Meow.
Something besides Emily art today. Knitting content!
Pattern: Knitted Kitty by Lilian (warning: pattern contains profanity)
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca sportweight
Needles: #5 (3.75mm)
Bertha at http://karmakitties.com/ sent Emily a care package in December. I knew some things I wanted to send her, like Koigu, but based on her blog, everybody who sends her packages includes some kind of really beautiful thing for her toddler. I got intimidated! There were any number of things I could send, but I honestly didn’t have the time to knit something worthy. So I procrastinated and procrastinated, as I am wont to do. Finally it had gotten to the point where it was just shameful, and I had to send something. I finally abandoned my plans for sweaters and darling little original hats in favor of a very cute and easy pattern so I could get something in the mail to her already.
This was an incredibly easy pattern. You don’t even have to know how to purl. If you can knit a rectangle, you can make this cat. You make three little panels, then seam them up and stuff them. Voila. Cat.
The eyes are spare embroidery thread, and the nose is leftover pink alpaca. I’m a little concerned that I didn’t fasten them securely enough, but I trust Bertha to be able to fix them if they come undone.
I’m told that June is quite happy with the cat, so it looks like this was a good choice. I’m hapy to have a new pattern to add to my repertoire. Quick, easy, and cute – just how I like ’em!
Faster, Gartercat, Kill, Kill!
Gartercat, HA. I’m totally naming it that. She still LOVES it and asks for it all the time (“Tee tee? pretty tee tee?”)Thank you so much again!
Gartercat, HA. I’m totally naming it that. She still LOVES it and asks for it all the time (“Tee tee? pretty tee tee?”)Thank you so much again!
I think I may have to order a couple of those from you for stocking stuffers….
I think I may have to order a couple of those from you for stocking stuffers….
Thanks! Believe it or not, though, I’m already booked up for Christmas. 🙂
Thanks! Believe it or not, though, I’m already booked up for Christmas. 🙂
It was my pleasure!
It was my pleasure!
Valentine’s day gifts for my girls, then. 😉
Are they available on your website?
Valentine’s day gifts for my girls, then. 😉
Are they available on your website?
Aw, he’s so cute!
Aw, he’s so cute!
Naw. Since it’s someone else’s free pattern, I don’t think I’d feel right selling them. I could be persuaded to give them as gifts, though. 🙂
Naw. Since it’s someone else’s free pattern, I don’t think I’d feel right selling them. I could be persuaded to give them as gifts, though. 🙂
AAAAAH CRAP! You’re the other person I haven’t mailed to!
AAAAAH CRAP! You’re the other person I haven’t mailed to!
PS: Your kitty came out better than the kitty on the pattern site. ;3
PS: Your kitty came out better than the kitty on the pattern site. ;3
Oh yes, wooly yarn bits stuff!
I also think I will brave this kitty, he looks easy enough.
I have all kinds of yarn sitting around (mostly acrylic though), including some sugar and cream that he might come out neat looking with some of the variegated I have.
Oh yes, wooly yarn bits stuff!
I also think I will brave this kitty, he looks easy enough.
I have all kinds of yarn sitting around (mostly acrylic though), including some sugar and cream that he might come out neat looking with some of the variegated I have.
Okay, so I can knit the kitty but I can’t sew him together because I don’t have a yarn needle. I’ll have to go over to walmart later and pick one up.
I knew I was missing something.
Okay, so I can knit the kitty but I can’t sew him together because I don’t have a yarn needle. I’ll have to go over to walmart later and pick one up.
I knew I was missing something.
SQUEE!
I love it. Do you mind if I share your post with my friend who makes bears? She makes her bears and donates them and I wonder if kitties would be a nice change.
SQUEE!
I love it. Do you mind if I share your post with my friend who makes bears? She makes her bears and donates them and I wonder if kitties would be a nice change.
Be my guest!
Be my guest!
Hee! Thanks!
Hee! Thanks!
Thanks!
I think I will see if my sister can teach me to knit enough to make a kitty. I think she knits. She might crochet. Oh well, I’m sure my mom knits.
Or I can just make a kitty out of fleece. 🙂
Thanks!
I think I will see if my sister can teach me to knit enough to make a kitty. I think she knits. She might crochet. Oh well, I’m sure my mom knits.
Or I can just make a kitty out of fleece. 🙂
Gartercat is awesome! I must make one.
Gartercat is awesome! I must make one.
