Tortoise shell suit: Mum makes woollen cosies for reptiles

[H20]

Now that’s what you call a shell suit! These are the hilarious knitted cosies — designed just for TORTOISES.

Tortoise-lover Katie Bradley started crocheting woolly designs for her seven pet tortoises as a family joke.

But after posting pictures of the cosy critters on her tortoise blog, she was soon inundated with requests to make coats for tortoises around the globe.

The tortoises can be dressed up as sharks, pumpkins, flowers or dinosaurs.

The cosies also come with pretty patterns.

Katie, from Vancouver, USA, said: “My first cosy started out as a fun little joke. I came across a picture of a tortoise with a doily on its shell, and had a good laugh.

“I decided to take it a step further, and crocheted a few little cosies in simple designs, tried them on my tortoises, and took pictures. I posted pictures on my tortoise blog and shared them on one of the tortoise forums, and very quickly, they became popular.

“I started getting requests to make them to sell, so I listed some in my tortoise-themed Etsy shop. They started selling as fast as I could make them, so I just kept making more.

“I enjoy coming up with different designs, and have a few more up my sleeve that I haven’t started making yet.

“I found that they were really handy for spotting the tortoises quickly when I had let them out in the garden — I can see where they are immediately.”

Mum-of-two Katie, 36, now fills every spare moment with making the cover-ups.

She added: “If I can work without interruption, it takes roughly up to 40 minutes to create each suit, depending on the design.

“I love treating my pets. I rescued three of my tortoises, one of them, Norbert, was forgotten in a barn stall and wasn’t given food or water for six months before he came into my care.

“Some creature had bitten his feet, and he was terribly ill. Yet, with proper care, food, water and warmth, he is now a happy, healthy little fellow who will likely live for another 100 years.

“Tortoises are living fossils, they have survived since around the time of dinosaurs. Some say they have been around for more than 400 million years! It never ceases to amaze me how tough and well-adjusted to their environment they are.

“Their wise old eyes will follow you around with such interest when you are within view of the enclosure. I have yet to meet a person who is afraid of a tortoise, which can’t be said of most reptiles.”


LINK: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...tortoises.html

[Jess222]

Lol someone beat you to it http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/for...ad.php?t=68483

My mum could make these though if anybody wanted any haha x