Knitted Toy Accessories & What I’m Loving Now

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Knitting Little Cotton Rabbits patterns just got a little better. Julie Williams has done it again and created a new collection of knitted toy accessories for all of us addicted to bunny-knitting.

The new knitted toy bags, baskets and backpacks from Little Cotton Rabbits are the hottest new accessories for all fashionable bunnies.

But that’s not all I’m sharing today. The mornings have turned a tad bit cool and the humidity has dropped significantly, which can mean only one thing.

IT’S FALL!

LoveCrafts

Well almost. It’s still quite warm here but the light has changed and I’ve even spotted a few leaves showing off their beautiful autumn hues.

This time of year my inspiration goes into hyperdrive and I’ve got a few things I am loving right now. And of course that means sharing it with you.

Knitted Toy Accessories

Any time Julie Williams (the amazing designer behind Little Cotton Rabbits) publishes a new pattern, I am one of the first in line.

Whether she is creating a new animal character, a set of adorable clothing or mini versions of her big toys, Julie’s designs are always gorgeous.

Check out my post: Stranded Knitting for Beginners

This set of bags, baskets and backpacks contains five separate patterns and each one has different variations to choose from.

Bags, Baskets and Backpacks

You can find the pattern here: Knitted Toy Bags, Baskets & Backpacks

I chose one of the basket patterns so that my new little bunny could carry around his favorite snack…..carrots of course.

The only thing I changed was crocheting the handles. I’m lazy and its a quick and simple way for me to get a similar look.

This post contains affiliates links and at no cost to you I may earn a teeny tiny commission if you choose to purchase them. Please know that I only recommend products I use and love! Thank you for supporting Le Petit Saint Crochet! You can read my full (and slightly boring) full disclosure here.

Yarn for Crocheted Carrots

Free crocheted carrot pattern from Jen Hayes Creations

Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

Yarn for Knitted Toy Accessories

Berroco Vintage Worsted

Little Cotton Rabbits Facebook Group

If you are a Little Cotton Rabbits fan, you must join the (relatively) new Facebook group.

There have been several Facebook groups dedicated to her designs, but this one is official and Julie is actually the moderator.

So many wonderful knitters are in the group and there’s such a positive and uplifting vibe to it all. I would love to see you all there and see your gorgeous toys too.

Here’s a link to the group: Little Cotton Rabbits Group (official)

It is a private group, so you will have to request to join.

Designer in a Binder

In other news, I am totally immersed in reclaiming my home.

Let me explain. A month ago our youngest of four children left for college. It has been an opportunity for me to take a good look at our house.

We’ve lived at this address for seventeen years and we have always had to “make do”. By American standards our home is on the smaller side and we are a larger than average family.

Most of my home was filled with hand-me-down furniture (which I still adore), but without much thought to how it would work or look in the space.

I’ve always longed to have a home that not only functions well but also looks good. For many years, I thought that meant we needed a new house and I was always on the hunt to find the “perfect” place.

Finally one day it dawned on me that what I always loved about homes I saw on Pinterest or real estate websites was that they were uncluttered, organized and beautiful.

I didn’t need more square footage to accomplish that, but I did need less stuff.

My Plan

To make that a reality, in my own home, meant I needed a plan.

I came up with:

  • Purge
  • Organize
  • Decorate

I was determined to go through each room, one by one, following the plan in the correct order.

Purge

This was by far, the most important step. I have held onto so many things because I equate “things” with people.

I couldn’t throw out a note my son scribbled on without feeling like I was throwing away him and the memories I held.

But I realized that this was exactly why I was unhappy with our house. I had to shift my mindset.

I had to use the same mentality to get rid of old math notebooks or random pieces of furniture that sat unused in my garage.

Things ≠ people or memories.

This was my mantra as I worked through each room of my house. (I only have the attic to work through now). Woohoo!

I kept handfuls of those precious mementos and placed them in labeled totes to enjoy for years to come.

Organize

This was the part I really enjoyed. I love getting things organized and for so long I tried to that without purging first.

Trying to organize when there is too much clutter is an exercise in futility. I’m so glad I finally realized it. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out simple things like this.

LoveCrafts

In the past I always organized first and then wondered why it never stayed that way.

Thankfully now I have a system when things get out of hand, which I’m sure they will again.

Decorate

While I have always loved “pretty” things, I am not a decorator.

Up until recently my style was, find something cute, buy it, put it in my house and then wonder why it didn’t look quite right.

Kaleidoscope Living

When I found Tasha from Kaleidoscope Living, I felt like I had unearthed a rare treasure.

I received her Designer in a Binder as a birthday gift from my mother and it took every bit of willpower I possessed to wait to get started until after I finished purging and organizing.

Tasha’s system for getting your home well designed is down-to-earth and accessible, both traits I need in a home decor tutor.

She breaks down each step into manageable bite sized pieces and because we had already done the difficult job of getting rid of the junk, I was ready to dive head first into decorating.

Instead of just wanting a room to be pretty, I started looking at the house as a whole and how it could all come together. I began noticing what worked and what didn’t, what needed to stay and what needed to go.

I didn’t want to spend a lot of money or do any major renovating. I just needed a plan to help me make my home feel more cohesive, while not breaking the bank.

Designer in a Binder

Designer in a Binder also helped me figure out my own style, even if it doesn’t have a name.

Now I am in love with my home for the first time ever. It is useful and functional, while also perfectly reflecting the things we love and enjoy as a family.

Don’t get me wrong. My home is far from perfect, but it is one we love. Those two concepts can happily coexist, something I didn’t know before.

I still have mauve pink countertops in my master bathroom and I don’t think that will be changing any time soon, but you know what? It’s ok.

I no longer feel daunted by thoughts of making my house a home for those I love. It is perfectly imperfect and I couldn’t be happier.

Our Rich Journey

You may think the transition from home decor to financial freedom is a bit strange.

It might be, but it does feel like a natural progression in our family’s journey from house full of little ones to adult only children.

I’ve been a big fan of budgeting for eleven years. We embarked on a journey to get control of our finances back in September of ’09, right smack dab in the middle of the financial crisis.

We weren’t in a good place and I began learning not just how to get out of debt, but how to stay out of debt.

Dave Ramsey

During that time, I found Dave Ramsey, his radio program and his Total Money Makeover book transformed our family’s future.

Fast forward to now, I still do a budget every single month without fail, but I was looking for something to get me excited about personal finances again.

Finding the Our Rich Journey YouTube Channel has been nothing but a delight. They are such an inspirational couple with an amazing story to tell.

FIRE

The couple behind Our Rich Journey, are part of the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement and they are some of the most knowledgeable folks out there.

Neither of them are financial experts but have managed to retire from their government jobs at the young ages of 37 & 39. They are an American couple who have since moved to Portugal with their two young daughters to live life to the fullest.

Give me some of that.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching their videos, give them a try. They aren’t promoting financial literacy just to keep up with the Joneses.

Just the opposite.

They don’t drive fancy cars, live in a luxury home or wear designer clothes. But they never have to work another day in their life and they teach others how to do it too.

Pretty inspiring.

What I’m Loving

I hope you enjoyed this month’s version of What I’m Loving and my review of the new Knitted Toy Accessories patterns from Little Cotton Rabbits.

Occasionally I enjoy sharing non-yarn related interests and I hope you do too.

What are you loving right now, crochet, knitting, amigurumi, or anything else? I’d love to hear about it!

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