Little Cotton Rabbits

Christmas cards for charity

Thanks to everyone who visited my shop last night. The latest batch of toys will be winging their way to  their new homes shortly.

I wanted to make some postcards of this seasonal batch but once again time has got the better of me. But then I heard on the blog grapevine that those lovely people over at moo have come up with a wonderful idea. They are offering greetings cards that help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières. A pack of 10 cards costs £9.99 ($1 goes to the charity) and you can easily personalise them so that your card says exactly what you want it to. You can either print the cards from your own images that you upload to flickr or choose from thousands on file at the people powered card store.

Or you could choose this one!

Just follow this link:

Make a MOO Greetings Card with this image and help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières You'll be taken straight to a page on MOO with my image selected, ready for you to customise and buy. Find out more about MOO Greetings Cards

And if this has got you in a seasonal mood and you're a knitter then you should pop over for a visit with DottyCookie who has created the sweetest little christmas pudding patch to knit.
 

Rose petal tutu for Rose

The lovely Nathalie at Kennedy and friends has made this beautiful tutu to auction off for the Rose Willcocks fund. Made from the finest quality tulle, satin ribbon and silk rose petals it would make the most perfect Christmas pressie for a budding ballerina or little Princess (aged 2-6 years). Bidding has just started and will end on November 25th so if you pop over now and place a bid you'll be making 2 little girls very happy ones this Christmas!

A solution to the problem of grated cheese

You may remember that I was having a moan recently about Toby's liking for finely grated cheese and how I was wishing for a mouse to keep the carpets clean. Well, look what arrived in the post!

The most perfect little chap for the job!

He's already had a snuffle around and snacked on a couple of stray cheerios, some cake crumbs and of course copious quantities of grated cheese. He's worth his weight in gold AND he came bearing gifts of chocolate, biscuits and wool.

Martine you are very sweet - I love Cheddar (as Amy has named the mouse) and the goodies are much appreciated - thanks so much X

Thanks too to everyone who voted for me in the softie awards. It was great to be nominated and although my puds didn't win they're not too sad to have lost to such a cute gingerbread baby!

The story concludes...

This is the last installment in the wonderful story written by Jill. I've put a link to the full story over on the sidebar.

Julie was busy. Making jam, watching a little mouse playing in the garden, playing in the sea with her children, jumping in the waves (but she often thought of Little Cotton Rabbit and hoped she was happy!)

Little Cotton Rabbit wasn't happy. She dried her little woolly tears and said "Pink shoes, dotty dress, I'm a brave Little Cotton Rabbit knitted with love!" She tapped her toes and twitched her nose (which as you know isn't easy wrapped up in crinkly paper and tied with ribbons)

A big woolly sneeze began in Little Cotton Rabbit's twitching nose. "Ah, aah, AAAH TISHOO!" Little Cotton Rabbit's parcel began to fall.

 

"Help!" she shouted through woolly sneezes and squished up nose. "Help!" she shouted through little woolly sobs and tears.
 
BUMP! BANG! Little Cotton Rabbit's parcel fell to the floor. "OOOOHH!" whispered Little Cotton rabbit, who didn't know what was happening.

Doors opened. Little Cotton Rabbit found herself flying through the air! BUMP! Into a post van jumbled with boxes and parcels. Noisy engines with smelly smoke made Little Cotton Rabbit cough a little woolly cough.

Little Cotton rabbit sighed a little woolly sigh. She snuggled into the crinkly paper, her eyes closed......

A big basket full of giggling little cotton friends. A hug from Amy, sounds of Toby playing in the garden. What a wonderful dream! Little Cotton Rabbit smiled a special Little Cotton Rabbit smile. Dreams were wonderful.................

The Post Van went along the street.

BUMP! BUMP! BANG! Doors opened. Little Cotton Rabbit slept on.

KNOCK! KNOCK! on a door.

"OH! LOOK! It's the lost parcel!"

 
Little Cotton Rabbit woke up. She was very excited! That was Julie's voice! Julie opened the parcel and untied the paper and ribbons. There sat Little Cotton Rabbit with a very, very special Little Cotton Rabbit smile. She was a bit squashed, but safe and sound after all!

Little Cotton Rabbit tried to tell Julie all about being lost. Amy gave Little Cotton Rabbit a big hug, Toby could be heard playing in the garden (which just goes to show dreams do come true!)

Julie took a picture of Little Cotton Rabbit. "Pink shoes, dotty dress, all knitted with love" thought Little Cotton Rabbit, glad to be safe. Lots of little cotton giggles came from a basket.

"Home" said Julie "no more adventures for you!"

Little Cotton Rabbit sighed a big woolly sigh. She smiled a special Little Cotton Rabbit smile. Adventure over! (For now!)

I hope that you've enjoyed the story as much as we have at our house. It's a nice thought that it will be read around the world - it was just too good a story to keep all to ourselves! Thanks Jill x

The story continued...

I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying the story - we think it's wonderful! So without any further ado let's find out what happens next...

BUMP, BUMP. Little Cotton Rabbit tumbled down into the Post Van jumbled with boxes and parcels. Little woolly snores could still be heard if you listened very, very carefully.

Little Cotton Rabbit felt safe and happy (which isn't easy when your nose is being squished by a box!)

It was very quiet now. Little Cotton Rabbit yawned a little woolly yawn. "Where am I? America is very, very quiet" she thought. She wished and wished Julie was there.

