A Finished Sweater, With Cat Hair

After losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she was someone's cat until I realized how skittish she was around humans, plus she had a tipped ear, which is a universal sign that a feral/stray cat has been spayed. Neighbors confirmed that she was a feral kitty (descended from several generations of feral cats, in fact), and that she has survived on her wits and whatever food various residents put out for her.

We had some bitterly cold days over the winter, and I just felt so sorry for this poor kitty! I started offering her treats and slowly gained her trust. She didn't even want to come inside our apartment at first, much less let me touch her. If you surprised her or did something she didn't like (or, heaven forbid, take too long before tossing her a tread!) she would hiss at you. There were moments we didn't think this wild little kitty was going to embrace any sort of indoor living arrangement,

And now, Lulu has become a reasonably domesticated cat who loves sleeping on my lap, playing with her toys, and harassing us when she's hungry by whacking our legs when we walk by her food bowl. In fact, here's where she was hanging out as I wrote this post:

Lulu still spends plenty of time outside - as much as she cares to, because we aren't about to hold her hostage indoors - but more and more, has been coming back to our apartment for a good meal, playtime, and lots of snuggles. When the weather is gross out, she's all-in for an extended stay. If it's sunny, we know she wants to find a nice patch of grass to lay in until the sun sets. She is the master of her own fate, and we rely on her to tell us if she wants to be in or out (she's not shy). So far, it's been working fairly well. It certainly helps that she's super-smart and has learned some auditory cues such as the sound of my keys jingling or the sound of our car, not to mention she's starting to respond to her name so we can call her inside.

And because she's quite floofy and it's spring time, she's shedding EVERYWHERE...so my newly-finished sweater has a mohair-like halo thanks to Lulu. I used my Gleener cleaner to get as much off as I could before photographing, but her fur has such a long staple length that some of it is just permanently knitted into the fabric (nerd that I am, I measured several samples and they all were around 2 inches long).

While I'm rambling on about random things, this is probably a good time to mention that I originally used this yarn to knit a different pattern (Ravelry link), but it didn't quite go as planned thanks to a no-good lying swatch.

I knit the entire yoke and body of before I tried it on and decided I didn't like how it fit, so I frogged the entire thing. I wasn't feeling confident that I could fix the fit issues with my original pattern (mostly because my actual gauge of the sweater was markedly different from my original swatch), so I decided to pick something different that would work with my current gauge. There's nothing like spending several months knitting a gauge swatch, which is essentially what I did - but it was totally worth it in the end, because this sweater fits great and I know I'll wear it tons!

Pattern: New Wintermood (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Mountain Colors River Wash Sport in Raven & Blue Frost

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

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