The Nibbles & a gift for you 🎁

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Dear knitters and animals lovers,

I’d have a lot to tell about this new family of four long-ears siblings (I could talk way too long about all my animals friends in general !). But December starts to feel very busy for all of us trying to be in time for everything. So i’ll try to keep it as small as these little ones are and I hope it will offer you a relaxing and playful digression.

First of all, the Nibbles are tiny : 13 cm or a bit more than 5 inches, not more than 15 g of wool (if knitted in fingering weight yarn). They can fit in your pocket, in your hand, or close to your ear on the pillow, working as the sweetest worry dolls. They’re perfect to settle in a doll house, or to come along with their human anywhere they’ll be needed as loving lucky mascots.

They entered in my life as workshop assistants. The best ones i could have dreamt about. Coming with me each time i was traveling to teach how to knit small animals, all in one piece, with no seams at all and a lot of love.

They have an extended capsule wardrobe (is it a bit antinomic ?) : each member of the family has its own outfit and they also all have hats, and scarves. They can mix & match everything, which makes a lot of possibilities for you to have fun making them, should you knit a whole fluffle for your dear ones. And of course, everything is included in the pattern.

They are made of a wonderful wool named Close, crafted by Saskia from Ovis et cetera and spun in John Arbon textiles mill. The perfect balance between rustic and soft, the perfect amount of hairyness. This is for their fur. They are dressed with Igneae, a lovely mix of wool, ramie and silk, that makes Saskia’s colors sing. Please note that at the moment, Saskia paused her shop as she is recovering from surgery. This is why for now i’m encouraging you to go for your own selection of wool should you also want tiny bunnies in your life 🥕, and this is something you can do with all my characters who are very stash and leftovers friendly. However I wanted to mention Saskia because she is a very inspiring collaborator, whether for the Nibbles or, before them, Bunny Odile and Nanna the lady duck. Moreover, you might be a lucky knitter still having some of her wool in stash ! And if not, you can knit this little bunch of bunnies in any wool you like, since they’re very easy going little critters.

Go for fingering weight yarn as I did, or grab any yarn you love, and you’re good to go !

As for all my patterns, the knitting process is fully seamless, and the instructions very detailed. You’re taken by the hand, stitch after stitch, for a flowing and playful experience.

You don’t need to be an expert knitter, the only thing you must be familiar with is how to knit very small circumferences in the round, small as the thumb of a mitten, whatever your favorite method is : a long circular for magic loop, a set of double pointed needles or a set of three flexible double pointed needles. It’s much easier than it seems.

If thin yarn and small needles are not your thing, you don’t have to stick to this scale. You can wrap up a little Nibble in about any yarn of your choice and accordingly go for a size of needle that suits you better. Only the size of your woolly friend will change. I just finished one not-so-little bunny using an aran weight yarn held together with a strand of mohair, knitting with 4.5 mm (US 7) needles. I’m getting a proper cuddly toy, allowing me to tick the box of the “surprise plush” line on my youngest daughter’s Christmas gifts wishlist.

If you have a little wish burning inside to knit an animal, but at the same time, have some doubts about whether it is for you or not : I would like to encourage you to give it a try ! Trust you, grab the pattern and join me on this joyful adventure (and don’t forget to look for a discount code at the end of this letter 💌)

A fun fact

While thinking about what i would tell you about the Nibbles, I realized what this little bunch of bunnies also tells about me :

My sign is the rabbit 🐇

I’m never in time with the seasons, which leads me to send tiny bunnies travel the world for Christmas rather than for Easter (but i knitted hats and scarves for them, so maybe i’m forgiven).

I have an admiration for Beatrix Potter and I can truly relate to the love she infuses in her own little bunnies.

I love garments with a lot of ease.

My kids are four, two boys and two girls, with the last little one much smaller than her siblings, just like Elton, Olé, Olga and Coco.

And a delightful story

I’m inviting you to pop over Wild and Woolly website, where Anna’s exquisite piece of writing brings us in the middle of a moment in the Nibbles’ life, where they (and we) get to know their ancestors a bit better, around auntie Odile and her marvelous family album. I loved this story, it put a smile on my face from the first word to the last. Have a read, you won’t regret !

Of course, I would have loved to keep the Nibbles as teaching assistants, but i knew they had an incredible potential of spreading joy wherever they would jump ! Since they left the burrow, i already got so much wonderful news.

The Nibbles from London settled in the most cozy burrow ever, with the help of Anna at Wild & Woolly shop. Can you imagine a better place to spend the holidays ?

The Nibbles from Cholet spend a lot of time at the market with the team from La boite à Moutons, where their little nose, whiskers and ears can’t stop shivering because of all the delightful smells and intriguing sounds all around.

The Nibbles from Auckland settled their own little yarn shop within Loopine Wool Co, with tiny samples and everything, where they’re ready to advise knitters on what is best to knit tiny bunnies !

The Nibbles from Alsace make the most of the festive season at the Christmas market with Andrea from Laines and Co. I’ve been told they have a little soft spot for hot wine !

A little reminder that the Nibbles Knit Along is running until the end of the year.

You can read about it here and join the chat there. It’s such a nice knit along, for which i’ve been joined by Loopine Wool Co, Wild & Woolly, La boite à moutons, Maison Bonpoil, and Laines and co, for extra fun and wonderwoolly propositions to knit the Nibbles. Thank you to the greatest partners in crime !

For the first time in my designing journey, i carved out the time to have some little friends ready to offer for Christmas, and it’s due to the power of knitting along with a very friendly group. There is still time to join us if you wish to. Maybe it’s a bit short to be on time for Christmas eve, and it would be a shame to be under a hurry-up pressure to knit a little animal, but you’d have plenty of time to be done by the end of the year 🥳. Have a look and feel free to join us.

Before I go, I’m very happy to offer you a 20 % off discount code (WISH2024)

You can use it from now until December 26th, on all my self published patterns either as a Christmas gift or as a post Christmas treat to quietly knit after the whirlwind of the holidays has calmed down. Enter the code WISH2024 at checkout on my Ravelry & Payhip stores.

Myrtil Bear, Sadie Souris, Tsutsu Bear, Merri Molly, The Nibbles, Didi Molly, Bunny Odile, Jodie Turtle, Winston Leon

Wishing you a very happy knitting !

Cinthia xx