I was so excited when I received her latest book and so were my cats. Especially Corky (below) who thinks that he is the cat on the cover and decided he should "pose" with himself.
In the beginning I didn't know what I'd talk about today but decided I would review some of the projects that I have in my "queue" to make for myself, my cats, and as gifts. As an opener though I asked Donna to tell us a little about the book itself."Kitty Knits is the first knitting book entirely devoted to the funny, furry felines in our lives. Discover creative ways to knit up practical projects for kitties to love and cat-themed designs for owners to enjoy. Just like cat batting at a ball of yarn, it's a perfect match.Over 20 projects feature items for cats, their people, and their homes -- along with adorable photos of cats with their knitted treasures. Choose from toys, beds, mats, and more for cats, plus feline-inspired sweaters, hats, pillows, and bags for cat-loving knitters.Find projects in a variety of styles and skill levels, from felted designs to Fair Isle patterns."
I have only been knitting for just over a year, and there are many things I have yet to attempt. I feel that these are part of what have drawn me to the items I want to make.
The first item that caught my eye are the felted mice (seen on the cover). I have ordered the supplies online and they got lost in transit so I wasn't able to start on them for today, but will post as soon as they come in and are started. This project is rated easy and is made from the tail up. I chose the mice because first my cats went a little crazy batting at the page with them on it, but also b/c this will be my first time using dpn's (double pointed needles for you non-knitters), making i-cord, and felting. (yes, I have a lobster to felt but it will be a race to see which project gets finished first LOL) I have always wanted to try i-cord and I feel extra excited that I will be presenting my the project with said "firsts" to my babies.
The next item that I plan to make (that will also be for my kitties) is the Bulls-eye cat bed.
I chose this bed out of all the other bed options b/c it seemed to suit my cats the best. This project is rated as intermediate and is made from the sides inward to the center. I was intrigued by this pattern b/c it will be my first attempt at knitting in the round. I have used circular needles many times but always for flat items. It will also be my first experiment with multiple stranding and using stitch markers. I am looking forward to making 3 of these so my cats won't fight over them!
The next project I will review is the felted applique pillow.
"This unique pillow front is knit in intarsia color work. The leaves, branches, and berries are made separately. Everything is felted, and then the decorations are sewn on as appliques." This project is also rated as intermediate. I know someone who will love this pillow and it will totally match her furniture. I have knit using the intarsia method before. My friends can quote me saying "I will never do intarsia again for a long, long time." However this project is much smaller than the last project I did, it is only 3 colors, and is only 40 rows wide by 59 rows high that are done with all 3 colors, the rest is just 2 and is totally doable. The most intriguing part is after I felt a rectangle of color I will cut that piece to make the bird. I've never cut my knitting before so it will definitely be interesting.
The final project I will talk about today is "the cat" afghan.
Yet again I chose an item with the intermediate level. This project is awesome in so many ways. The center is a beautiful delicate lace, and then the borders have "the cat" in multiple languages. I was nervous thinking about all the intarsia that must be done to make the sides. However, I discovered that the different words are placed on the border using duplicate stitch. Donna provides excellent charts that help you know exactly where to place the stitches to make it look as beautiful as it does in the picture. Anyone with an appreciation of cats will adore this afghan.
These are just a few of the many projects in this amazing book. I'm sure at some point I will have made all of them.
In closing, I'd like to profusely thank Donna for allowing me to be a part of her tour. I will cherish this book for many, many years to come. If after reading my reviews you say I have to have this book for myself click this link to get a signed copy of this book.I hope you and your cats will derive much pleasure and some bonding experiences from making these projects.
Until next time have an awesome day,
Eileen AKA Purling Kitty
2 comments:
YAY! Like you I'm still a bit of a newbie to knitting, so I did the mice also. Was one of my first times doing icord, and my very first felting project.
I'd love to try the bed but I'm not sure I'm that adventurous! Good luck :)
Sounds like you're going to be busy learning and knitting!
I think the mice are great for learning -- they have I-cord and bobbles, but they're so small they're not scary!
Donna Druchunas
Post a Comment