Herding Cats Done!!

I finished it and I love it! I could say it took me months and months, which it did, but the truth is weeks would go by and I would not work on it. It was a very fun project to work on. It is double knitted so a cat that appears white on one side is black on the other. It is easy to see this by looking at the cat at the very bottom of the scarf. I use the same method when making my potholders. 

This pattern was designed by Lisa Hannan Fox, and you can purchase it on Ravelry at www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/herding-cats-scarf. It is really a deal at $6.99. 

I can't wait for the weather to get cold so I can wear it every day!!

My Wookie - update

Update: Wookie passed away on August 27. She died peacefully in my arms. I am crushed and broken-hearted. She was a very special cat, and she was very loved.

I will be losing my Wookie, and my heart is breaking. Wookie is a 9-year-old tortie with the most beautiful light green eyes. She is suffering from kidney failure. She is still eating and drinking, and seems to be in no pain, so we are going to just love her until the end. It may be days, or weeks, or even months. There is no way to know when. 

Wookie is a magic cat. During her lifetime with us, I have had three surgeries: two for female reasons ending with a hysterectomy, and the third was a compound fracture of my right leg. For the female problems, Wookie would lay her chin on my stomach and purr. Then last year, I broke my leg in six places by falling down some stairs on vacation and needing surgery. Once I got home from the hospital and was bed-ridden, Wookie took care of me. She would lay her head on the broken leg through the cast and purring for days on end. I rarely needed pain killers. I swear she was healing my injuries with her purring.

Wookie is truly my kitty. She rarely leaves my side. She is so affectionate and loving; I just don't know what I will do without her. I will still have my black kitty Omi, but it will hurt so bad. 

She has helped me through pain, but she will not be able to help me through the pain of losing her. 

 

 

Surprise Cat

 This little kitty is so cute whether black or blue! Kinda looks like she was startled.

Kitty cat potholder

 You probably already know I love cats and I never pause to knit a cat pattern. Once again, this is double knitting, which I really love doing. It makes me pay attention. 

I would to give credit for this pattern but I got it on Pinterest and it was in an Oriental language. Anyway, if you go to Pinterest and search for 'Cat face" you can find it.

Isn't she cute?

Kitty Potholder Free Pattern

 

 This is another double knitting pattern of a cat. I use cotton yarn in contrasting colors. I put markers every 10 stitches to help keep the pattern straight.

I use size 5 needle. I add two stitches on each side and two rows on the top and bottom and knit those in a contrasting color. Probably going to have make a few more of these. The chart is 32 stitches so add four stitches for a total of 36 stitches

For instructions on double knitting, use this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQKZR-2TwCA.

Wookie and Omi Forever in a Potholder - Free Pattern

 I adore my kitties and now they pictured on a potholder!

 

Omi with her yellow eyes.

Wookie with her green eyes (her eyes didn't show up very well).

This is a Ravelry pattern called Cat Playtime. It is done in double knitting, which I love doing. You can 

find the pattern at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cat-playtime-potholder 

Life with Cats

 I was making a yarn basket but things do not always go as planned. This basket uses yarn scraps. Using a large crochet hook, I hold five yarns together. When one of the yarns runs out, you just add another. You can make it as large and tall as you want.

However, Wookie decided the basket is for her. She didn't even wait for me to finish it before trying it out. Both the basket and Wookie are on my lap.

Guess I'll have to make another basket for my yarn.

Even Omi wants a basket.

Cats on Christmas Eve

 

Trying double knit -- oh boy!

 I have been knitting since I was about 4. My mother and grandmother would spend afternoons knitting while talking and planning. I grew up on a farm and only had brothers, so I would watch them instead of playing cops and robbers with them. They finally decided I needed to learn and taught me. I honestly don't remember any of this. I just always knew how to knit. My first grade teacher had to explain to me that the K and P in the alphabet were not pronounced "knit" and "purl." It was too long ago to try to make comments about "yo."

I didn't play with dolls, but I did knit clothes for them. If I wanted to play with something, I had about 100 cats outside who wanted my attention. 

My point is that I am a very experienced knitted. But every now and then, I tried something new. This time, it is double knitting. I made these fingerless gloves and gave them away as gifts. But I can't believe I didn't turn them inside out and take a picture of the reverse! Guess I am going to have to make some more. The spots around the top and bottom are supposed to be paw prints, but it didn't quite work out so well. That's why I changed it to a heart border on the next pair.

These are the kitty gloves. I made a puppy one and will post that in the next few days.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cheshire-cat-mitts-2

Kitty Cuffs

Once again, my love of cats and fingerless gloves combine. This pattern is also from Cat Knit (See post of November 20, 2022). I wish I would have used a darker color for the cats on the cuffs, but it still beautiful and comfortable. I used Woolike yarn from Loops and Threads. 

 

 

Kitty Escher-ish Cowl

This is now my favorite cowl. It is from the book Cat Knits which (of course) I got from the library. In fact, I am wearing it right now because it fairly cold these days. Since I love the cold weather, it is perfect for me. The cowl reminds me of the artist Esher with the interlocking kitty faces.

After all, you can never have too many cats!

Gotta talk about my cats

 

I am crazy about my kitties. This is Wookie (the tortie) and Omi (the black one).

Wookie has the most beautiful soft green eyes, and she is my magic cat. I'll tell that story later. 

Omi have bright yellow eyes and the softest fur you have ever felt. We got them at the same time from the Denver Cat Cafe about five years ago, and they have been the most joyful part of our days. They got us through the quarantine and are the greatest cats ever. I will post more stories about them in future posts.

Sleepy kitties hat

 I took the kitty motif from the book Wild Mittens, Unruly Socks, and put it on the brim of my Lorne hat (Free pattern posted on January 16, 2021). The only problems is that I should have used bigger needles because it is a little too snug due to the stranding. I will probably knit another one for me and give this one away.

I got this book at the library too, but there were so many patterns and motifs in it that I ended up purchasing it. Great investment. Stay tuned for more projects from this book.

Purple Kitties

 No, I didn't dye my own kitties. They are still black and tortoiseshell. 

However I made a baby hat in lavender with purple kitties on the brim. Once again, I had to work the design from the top down instead of the bottom up. 

Also the first picture is the true color, not the second one. I should retake the picture with the flash, but I have a cat on my lap right now, so I can't move for an hour or two.

The Wild Turkey Visit -- not the kind you drink

Here is the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, we have wild turkeys. They often hang out at our house because we don't have dogs. (No one is barking at them).

We have curious kitties trying to figure out what these big birdies are. Wookie and Omi will chatter at birds in the bird feeder, but they seem oddly silent while watching this gigantic sparrows. 

Wookie decides to keep quiet and just watch.

Turkeys will often perch in the trees. This is right outside our deck. 

(In fact, it is taken from inside the house.

By the way, a group of wild turkeys is called a rafter.

Omi is watching very carefully.

I am in my kitchen taking this from the window.

This turkey is about 10 feet from me.

Also, turkeys can fly, but only for short distances, 

usually just to get into a tree.

We counted 15 birds in this rafter of turkeys.