Category: crafts & knitting

crafts & knitting · garden stuff · wildlife

Christmas tree bears & a new friend

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)11 Comments

 

This year it seems to be proving harder than ever to get organised for Christmas. I had so many things on my to do list for this week but on Monday Toby developed some snuffles, and although he has no other symptoms and isn’t unwell in himself I felt that keeping him home from college was the responsible thing to do because the current situation has us all feeling a little paranoid and extra sensitive to other peoples coughs and sneezes. Anyway, I’m going to be deleting a few of the less essential things from my list and what doesn’t get done by friday will simply have to stay undone 🙂

I have ticked one thing off my list today though and that is to upload a new and updated version of my tiny bear Christmas tree decorations. I first shared this in December 2008 and I thought it could use a make-over and a few new photos. The instructions are the same as they were and are very simple and fairly quick, if a little fiddly, to follow. If you wanted to make some of your own you can download the new copy of the file from here:  download now

And you can see all of the projects that others have made over the years (including lots of sweet adaptations) over on Ravelry.

Lastly, out in the garden I have a new friend. I am still missing Kit the fox and will never forget her frequent visits over the last 2 years, but the antics of this little squirrel definitely put a smile on my face. We’ve had plenty of squirrels in the garden before and they have all been typically skittish and wary, but this little chap is a very friendly character and follows me around the garden. I now have hazelnuts in my pocket whenever I go outside, and he politely takes each one in his little paws before scampering off to stash them somewhere – by now he must have the largest stash in the area!

 

 

 

crafts & knitting · in the woods

Preparations

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)21 Comments

 

It always seems that early December is a time of mild panic, spent trying to remember things you’ve forgotten, making lists and losing them and trying to juggle far too many different tasks. Leastways, that’s what it’s like in our household. As usual I am woefully behind in ticking off things on my ‘to-do for Christmas’ list but I have made a little progress this week with finishing off some animals for family and friends. And as an antidote to my chaotic Christmas preparations I’ve been taking myself off to the woods regularly – just to have some time alone in this peaceful place is a precious thing and I always come home with more ordered thoughts in my head.

The first winter storms have already blown through, taking most of the remaining leaves from the trees and leaving rainbows in their wakes. Dramatic sunrises signal the arrival of the next bout of wet and windy weather, that old adage ‘red sky at morning, shepherds take warning’ really does work. With most of the trees bare the forest has a kind of stark, twiggy beauty and I love the way the low winter sunlight slants through the trunks, illuminating ferns with a golden glow and casting long shadows across the forest floor.

Next week I’m planning to work on an updated layout for my little free Christmas tree bears pattern. I’ll pop back with news of that once a new version is ready to download – they only take a couple of hours to make so hopefully there will still be time to make one or two if you wish.

J x

autumn · countryside · crafts & knitting · in the woods

Out in the autumn woods

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)22 Comments

Temperatures have dropped a few notches here this week and out in the woods that has signalled the start of a co-ordinated leaf drop. As we’ve walked the woodland paths, great flurries of leaves have been whipped from the overhead branches and blown together to form deep drifts underfoot. Because there’s been very little recent rain they’re lovely and crisp and the most beautiful colours, from the light gold of silver birch, through the ochre tones of hornbeam, the copper of the sweet chestnut and burnished bronze of beech, to the dusty browns of the oaks. Toby is delighted. He kicks through the crisp leaves and uses his booted feet like small ploughs, leaving furrowed piles of leaves in his wake. Our walks take twice as long at this time of year, as he likes to double back and go through the deepest patches again. I love to see him so happy at such a simple pleasure, and we keep cosied up against the cold breezes with scarves and mittens, though we do arrive home again with wind-chilled cheeks and pinkened noses.

Throughout October and November I’ve been out in the woods on my own too, with just my camera for company and have had fun toadstool hunting. I thought that this might be a good year for them, but they’ve been a bit thin on the ground and I’ve not found any of the beautiful fairytale Amanitas at all this year. That’s half of the fun though – never knowing what you might find around the next tree stump, and I never tire of looking.

Back at home in the warm I’ve been trying to sort through the mass of ‘in progress’ animals. So far I have 4 boxes full of bits and pieces and still have more bags to sort through. It’s my mission to finish them off over the coming year and get them to new homes and I think I might have a few more giveaways over the next year. By the way, I’m still reading through all of the comments on the last giveaway – there were so many! Thank you so, so much for all of your kind words and for taking the time to comment and share what has made you happy recently – I will continue to enjoy reading through all of the comments in the coming weeks.

Well, I’m off to do a bit more sorting and to try and marry up various body parts of animals and try and remember what yarn I used so that I can make any missing pieces – not a way of working that I would recommend!

Have a good week and warmest best wishes to all my American friends for a happy Thanksgiving xx