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In Memoriam: Yarn Inspector Tilly

On Sunday, November 10 we said goodbye to one of our cats, Tilly. She was 17 years old and from the same litter as our other cat, Robin. We got them when we were living in Portland, OR, and they've been through a lot ever since then, moving from Portland to Kansas City for a brief stop before moving to Chicago 14 years ago.


If you follow me on Instagram, you were frequently treated to Tilly's antics - she was always in the thick of things, and had the energy of a kitten until fairly recently, when old age must have finally caught up. Ironically, she was shy around strangers and would almost always hide when people came over to our house. Working from home, I appreciated having another critter to talk to throughout the day (she was VERY talkative!).


We had a Saturday morning ritual: she would snuggle in the spot between me and the arm of the couch, and I would knit, drink tea, watch anime, and pet her every now and again as we both eased into the day. Tilly was my chief yarn and fiber inspector, and she was always nearby to supervise, no matter what I happened to be doing. Consequently I have a ton of photos of her with fiber, yarn and WIPs. I can't think of a better way to honor the memory of one of my best furry friends than sharing some of the highlights from her many years of service as the resident yarn (and fiber) inspector.

She appreciated brioche knitting...

...and had a clear preference for cashmere.

She was also a fan of crochet!

I can haz this So Faded shawl?

Hand dyed yarn = sweet kitty dreams

All about the crocheted ottoman.

I never got a chance to finish her favorite toy - she helped herself from the WIP pile.
Clearly this handwoven scarf is the proper place to play with it!

Just helping this scarf dry faster....
When your cat is the same size as your yarn....

Spent 2 years knitting a cat blanket....no regrets.

She loved to knead freshly-carded batts.

Yet another knitted pillow claimed for Tilly. This one's out of handspun yarn!


Is this comfortable?


"Helping" during the Tour de Fleece.

Keeping those batts safe.

Were you trying to weave?

Saturday morning yawnzzz
Sometimes she would reach out and touch my hand while I was knitting.
It was a very cute/effective way to get me to pet her!
In her final days, she liked to lay my desk, so I made a little bed where she could hang out and nap if she wanted to.
She spent a lot of time up here and got lots of pets.

Rest in peace my sweet little Tillygirl - and thanks for all the memories. We miss you!

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