Little Cotton Rabbits

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

 

October :: Knitting

 

 

 

 

The changing of seasons from summer through to autumn is about midway through here, the leaves are yet to fully turn and drop but there are fungi everywhere out in the woods and the days are starting off with a definite chill in the air. For me this means a welcome return to prime knitting time and I've been busy sorting out the messy mass of projects that I started over the summer months.

I'm hoping to have patterns for a small bear, small mouse and some small sweaters ready by the end of the year (I've set myself a long deadline to hopefully hit it and minimise any deadline related anxieties). And I'm also working on a few tweaks to the Seasonal Dresses pattern - I've wanted to change the front cover for a few years now and make a few small tweaks to how the pattern repeats work on some of the designs, I'm hoping to add in a new design too. I'll keep you posted on progress.

Once I'm organised on the pattern writing front I'll be finishing a couple of animals ready for my annual giveaway - my 16th blogging anniversary was on September 4th, but as often seems to be the case these days, I just wasn't ready. And talking of anniversaries it was Toby's 21st birthday yesterday! Time really does fly doesn't it? He had a lovely evening filled with all of his favourite things, a big helium balloon, new duplo lego, bath toys, sweets, a new dvd and a new musical book, cake and curry and custard - though not all together in the same bowl :)

Well, I'm off to make the most of my 'working hours' and hopefully tick something off my to-do list today. I hope you're having a good week where you are and thanks as always for dropping in to visit with me, J x

 

snippets of summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The much longed for rain has at last come, and it's come, and come. It's been wonderful to feel it on my skin and to smell that unique scent that the arid land gives up after rain - isn't it brilliant that there's even a special word for it - petrichor.  The land has soaked it up and quenched the parched plants and trees, and green has returned to the countryside all around us here, it is beautiful.

I ran out of steam a little in August, hence the lack of posts here. Caring for Toby 24/7 is intensive and full on and therefore not much else gets done. He returned to college last monday and so I spent last week tidying the house, sorting laundry, and tackling all of the householdy things that were neglected during August. I'm now 'back at work' and have a large email backlog to work through - I'm so sorry if you're waiting on a reply from me, hopefully you'll receive one this week. Once I've tidied my inbox I'll be starting pattern writing again. Lots of knitting was done on the cooler summer days but it was haphazard, and I have little knitted body parts and scribbled notes scattered throughout the house. I finished a shawl and was also seized by the desire to start knitting mittens. This always seems to happen to me during the hottest months of the year, I suppose it's a form of planning for cooler times. However, I seem to have started 4 pairs! It seems that in all aspects of life I'm in great need of some serious organising.

Anyway, here are some snippets from my summer...

• Hulling and chopping strawberries and discovering perfect little hearts inside, 
• The pictures along the river Beane are where I ate my birthday breakfast croissant and coffee, having taken myself off for a peaceful, reflective walk at 7am and where I saw dragonflies, a flock of geese and the colourful darting of a kingfisher - a real birthday treat before the hustle and bustle of the day.
• Finishing a shawl, knitted from the 'Hollows' pattern by Melody Hoffman
• The mittens I'm working on are mostly from the 'Antiquity' pattern by Alicia Plummer and the mustardy coloured pair are knitted in 'dyeing light'  RamJam from Daughter of a Shepherd beautifully hand-dyed by Woollenflower. The yarn is rustic and on the outside edge of what I'm able to tolerate next to my skin but the colours are so very lovely that I just don't care. I admit to being just a little obsessed with this yarn at the moment :)

I'm so looking forward to Autumn this year, and to all of its delights: cooler temperatures; damp woodlands; fungi forays; cosy clothes; blankets on the bed;  lighting the fire; casseroles and hot puddings and lots of knitting. And I am definitely looking forward to getting organised, hope to see you again soon, J x