Cat Fur Garments

I took some new photos of my cat fur spinning and knitting experiments from years ago. Above you see the cat fur spun on my spindle (I find it easier to use a spindle), plied, and knitted up in a scarf (top) and mittens.



These mittens are brown but actually the fur came from a black Persian cat I had named Pumpkin. Her fur was wonderful to spin - it could be up to 5 inches long on her tail and it had a crimp in it.



This scarf is a mixture of fur from Pumpkin and my Himalayan cat Bosco. Bosco's fur was almost as long as Pumpkin's but extremely straight and slippery. It was so slippery it was difficult to spin by itself so I mixed it with Pumpkin's fur for this stockinette scarf. The combo of furs always makes me laugh because they hated each other's guts in real life but now they're together for eternity.



I made some simple mittens with a folded cuff and peasant thumb with Pumpkin's fur. These have felted over the years but they are very soft and extremely warm.

Spin-Off Entrelac Socks

Here are the Spin-Off entrelac socks done in handspun Kool Aid and Easter egg dyed yarns in 10 different colors. They were fun to do but they are most significant because they are the first socks I've knit in years. I guess I just got burnt out on socks.

Still plugging along on all that K1P1 ribbing and trying not to spend too much money on knitting books. So far in the past month I've purchased Folk Vests and the Anne Feitelson Fair Isle book and The Children's Collection by Alice Starmore. I'm pretty bad about knitting books and always have a few more I want. I think I'll get the Ron Schweitzer books next - at least Postcards from Shetland and Appalachian Portraits.

Colorful Kin Cap

Thanks for all the nice comments I've received on this blog, especially from some of my Norgi knitting role models like Wendy & Geane.

I doubt I will achieve all my 2003 fiber goals (I may not even START Kashmir since it is last on the list of sweaters to do) but setting goals does seem to spur me on to finish more stuff.


I don't have too many items I've both spun and knit but here is one. It is the "Colorful Kin Cap" from an old issue of Interweave Knits. I found the four colors of dyed Australian wool as roving in my LYS, Village Wools (one of the BEST LYS's there is!). I spun it into a 2 ply yarn. The hat is for DH but it has inspired many people to ask for a hat of their own. I made one other but in commercial yarn. I'm not sure the colors are coming out as brilliantly as they do in real life but I really like them. Normally I am not too capable at choosing lots of colors to go together and I ask DH to do it. My knitting friend Jeanette is excellent at choosing colors and I should ask her advice more often.