Thanks! It really was super-easy. Holler if you want some leftover polyfiberfill.
Thanks! It really was super-easy. Holler if you want some leftover polyfiberfill.
16 rows to go on my body lol. I’m slow. Not doing too badly, though!
The head will be fun, I’ve never done reductions or anything like that before.
I think I might invest in some better needles though. Any suggestions? I just have aluminum Boye ones now. Or at least that’s what they say on the top.
I do mostly cotton and acrylic yarns for now, because they tend to be cheaper and I don’t want to go buying something expensive to learn with to end up botching it lol.
So I guess, what’s a good type of needle that’ll grow with ya?
16 rows to go on my body lol. I’m slow. Not doing too badly, though!
The head will be fun, I’ve never done reductions or anything like that before.
I think I might invest in some better needles though. Any suggestions? I just have aluminum Boye ones now. Or at least that’s what they say on the top.
I do mostly cotton and acrylic yarns for now, because they tend to be cheaper and I don’t want to go buying something expensive to learn with to end up botching it lol.
So I guess, what’s a good type of needle that’ll grow with ya?
Personally, I’m not a big fan of the Boye. Something about them feels “sticky” to me. They’re a fine needle, but they’re just not for me.
If you wanted to get an all-inclusive set that would cover most of your bases at once, I’d recommend a set of interchangeable needles. They can be expensive, but when you consider thye’ll serve as pretty much any needle you need, it’s a good deal.
I’m own a Denise Interchangeable Needle set (roughly $50) and they’re very handy. I have also been impressed by the Knitpicks Options set (roughly $60). As a rule, I knit faster with metal tips like on the Knitpicks, although they can also be slipperier. There’s a wood version available for $10 more.
It’s a lot of money at once, but if you can get nine pairs of needles and cords to make circulars in all sizes for $50-60 bucks, over the long run it’s a great deal.
If you’re not wanting to drop that much at once, I’d recommend Clover bamboo needles. I also usually recommend circular over straight. You can use circulars just like straights – just pretend the two tips are two separate needles and turn them around at the end of each row. Plus circular needles curl up easier for transport, and if you want to make hats or something down the line, you’re set.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of the Boye. Something about them feels “sticky” to me. They’re a fine needle, but they’re just not for me.
If you wanted to get an all-inclusive set that would cover most of your bases at once, I’d recommend a set of interchangeable needles. They can be expensive, but when you consider thye’ll serve as pretty much any needle you need, it’s a good deal.
I’m own a Denise Interchangeable Needle set (roughly $50) and they’re very handy. I have also been impressed by the Knitpicks Options set (roughly $60). As a rule, I knit faster with metal tips like on the Knitpicks, although they can also be slipperier. There’s a wood version available for $10 more.
It’s a lot of money at once, but if you can get nine pairs of needles and cords to make circulars in all sizes for $50-60 bucks, over the long run it’s a great deal.
If you’re not wanting to drop that much at once, I’d recommend Clover bamboo needles. I also usually recommend circular over straight. You can use circulars just like straights – just pretend the two tips are two separate needles and turn them around at the end of each row. Plus circular needles curl up easier for transport, and if you want to make hats or something down the line, you’re set.
Yeah, the Boye’s have that sticky feeling for me too. I couldn’t think of how to describe it! lol.
Even when my stitched aren’t super tight (I’m still trying to figure out how to get the tension thing down, hah) it’s like the yarn doesn’t want to slide well along with the needle, and I’m having to stop every few stitches and push everything up. And every video I’ve seen, or when I’ve seen knitting on TV people just zoom right along and don’t have to do this.
I don’t think I can dump $50 on knitting needles at the moment, I’ll have to grab a couple of the Clovers and see how they do for me. I know they’re sold all over the place so they’ll be easy to find, too. I will bookmark the kits for later, though!
I’m already thinking about getting started for xmas and knitting my mom and grandma stuff. Moms always like hand made things hehe. My mom is real big into bears and my grandma is into snowmen so I was thinking of grabbing some wool, knitting some stuff up, and felting their own plushies.
Though, do you have any tutorials for felting? Or do you just like.. throw knitted things into the dryer and let them roll around in there for a while?
I also wanted to ask if once you’ve felted something, if you can pass it through the process again and it’d survive? Like if I knitted a bear, felted it, then wanted to go over it with the fiber for detail?
Thanks! You’re always so nice and helpful. I love it. No wonder you come up when people google for ‘nice lady’!