Pink shoes, dotty dress, all knitted with love. Little Cotton Rabbit was a little bit frightened. She'd never been anywhere so quiet! Little Cotton Rabbit tried to be brave (which isn't easy when there are no woolly giggles, sniffles and snores to be heard!)

BANG. Doors opened. Little Cotton Rabbit's parcel was bounced along. Noisy engines with smelly smoke made Little Cotton Rabbit cough a little woolly cough. America waited.

Very, very soon, little cotton friends began to send e-mails to Julie. They had all arrived safely. Nothing was heard from Little Cotton Rabbit.

 
It was very, very dark in the parcel. Lots of banging and shouting made Little Cotton Rabbit give a little woolly shiver. Inside the crinkly paper Julie had so carefully wrapped around Little Cotton Rabbit, a little woolly tear began.

Little Cotton rabbit tried to shout, "Help! Help!" but without her little cotton friends no one could hear her.

"I'm a brave Little Cotton Rabbit with pink shoes and a dotty dress and Julie loves me" whispered Little Cotton Rabbit (but it isn't easy to be brave when a little cotton rabbit is all on its own!)

Very, very far away in America the lady was waiting for Little Cotton Rabbit. She emailed Julie.

"Oh, no! Our Little Cotton Rabbit is lost!" said Julie to her children. It had never happened before. A lost little cotton rabbit!!

A new little cotton rabbit was soon on its way to America and the lady loved her.
Little Cotton Rabbit was all alone.

"Pink shoes, dotty dress, I'm a brave Little Cotton Rabbit knitted with love" thought Little Cotton Rabbit (but she wished Julie was there to find her!)

BANG. Doors opened. Little Cotton Rabbit's parcel was bounced along. Noisy engines with smelly smoke made Little Cotton Rabbit cough a little woolly cough.

Little Cotton Rabbit was lost. No one knew where she was. The lady in America was happy with her new little cotton rabbit. All Little Cotton Rabbit's friends were happy in their new homes. Poor Little Cotton Rabbit. She shed a little woolly tear and gave a little woolly sniff. All alone.

(what happens to Little Cotton Rabbit? Find out in the last installment tomorrow...)

 

I want to tell you a story...

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions on grated cheese removal - it definitely looks like getting a dog would be the best solution! I shall have to start buttering up my husband! Still there will be a lot less hoovering going on now Toby is back at school and a lot more knitting and blog reading!

One of the things I am most grateful about these days is that having a blog has led to contact with some of the world's nicest people. I am regularly amazed at the warmth and generosity of people. Recently I received a wonderful story written about the adventures of the missing little cotton rabbit. Reading it for the first time left me teary (in a good way) and it is now a bedtime institution in our house - with Amy tightly cuddling the bunny that the story is about.

Jill, the autor and illustrator of this story has very kindly agreed to let me tell the story here on the blog and so over the next 3 days I will post it in installments. I'm sure, like Amy and me you will find it beautifully written, wonderfully illustrated and completely enchanting, so if you're sitting comfortably then we'll begin...

A little Cotton Rabbit Story.
Written and illustrated by Jill Westgarth

Little Cotton rabbit was waiting. "Knit me! Knit me" she thought.
All the rabbits, bears, pandas and foxes hiding in the wool were excited.

"Pick me! Pick me!" Little Cotton Rabbit wished so hard her nose began to twitch (which isn't easy in the middle of a ball of wool!)

Julie began to knit. She knitted and knitted. Very, very soon Little Cotton Rabbit had ears, eyes, a nose and a very happy smile.

"Pink shoes! Pink shoes!" Little Cotton Rabbit wished so hard her toes began to tap (which isn't easy when your shoes are being knitted!)

Julie put her clever fingers into the bag of wool.

"Dots! Dots! Polka dots!" wished Little Cotton Rabbit.

Very, very soon Little Cotton Rabbit dreams of pink shoes and a dotty dress came true!

Little Cotton Rabbit sat with all the friends Julie had knitted. They waited. It was such a special day.

"Pick me! Pick me!" Little Cotton Rabbit thought. She sat very, very still (which isn't easy when an adventure is about to begin!)

Julie looked for a rabbit to send to America.

"Pick pink polka dots!" thought Little Cotton Rabbit, "with pink shoes!" She wished so hard her nose twitched and her toes tapped (which isn't easy when you're trying to sit still!)

Julie wrapped Little Cotton Rabbit up in crinkly tissue paper and tied a beautiful bow with ribbons to keep Little Cotton Rabbit safe. Very, very carefully Little Cotton Rabbit was put into a white comfy parcel.

Little Cotton Rabbit snuggled down in her crinkly package. She tried to be brave (which isn't easy when your comfy parcel is being squashed with things called labels!)

All the little cotton friends were ready for their adventures. Little woolly giggles snuffled from the parcels as Julie left them in the Post Office. Julie felt sad. So did all the little cotton friends. "Bye" said Julie and went home. Her fingers were itching to start knitting more Little Cotton friends.

Very, very soon, little woolly snores could be heard as the friends fell asleep. The Post Office worked hard to send all the parcels on their way.

Little Cotton Rabbit wasn't asleep. What was America? What would it be like? Little Cotton Rabbit was very, very excited.

"Bye Julie" she said in a little woolly voice. Pink shoes, dotty dress, how happy Little Cotton Rabbit was (which is easy when you've been knitted with love!)

(to be continued tomorrow...)