said...

Love your animals! I’m always hoping for a horse 😊

January 05, 2023 at 06:47 PM

 

1241 Christine Agnew said...

I am now officially obsessed with your little cotton rabbits! My 3 yr old granddaughter insisted on a pink bunny tail on her rabbit so I now ask her what other colours she wants in the dresses. Truly custom made rabbits (though the answer is mostly pink) I have 7 other grandchildren under 6 and they all want one so I am knitting at every opportunity!
Christine

January 05, 2023 at 08:08 PM

 

1248 Teresa said...

Love your cute patterns! I am looking forward to the 2023 new Creations.

January 05, 2023 at 08:11 PM

 

1623 Roxanne Vanslette said...

I’m so excited for your new patterns! I knitted my first Little Cotton Rabbits pattern last month and I have knitted 6 different animals since and I cannot stop!

January 06, 2023 at 01:55 AM

 

1892 Beatrice said...

Thank you so much for this beautiful blog, so inspiring, and you marvellous patterns.

I wish you a very happy new year, for you and all your family.

And I hope I will be one of the happy winners. Your patterns are so nice and clearly written.

January 06, 2023 at 04:31 PM

 

2025 Lisa said...

Love your patterns! Always look forward to seeing your new patterns!

January 07, 2023 at 01:48 PM

 

seasons greetings xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although it's now melted away, the snow stayed for exactly a week - far longer than I can remember in previous years when it has started to melt within a day or two. Out in the woods it was magical, laying thickly underfoot and on the branches, bestowing a very Narnia-esque beauty to the trees. Toby adored stomping across the fields, squealing and laughing and running through the snow with obvious delight. I was so happy to be able to drive on the main roads (as the back roads were impassable) and to be able to park locally, because to have shared these snowy walks with him was joyful and they'll stay in my memory for a long time.

Back at home I'm in the final knit through of my new patterns (mice and bears ands cabled sweaters, all in the small sizes) so those will all be released in January. I'll keep you posted with further details as soon as they are ready. I'm just about to tidy all these bits and pieces away into the cupboard now, as I'm planning to have some gentle and quiet relaxation time over the Christmas weekend and not tax my brain too much. Not that I'm feeling very relaxed right now. How is it that the hours seem to run faster at this time of year? At the start of December I usually feel quite organised but by the middle of the month panic has started to settle in. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has written things I've already done on a to-do list just so that I can tick something off. Still, I know it will all get done and, if it doesn't, that my family will understand and forgive me. I hope you're doing well with any preparations you are making for festivities.

I'm going to have a few internet free days for this Christmas weekend, which will be a nice novelty, so I'm signing off for now but will be back to answering messages and emails from Tuesday.

I wish you all the very best for the holiday season and hope that you find a little peace and joy over the coming days, with love and many thanks for visiting me here, J xx

 

 

Fungi in the woods part 2, and some small bears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn is in full swing here and the leaves are now falling thick and fast, covering the woodland paths and the verges of the back roads with a carpet of golds, oranges and reds. It has been a fairly mild and damp autumn so far, and many of the toadstools have lasted well. I've seen such a huge variety of them this year and these are just some of the more photogenic ones. I do so love this season, it's a magical time for walking out in the woods and with so much to see I've stayed until I'm tired and chilled, so coming back home into the warm to snuggle with my knitting has been especially welcome.

Pattern writing for the small bears, small mice and small sweaters is progressing and with all of the samples now made and I'm at the stage of taking the step by step photos. Then it will be photo editing, laying out the pages and finally checking everything through. It's a long old process but I'm getting there slowly. I'll keep you posted with news once they're ready.

Well, that's all of my news for this time, see you again soon x