Playing with the Cat

Just so no one thinks poor Unsuspecting Cat's life is nothing but harassment . . .

Her favorite chair is the green chair. She thinks it is her chair. My dear son does not disagree, but the green chair is also the video game chair. (It's closest to the television, and it swivels around to face it.) So if Unsuspecting Cat is already in "her" chair when he wants to play, he won't move her -- he'll squeeze in and share the chair with her:













She likes to snuggle.

afghans for Afghans baby blanket - wip

I've been working on a baby blanket for the afghans for Afghans Mother's Day Campaign for Newborns. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to finish it in time for this shipment. It was a bit ambitious: this is my first large crochet project, and, as it turns out, I crochet very slowly. What I have learned is that I need at least a month for a crochet project of this scale. (I knew this about knitting; don't ask me why I thought crochet would be different . . . )

Because this cause is important to me I did make a donation, and I'm going to keep working on the blanket so it will be ready for the next shipment.


WIP photo of baby blanket before adding first green stripe. (By now I am half way done with the first green stripe.)


Craft Info:
Date started: May 4, 2008
Made for: afghans for Afghans, Mother's Day Campaign for Newborns (will not be ready for this campaign)
Blanket requirements: at least 40” by 30”; wool (or other animal fiber); not white or very light colors (bright and colorful encouraged); dense (warm) fabric, not lacy or airy.

Pattern: Bev's Baby Ripple Afghan (with modifications: ch 182 to start; make 2 additional repeats of ripple pattern)
Hook: G
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool (worsted weight)
Colors: Pearl Gray, Sage

Notes:

• I plan to crochet wide stripes (finishing a skein and then changing color). I think the stripe pattern will be gray-green-gray-green-gray, but I’m new enough to crochet that I’m not positive. (That is, it may end up more or fewer stripes/skeins at the target length.)


• I plan to add a ruffle border around the blanket in gray and green. I'm not sure yet what color pattern I will use for that.

May 26, 2008: ETA:

By now (May 26), I am almost ready to add the next gray stripe, so it's coming along. Now that I am not working to meet the previous deadline, the blanket is slotted in among the other crafts I am doing. There is no update on the afghans for Afghans web site about a new deadline, but I will keep checking.

These photos were taken on May 13, shortly after I added the first green stripe, with the blanket wrapped around the green ball of yarn, because I thought it was pretty:

Unsuspecting Cat and the New Hat

This is Unsuspecting Cat:



Unsuspecting Cat suspects nothing, but I have been busy. (She is also known as Should Know Better By Now Cat.) What have I been busy doing? Just look:

Unsuspecting Cat has a new hat:

(Note from Unsuspecting Cat: "Does. Not. Want.")

More pictures:









Crown detail:



Button detail:



As recommended, the fit is loose (the cat is asleep, the hat is falling off):



And Unsuspecting Cat is finally free:




Craft Info:

Date made: April 28, 2008
Made for: Unsuspecting Cat
Occasion: Because good is dumb.

Pattern: How to Crochet a Cat Hat (with modifications)
Hook: G
Yarn: Lion Brand "Vanna's Choice" acrylic
Color: Linen (gray)
Weight: Worsted
Other materials: Vintage button (salmon pink)

Total crafting time: About an hour
Total wearing time: Also about an hour


Important Note:

The lovely afghan was made by my MIL.