Yeah, the Boye’s have that sticky feeling for me too. I couldn’t think of how to describe it! lol.
Even when my stitched aren’t super tight (I’m still trying to figure out how to get the tension thing down, hah) it’s like the yarn doesn’t want to slide well along with the needle, and I’m having to stop every few stitches and push everything up. And every video I’ve seen, or when I’ve seen knitting on TV people just zoom right along and don’t have to do this.
I don’t think I can dump $50 on knitting needles at the moment, I’ll have to grab a couple of the Clovers and see how they do for me. I know they’re sold all over the place so they’ll be easy to find, too. I will bookmark the kits for later, though!
I’m already thinking about getting started for xmas and knitting my mom and grandma stuff. Moms always like hand made things hehe. My mom is real big into bears and my grandma is into snowmen so I was thinking of grabbing some wool, knitting some stuff up, and felting their own plushies.
Though, do you have any tutorials for felting? Or do you just like.. throw knitted things into the dryer and let them roll around in there for a while?
I also wanted to ask if once you’ve felted something, if you can pass it through the process again and it’d survive? Like if I knitted a bear, felted it, then wanted to go over it with the fiber for detail?
Thanks! You’re always so nice and helpful. I love it. No wonder you come up when people google for ‘nice lady’!
I’d lay even money that the not sliding isn’t you, it’s the needles.
For felting, you’re going to want to make sure whatever you’re using is an animal fiber, like wool. Acrylic and cotton won’t felt. Lion Brand wool is cheap and good for felting and you can find it in most big box stores that carry yarn. Also, knit loose and big, like these fuzzyfeet – the recommended needle size for the yarn is size 8, and the needles used for these are size 10 1/2. It doesn’t matter if you can see a lot of daylight between the stitches, it just gives them more room to rub against each other.
Yes, you can definitely keep felting something until it’s the size you want. If you mean can you needle-felt something onto it afterward, absolutely! That’s what I did with this bag – knitted it huge, felted it in the washing machine, then needle-felted the name “Brianna” and the circles onto it after it dried.
There are some good tutes out there, and some blogs like this one that have pictures of good and bad projects.
Felting is great, and it hides a multitude of sins in your knitting. I always recommend it as a fun project!
I’d lay even money that the not sliding isn’t you, it’s the needles.
For felting, you’re going to want to make sure whatever you’re using is an animal fiber, like wool. Acrylic and cotton won’t felt. Lion Brand wool is cheap and good for felting and you can find it in most big box stores that carry yarn. Also, knit loose and big, like these fuzzyfeet – the recommended needle size for the yarn is size 8, and the needles used for these are size 10 1/2. It doesn’t matter if you can see a lot of daylight between the stitches, it just gives them more room to rub against each other.
Yes, you can definitely keep felting something until it’s the size you want. If you mean can you needle-felt something onto it afterward, absolutely! That’s what I did with this bag – knitted it huge, felted it in the washing machine, then needle-felted the name “Brianna” and the circles onto it after it dried.
There are some good tutes out there, and some blogs like this one that have pictures of good and bad projects.
Felting is great, and it hides a multitude of sins in your knitting. I always recommend it as a fun project!
You see what you make me do lady? lol At least it’s something other than sitting and playing DR I guess haha.
I am half way through the cat’s head, where you start knitting stitches together, and after that I get to sew him all together, yay! I think with the yarn I’m using he’s going to come out tabby.
Felting sounds fun. I hate that I get excited over things like yarn haha. I’m such a dork ;3
Oh, are you going to start doing Jayne kits soon? I found out one of my good buddies is a Firefly nut.
You see what you make me do lady? lol At least it’s something other than sitting and playing DR I guess haha.
I am half way through the cat’s head, where you start knitting stitches together, and after that I get to sew him all together, yay! I think with the yarn I’m using he’s going to come out tabby.
Felting sounds fun. I hate that I get excited over things like yarn haha. I’m such a dork ;3
Oh, are you going to start doing Jayne kits soon? I found out one of my good buddies is a Firefly nut.
Yeah, I just started doing them again and haven’t updated the site yet. I got in a bunch of orange and red skeins to tide me over until the mill spins more cones.
Yeah, I just started doing them again and haven’t updated the site yet. I got in a bunch of orange and red skeins to tide me over until the mill spins more cones.
AAAAH! That’s adorable! Great job!
AAAAH! That’s adorable! Great job!