crafts & knitting

heads up

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)

Well, my little family seems to be settling nicely into term-time routine – Amy is still loving senior school and Toby has coped surprisingly well with being in a new class. You'd think then that I'd be settling nicely into my routines too, but I'm not.

I don't know if it's the change of season but I'm feeling distinctly unsettled. I'm aimless and flitty and can't seem to sit for any length of time and finish anything. Which is probably why I have a whole heap of animals on the go (28 at the last count). It doesn't help that there's lots of lovely new yarns arriving for the autumn/winter season, as I can't resist trying out new wool for the animals. And I won't tell you about the mittens and two scarves that I've also started or about the new crochet project that keeps tempting my fingers, because you'll probably wonder if I've completely lost the plot!

At least I'm doing well on the animal heads, (which are always my first thing to knit of each animal)…

 

Bunnyheads

 

Others

…but the bodies and clothes have yet to be made. Hopefully I'll get less fidgety over the next week and will be able to settle and get some of these finished soon.

 

Heads

63 thoughts on “heads up”

  3. oh my word! how exciting! I LOVE seeing them evolve…the cutest {for me} are the bunnies…but having said that they ALL have a cuteness about them! ;o)
    On a different note: I am setting up a new feature on my blog called “When I Grow Up” ~ basically it’s about people who have a handmade business and how they got there. Would LOVE to feature you…email me if you would be interested lovely and I will send you the details ;o)
    hugs
    hello gorgeous xxx

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  4. Oh…love all the body parts! 🙂 Miss your blogging… 🙂 Hope to win one of the bids one day!!!
    ~ Kathy (Beaverton, Oregon, USA)

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  5. I know what you mean about feeling flitty, it’s got to be the season changes and as for new yarns please don’t tempt me . If I made up a load of heads I’d forget which yarn I’d used for which xx

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  6. I love it every time when you give us a sneak peek of your work. I also should start working cause I promised to a good friend to sew her Christmas Decoration for her tree (as a gift to her wedding in less than a months) and I haven’t already startet.

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  7. Yes, I have that restless feeling too at this time of year. You’ve plenty of work ahead of you when you finally do settle down. Those heads will look even better when they’ve got bodies! Glad Toby is settling in his new class.

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  9. Wow – do you feel a little pressure with all those adorable little heads just staring at you? What is that restlessness? I’m having trouble focusing on finishing projects too!

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  11. Love the heads on the book shelves. Fall is always restless for me. It’s in-between time. Can’t wait to see the rest of the animals!

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  13. The heads are a promise of gorgeous friends to come. You’ve had a fairly hectic Summer break with Toby-no wonder you can’t settle. Just as Toby needs time to adjust to the routine again, so do you. My knitting/craft projects are always ‘flitty’! My head works oh, so much quicker than my hands. And of course, in my head there’s no washing, ironing, sleeping etc etc to distupt my creative time
    Liz phillips X

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  14. So Adorable!! Don’t ever force yourself to create or it will show! Your lovely little creatures will be born when you are ready. But, do tell, which new yarns are calling to you this year? It’s always such fun to see the new colors and textures. 🙂

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  17. I love the row of heads sitting in readiness. As each speaks to you knit them an outfit! I call how you’re feeling ‘being restless’. Perfectly normal, signals time for you to pamper yourself. Flit all you wish… the more projects the merrier!

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  18. Nice to hear from you! I know just what you mean, I have got a few projects currently on the go, but feel I’m getting nowhere fast. Too much to do, too little time. The heads all lined up on your shelves made me laugh, very cute but gruesome at the same time!!

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  19. Julie – I love to see your critters come to life. They’re so adorable, whimsical and I can just imagine the love and cuddles they receive when given as a gift. Just looking at them brings a smile to my face. Kudos on your special talent for bringing them to life!

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  22. Awwww bless their little faces. I am just the same, having a good 5 animals awaiting the sewing up process. The trouble is,, casting on another is always so much more appealing isnt it. xx

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  25. Oh my, I LOVE these little creatures. I am anxiously awaiting them to be on ETSY. I must have at least one rabbit as I have none right now. They are adorable!! Keep knitting, pat

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  26. Gosh, you’ve been so productive, even though you say that you haven’t felt as settled lately. I know what you mean, and perhaps it’s just our way of moving from one season into another. I can’t wait to see more pics of your gorgeous handiwork, you clever lady!
    Love, Tina xxx

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  27. Aaaargh – scary severed heads! Quick Julie, do the bodies or I’ll have nightmares.
    Perhaps it’s the sudden shock of time to yourself that has you out of kilter – I know the feeling well!

