Category: wildlife

crafts & knitting · garden stuff · spring · wildlife

blossoming time

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)14 Comments

Thank you so very much for all of the kind comments on the previous post, I am still processing the amazing win and happily my wrist seems to be completely back to normal now, so knitting is back on the menu.

After another cold snap bringing snow our way last week things have turned more spring-like here. Not much is flowering in the garden yet (the plans I had for autumn bulb planting remained as an un-ticked line on my to-do list) but the plum tree is, as usual, heralding a change in season. I know I do it every year but I can’t resist taking photos of the blossoms. They are radiant in the morning sun and at night are illuminated by the light of the moon and their delicate beauty is so short-lived that I feel the need to capture their fleeting charm before they are gone for another year.

The birds have been answering the call of their seasonal instincts by jostling for territory, paring up and becoming more vocal. These last few mornings when I’ve gone out to let the chickens out I’ve been greeted by a tuneful robin. He has a twinkle in the black bead of his eye and when he cocks his head to watch me from the tree above it seems like he is asking for some breakfast – and I’m happy to oblige with a handful of dried mealworms and sunflower hearts.  I love it when the dawn is full of birdsong, it’s an enchanting start to the day and it will build now until May, when it reaches it’s most choral.

It is nice to be knitting again and although I’m behind a self-imposed schedule I am still working on a new pattern and full steaming ahead with a finished batch of bunnies – though they won’t now be ready in time for Easter. I’ll send out an email to my mailing list when they are ready but it will be a good few weeks yet.

Lastly, but not leastly, I’m very excited to be taking over the instagram feed of Love Knitting tomorrow. If you’re on instagram pop over and say hello – I’m going to spend the day sewing together bunny bits and sharing photos as I go and it would be nice to have your company.

Thanks again for all of the congratulations and compliments on the previous post, I feel truly privileged to be on the receiving end of such kindness.

 

crafts & knitting · wildlife · winter

Where are you Spring?

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)20 Comments


When spring suddenly seems a distant dream, thanks to the arrival of bitterly cold winds and drifting snow, the best option is to snuggle and I’m doing just that. Knitting in more of these pretty spring colours helps too and I’m slowly working my way towards a little batch of spring dressed bunnies and lambs.

It has been really beautiful outside though. Unusually the snow has come in very localised showers and at times we’ve had bright sun light shining through the flurrying snow as it whispers it’s way to the ground. Thanks to the sub-zero temperatures it’s been that dry fluffy kind of snow rather than the slushy wet stuff that is more usual here and that’s created the perfect canvas for stories to be written across – stories written by the fox that trotted up the driveway in the night on silent and slender paws, circling around the car and searching for some supper, and stories from the birds who are up at dawn to begin the busy task of breakfasting, leaving a delicate trace of their dartings here and there. Finding these tracks in the morning when I go out to let the chickens out of the coop is one of my favourite things about freshly fallen snow.

Well, hope you’re keeping warm where you are and enjoying what the seasons are bringing your way. I’m off to do some more knitting and snuggling 🙂

 

autumn · countryside · crafts & knitting · in the woods · magazine features · wildlife

October ramblings

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)23 Comments

At the end of last week I went walking in a local nature reserve at Broxbourne woods where I was delighted to come across a slow worm sunbathing on the path. Although he looks very snake-like and does have a forked tongue he is actually a legless lizard (apparently his ability to blink and shed his tail make him not a snake). He was so blissed out in the patch of sunlight that I had to step over him and even though I took lots of photos of him he didn’t seem bothered by me. He’ll probably be starting his winter hibernation in the next month so I expect he’s extra bold on these last sunny, warm afternoons while he tops up his tan!

I also met a group of lovely ladies. These beautiful Red Poll cattle have been introduced to the pasture in a habitat conservation project involving legacy grazing. The Red Poll breed is native to the East of England and they certainly looked very at home and were completely relaxed about me walking through their field.

Whilst out and about I’ve been enjoying the cosy warmth of the void shawl (pattern and yarn details in link on my Ravelry project page). The yarn is really soft and comfortable to wear and the shawl is pretty flexible, looped twice or three times depending on how cold the breeze is. The pom-poms are still in place despite Toby’s attentions and I’m hoping he’ll be able to help me to make him some pom-poms of his own to play with as a distraction from playing with mine.

Back at home I’ve been finishing off patterns, starting new socks and getting winter woollies out of storage ready for wearing. I’ve also been enjoying the October issue 79 of Knit Now magazine which has an interview with me as part of the Knitter of the year awards that I won a prize in earlier in the year. The awards nominations for 2017 have just opened so if you’d like to nominate someone then head over to their page for more details.

Well, I’m off to continue with pattern writing, won’t be long now I promise – hopefully I’ll be back with news in the next post, til then keep well – there seem to be coughs and colds everywhere at the moment so fingers crossed you avoid them x