life with a chronic disease and a really big yarn stash
Final Push Towards Christmas: Knitted Cat and Plants
Almost all of my gifts are made and in the mail on their way to their new homes. It is a huge relief to have them out the door, but I still can’t show them off until next week. Gee, it’s hard to blog when I’m spending most of my time on the Christmas making drive but I can’t show things off. Would you like to see some of my plants?
After months of care the African violet suddenly decided to bloom! About time, little guy, I was almost ready to give up on you…Five of my six orchid plants are getting ready to bloom this season too. I’ve been feeding these orchids every month, spraying them every few days to keep the humidity high, and subjected them to big swings in temperature early in the fall in an effort to encourage blooming. One is putting up four blooming stems! I think that this plant will produce white blooms, but the others will have purple and orange/gold blooms. How cheerful my sewing room will be this winter.Even one of the roses that I brought indoors for the winter has started blooming this week!
There is one big knitted gift that I can show off as I’m working on it in coolaboration with the recipient.
It’s a cat!
This knitted cat is a gift for my younger son whose cat Daxter died unexpectedly from an undetected cancer last September.
Daxter with his Christmas mouse last year. Daxter was a wonderful companion, extremely expressive and very bonded to my son. Truely an extraordinary cat! The loss has been great and there is a hole in the apartment where he used to sleep.
Ironically, I had bought some of the yarn for the knitted cat just days before Daxter’s sudden death. Shocked at the sudden turn of events, I put the yarn away for awhile, but finally took it back out two weeks ago and got started on the knitted cat as a Christmas gift for my son. It’s bittersweet for sure, but it feels good to create something that honors Daxter and acknowledges the loss.
This knitted cat is going to be almost life sized!! There is a hole in the face where the ear is going to be. MacKenzie reluctantly agreed to model the knitted cat so you get an idea of how it will look later with the ears on. The knitted fabric is created with three strands of yarn held together; I’m working with a silk-mohair lace yarn, a silk-alpaca lace yarn, and a fingering wool. The different colors in the cat are created by changing one or more strands of yarn as I work.You can see how big this cat is going to be.
I’m working like crazy on the cat now and I plan to get it done in time for Christmas. The cat’s eyes are ordered and on their way from China; hopefully they will get here in time. I have started to add some stripes and will knit in others. I can’t wait to get the ears on!! I am so impressed with the shaping and detail in this project, and I also have to say that the pattern is very straight-forward and has lots of great picture and video support. If you would like to create your own cat the pattern is Cat by Claire Garland.
Oh yeah. There is a new kitten in my son’s apartment. I hope that he likes this knitted cat too.
I weave, knit and read in Aurora, Colorado where my garden lives. I have 2 sons, a knitting daughter-in-law, a grandson and two exceptionally spoiled kittens. In 2014 I was diagnosed with a serious rare autoimmune disease called systemic sclerosis along with Sjogren's Disease and fibromyalgia.
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11 thoughts on “Final Push Towards Christmas: Knitted Cat and Plants”
I’m so sorry to hear about your son’s cat. The cat you’re knitting is amazing and will be a lovely remembrance.
The new kitty is very sweet:) What a cute face.
Your plants are lovely. I am a dud with house plants. The new kitty is a beautiful colour and your knitted cat is gorgeous. However not as gorgeous as Mac. Once again I laughed hysterically at his modelling prowess. Happy Christmas from South Australia. It was 45 degrees today (not sure of your equivalent but so hot)
I bought some grow lights arms mounted them to the inside of cheap wooden shelves… the plants started doing much better after that! My mother was fantastic with roses but mine ate struggling in the dry weather here. 45 degrees!! That is awful! I hope the heat breaks soon.
MacKenzie likes the knitted cat’s fabric and has been sleeping under it when he can. I can’t wait to get it finished. Next I’ll be knitting a MacKenzie version of the cat. That will be fun!!
I’m sorry to hear about Daxter. The new kitten looks a cutie and will hopefully like the cat you are knitting. The face of the knitted cat is already so realistic, very clever.
It is a clever pattern. I am doing the legs now and they look real! Such a gifted designer. She had a wild rabbit too that I’m thinking about knitting.
My son has another cat who was really struggling without Daxter which was one reason to get the kitten quickly. Now Maya is a little overwhelmed, but also entertained by the kitten who also sleeps with her. It’s a big transition. I hope they both will le the knitted cat.
Wow – you are working miracles with your houseplants! They are all looking great, and what a treat to have flowers inside in winter! And the knitted kitty is looking wonderful – that is a lovely gift. New kitty is adorable! Very sorry to hear about Daxter – it is always hard to lose a pet.
The houseplants are doing well! I also have a fig tree that is almost 4 feet tall that I need to repot and a palm that is doing well, but they are boring so I didn’t post pictures. I’m so happy about the blooms; perfect as it is now too cold to hang out outside. It’s all grow lights and fertilizer!
I’m so sorry for your and your son’s loss. Daxter looks like a wonderful cat. It’s great to see that a new little guy has a home for the holidays in Daxter’s honor. ❤️
He is quite the kitty, and magically is in the perfect home for him as this little guy needs lots of stimulation. It’s a win, but no tree for him as we think he would eat it. 😦
Yarn, Books & Roses 
I’m so sorry to hear about your son’s cat. The cat you’re knitting is amazing and will be a lovely remembrance.
The new kitty is very sweet:) What a cute face.
Thanks. The new kitty is a wild boy, but very smart and affectionate.
Your plants are lovely. I am a dud with house plants. The new kitty is a beautiful colour and your knitted cat is gorgeous. However not as gorgeous as Mac. Once again I laughed hysterically at his modelling prowess. Happy Christmas from South Australia. It was 45 degrees today (not sure of your equivalent but so hot)
I bought some grow lights arms mounted them to the inside of cheap wooden shelves… the plants started doing much better after that! My mother was fantastic with roses but mine ate struggling in the dry weather here. 45 degrees!! That is awful! I hope the heat breaks soon.
MacKenzie likes the knitted cat’s fabric and has been sleeping under it when he can. I can’t wait to get it finished. Next I’ll be knitting a MacKenzie version of the cat. That will be fun!!
I’m sorry to hear about Daxter. The new kitten looks a cutie and will hopefully like the cat you are knitting. The face of the knitted cat is already so realistic, very clever.
It is a clever pattern. I am doing the legs now and they look real! Such a gifted designer. She had a wild rabbit too that I’m thinking about knitting.
My son has another cat who was really struggling without Daxter which was one reason to get the kitten quickly. Now Maya is a little overwhelmed, but also entertained by the kitten who also sleeps with her. It’s a big transition. I hope they both will le the knitted cat.
Wow – you are working miracles with your houseplants! They are all looking great, and what a treat to have flowers inside in winter! And the knitted kitty is looking wonderful – that is a lovely gift. New kitty is adorable! Very sorry to hear about Daxter – it is always hard to lose a pet.
The houseplants are doing well! I also have a fig tree that is almost 4 feet tall that I need to repot and a palm that is doing well, but they are boring so I didn’t post pictures. I’m so happy about the blooms; perfect as it is now too cold to hang out outside. It’s all grow lights and fertilizer!
I’m so sorry for your and your son’s loss. Daxter looks like a wonderful cat. It’s great to see that a new little guy has a home for the holidays in Daxter’s honor. ❤️
Beautiful plants!!
He is quite the kitty, and magically is in the perfect home for him as this little guy needs lots of stimulation. It’s a win, but no tree for him as we think he would eat it. 😦