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  30. There is an air of ‘Dexter’ about those displays Julie. Do you have non-knitterly leanings we should be aware of?
    I too find this return to school time of year a real adjustment.

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  31. We need to go to a movie, Jules – something silly and romantic with a great ending. A tiny vacation – good because somebody else is writing the story and somebody else is responsible for the ending but we get to laugh and shudder and sigh and fall in love and all that good stuff for a couple of hours.
    They talk about “settling to something.” I can’t even settle to sleep. If I could, I would – then maybe I’d be able to settle to something else. Sometimes cleaning the kitchen actually helps – something with edges, beginnings and ends.
    but a movie would be better.

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  32. So many cute and loveable faces. It’s amazing to me how you can still make them look adorable before they even have eyes. How is that possible? You’re just too good! It’ll be lovely to see them finished, but it’s a treat to see them in progress too.
    S x

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  34. Blimey, you have been busy even if the animals are currently “body-less”!!
    Glad the children are settling OK into school – W seems to be really enjoying senior school too….
    S x

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  35. It is the rabbit with different coloured ears which I adore!
    I have the flitty feeling too, here in the north of England it has been very windy. I always think that unsettles one. Things are scurrying around in the air and all is russeling (can’t spell that). Also the leaves on the trees are hankering for a change and that comes throught to us too.
    Am new follower on F/B await inventive animal bodies with interest!

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  36. oh, I must have lost my mind recently because I had a tear in my eye and a catch in my throat at the sight of those sweet little heads n faces. They re so adorable.

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  40. I think it is the time of the year , I feel distracted at the moment , my head is full of fabric for baby quilts and patterns for baby cardigans . But I love the Autumn misty days that become sunny days a d crisp clean air , I god I am getting poetical .Love the new animals , looking forward to seeing all the lovely clothes . x Chris

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  43. Your new heads look adorable! And I love your new crochet project that I spotted on Ravelry – I’m very tempted to join you in “one a day” but I know I’ll never keep up. Lucy xx

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  44. Too cute, Julie!
    Incidently, as a child I used to have a cat that would bring back the heads of any small creature he had caught (and eaten) as part trophy/part gift to us. He’d leave the poor mouse’s or rabbit’s heads in the cupboard under the stairs sat just like your photo. My mum would go to fetch the vacuum from the same cupboard and her shrieks would be heard throughout the whole neighbourhood (not too mention her cursing the cat!)
    Pen x

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  45. You know, there really must be something in the air because I too am having a hard time. The Native’s are gone all day to school and you’d think I’d have time to sit and knit or pick my toes……. but I just flit from one thing to the next accomplishing nothing!
    So glad to hear that Toby is settling in nicely. Change is hard and nail biting worrisome. A huge sigh of relief.
    I look forward to seeing what new projects you are working on!!

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  47. I don’t know how you can do just the heads first – that would worry me having them all staring at me accusingly, waiting for their bodies! That display does look a little like the trophies of a serial toy murderer!
    Hope you get back into some sort of routine soon and able to settle once more – it’s always weird after the relaxed summer to get back to ‘normal’.

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  50. I think it must be the time of year. I’ve got so much preparation to get done over the next week yet I seem to flit from one thing to another and end up achieving nothing. The animal heads look great all piled up together in the bowl.

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  52. As always Julie, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
    I just love that little honey bunny in the middle of the plate. 🙂
    You really don’t want to know how many things I have on the go at the moment!!!
    Vivienne x

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  54. Cute as ever, although there is something faintly disturbing about all those heads in baskets and on the shelves! Can’t wait to see them when they are finished.
    Dawn xx
    PS I think it’s the time of year – I too have been flitting from this project to that one and so far have half a sock still to knit plus three-quarters of a cushion cover. Sigh!!

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  55. If (when) I have a baby, I would love to commission a rabbit from you. Very much actually. They’re beautiful and I love them. Andy loves your knitted elephants so perhaps we would have to commission two knitted friends.
    xxxx love Heather

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  56. I too have had serious startitis in the past few weeks. Some things will make it and some things won’t now that I have made peace with frogging. Interesting to see that you make all the heads first, so technically you have 28+ WIPs.That makes me feel so much better!

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  57. Glad to hear that your two are settled back into school well. I am sure you will settle down in time too. Those heads all lined up on the bookshelf are just gorgeous and can’t wait to see them complete.
    xx

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  58. We are going into spring on this side of the world and I am feeling I need a new project too! I always enjoy reading your blog and looking at your very cute animals, even without their bodies (yet).

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  59. I just love that bowl full of heads! I can totally understand you knitting the heads first as that gives them their character, all ready for body and clothes when the time comes :o)
    xx

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