A Bucket Hat to Honor my Wookie

The yarn I used for this bucket hat is the same colors as my sweet Wookie who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last August. I still miss her every day

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What a Good Stretch!

This potholder is in honor of our wonderful black kitty Omi. She still misses our kitty Wookie (oh, so do I) so she is more affectionate now. She is in my lap right now, and will stay there until I move her. 

 

 

Back to one cat

Our cat Omi did not like our new kitten Harlee. It was getting so bad that we were afraid of severe injury of this precious little kitty. Although Omi bounded with Wookie for 8 years, apparently that was a one-cat relationship. After six weeks of keeping them separated with no softening, we made the sad and difficult decision to return Harlee to the shelter. I knew she would be adopted quickly whereas we couldn't give us our Omi. This potholder is a tribute to my Harlee.

So I have lost two kitties in less than two months. Wookie passed away and we had to give Harlee back. I have shed so many tears over kitties in this time. The good news is that Harlee was adopted within one hour of becoming available at the shelter, and she is safely at her new home. 

The other good news is that our sweet and affectionate Omi has returned. We were always surprised that Omi reacted so viciously to a kitten. We got another cat because we thought she missed Wookie. I think she did miss Wookie, but she didn't want to replace her. So Omi is now an only cat. She is very, very clingy now too. We love our Omi, but I miss my Harlee too. It is so easy to fall in love in only six weeks.

Wookie and Omi

Omi now alone

Meet Harlequin, our new kitten!

It is time to meet Harlequin. She is a sweet, affectionate, loving, playful 6-month old kitten. We got her earlier this week. I have a story about my tortoiseshell Wookie and how she led to my new Tabby. I told the story of loving and losing Wookie on the August 27 post on this blog so you can see how special she was.

I like to believe that cats have supernatural abilities and Wookie seemed to have more than most kitties. A couple of weeks after she passed in my arms, she came to me in a dream. Her message was that it was time to move on and get another kitty. Our other kitty Omi was grieving and not eating much. And she told me the name of the new kitty was to be Harlequin. Where that name came from is a mystery. I hadn’t recently read it or heard it anyway, nor do I read romance novels (only mysteries; someone has to die in the first 30 pages or I don't want to read it). I told my husband Ken, and he said, “Good! Let’s go find her."

So meet Harlequin. When we saw her at the shelter, she reacted to us immediately as if she knew we were coming. We were not intending to get a kitten, but she grabbed Ken's arm as we walked by and then leaned into my hand as I patted her. I know she was sent by Wookie. So now, Wookie's work here is done but she will always be with me and never be forgotten.

Oh, and I was informed by Harlequin that she wants her nickname to be Harla, not Harley or Quinn. I guess the supernatural abilities will continue with Harla.

Now for some really weird signs that Harla was meant to come to our house. Back on June 23, I posted a small wall hanging of a tabby face that I knitted. At that time, Wookie wasn't sick and there was no hint that we would have a tabby in our house a couple of month later. Even the markings on the head are similar! Now you know why I believe cats are supernatural?

Here are some more pictures of our Harlequin aka Harla.

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.