Tag: OwlLady

It feels like it’s taken fur-ever but I am finally getting back to my old self. And, I’m not kitten here, I have actual knitting content!

Can you guess by my hiss-terical puns what it might be?

Yep, a cat, and not any cat, this is a birthday gift for OwlLady, and it’s knit to match the colouring of her old cat Taz. I used the pattern Doorstop Cat by Sue Stratford from her book ‘Knitted Cats and Kittens’. It’s a tabby cat in the pattern, but a little intarsia can turn a tabby into a tuxedo kitty.

In other news, I’ve finished my current spinning project – quite a thick yarn using natural brown fleece and all my failed nettle dye experiments and a bit of leftover beetroot and coffee fleece.

I think it’s come out pretty paw-some for my intended plans – to make a basket/bag using nalbinding to put all my viking bits in that are for display, rather than thieving other people’s table space…

There is but one small flaw in this otherwise purr-fect plan… My stash has just increased by six.

Well, seven actually as I was gifted some wool from one of the fellow vikings at our weekly meet. But I have plans that should help chip away at the stash!

Now I just need time…

Which feels somewhat im-paws-ible…

Starting total – 841

Wool used – 2
Wool bought – 2
Wool given to me – 1
Wool gifted to others – 0
Wool handspun – 6

Total – 848 (Net difference: +7)

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Not gonna lie, 2023 was a hard year. 2024 hasn’t gotten off to a purrfect start either. There’s been a death in the wider family and its very much caused us all to go to ground.

I did manage a trip up North though, and first footed Rabbies door on New Years Day. And whilst quiet, it was a good visit. Both my terrors now have their own Viking kit and I have so much hand sewing to be getting on with its purr-etty insane…but so worth it as they look so cute!!!

But hand sewing doesn’t really lend much content to the blog, which is my next point, its gonna be pretty quiet on here for a little bit. Partly due to content and partly due to the desire to hide under a blanket and try this whole new year thing again at some point in February. Maybe. March looks pretty promising…

Modified version of Kitten Mittens by Marna Gilligan from her book Cat Knits. Made to match my cowl and one day I will make the matching hat too. Purr-omise.

One thing that I will be continuing into 2024, is the puns. I have a feline that a few groans have resounded at that, but I love them, they’re just purr-fect for a little bit of humour!

In other news, poor OwlLady and Timbercat made the fatal mistake of deciding to help me organise and recount my wool stash. I don’t know who was more horrified at the sheer quantity of wool, but I unearthed a few treasures I had forgotten which I am looking forward to using. Soon hopefully. Maybe. More importantly, my total came to 30 less than what I thought I had! Some did sneak off though in OwlLadys bag…and one in Timbercats…

So with that, I shall present my new wool count totals! Stay safe, and may you have the 2024 you desire!

Starting total – 841

Wool used – 0
Wool bought – 0
Wool given to me – 0
Wool gifted to others – 0
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 841 (Net difference: 0)

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First, my apologies for not being around much again, its been a bit crazy at the moment and I’ve been juggling perhaps two or brie things more than I should…

Second, I’m going to let you in on a squeak-rat, the puns are about to get cheesy.

So, to set your mind at cheese, there is knitting in this post, promise, and its to do with Cheese Day. My workplace has a tradition where rather than a formal Christmas lunch together, we bring in cheese, crackers, meats, olives etc and, to quote, ‘Celebrate Baby Cheese-us’.

Last year I knit tiny Christmas tree decoration sized mice, this year I had the cheddar idea of knitting…

Rats! Rats! And more rats! (Free knitting pattern Flat Rat by Susan Glinert Stevens, I have converted mine to knit as one piece from the nose down).

This was un-brie-lievably fun. I got to use up loads of little scraps, as well as a few small balls of wool, and had the little squeakers running amock on actual Cheese Day.

I did try and keep my plan a squeak-rat, but ended up sharing with my Valkyries (knitting coven No2) and Rabbie requested I knit her little versions of her dairy departed pet rats Darktan and Peaches. And my friend OwlLady declared my scrap rat as Patches and hers:

It was a gouda time in all, and I am pleased to have done it. I smashed my goal of 10 rats with a whopping 17, 14 of which made it to cheese day and all of which were claimed in the name of Baby Cheesus… Next year, I think I’ll have the feta idea of aiming a bit smaller.

And with that, I bid you fair well and to stay safe!

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 59 (+6)
Wool bought – 44 (+20)
Wool given to me – 17
Wool gifted to others – 8
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 874 (Net difference: -6)

I should not be left unattended in a wool shop when there is a sale on my favourite jumper wool…

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Gourd you believe it, this is the last of the boo-tiful spooky season knits to share (until next year) with you all. All’s bats are off on guessing the theme!

This all started, out of the boo, when my friend OwlLady gave me a handful of mochimochi teeny tiny ghosts. They were fa-boo-lous by themselves, but after recieving some spook-tacular kumihimo braid from Timbercat, I just new it would need a few additions…

First of all, I enrolled my gourd-geous assistant Felix to needlefelt me some pumpkins. She’s definitely the pumpkin of my eye when she’s stabbing fleece furiously with a sharp needle… This is actually fleece dyed with beetroot from a few summers ago, and some nettle dyed fleece from last year.

Then after that, I whipped up some bats that practically flew off the needles and added them to the garland. Pattern used is a free Ravelry one, Bat by Linda Dawkins, which I have used quite a few times.

But alas, Halloween has passed and I never had the time to add more. That’s how it ghost though. Until next year. But what to knit? Cats? Witches? Witches hats? Broomsticks? Cauldrons? So many ideas!!!

Until next time, stay safe!

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 53 (+1)
Wool bought – 24
Wool given to me – 17
Wool gifted to others – 8
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 860 (Net difference: -20)

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