Knit Your Pet a Kitty Cat Surprise
Cats by nature are curious. Like children, many times when they encounter something they rub their face all over it. Combine this quality with a pinch of catnip and you got yourself a party! Anyone with a cat can already relate to the wackiness these loveable furballs possess. A cat can be sitting stoically in a window sill and suddenly shoot off their perch and set off on a rip through the house like their back side is on fire. Makes me wish I could get inside the head of my own little furry nut job sometimes.
Knit Up Some Entertainment for Fluffy
We have bought fresh catnip and our cat practically overdosed on it. I thought it was safe way up high on the top of the refrigerator, but was quickly proven wrong. Seems my cat knows the angles of calculus and algebra and quickly found the correct path to get up there. So the dried catnip was bought and stored in the freezer. How to present this treat? For a quick solution we stuffed some in one of our widowed nylon socks without a mate, tied a knot in it and tossed it to the cat. This worked for a little while, but the nylon sock just couldn’t hold its attention. And they certainly don’t do a thing for the décor when spread throughout the house. Imagine my excitement when I read about the Catnip bunnies on the Coffee and Cream Blog. I couldn’t wait to crank out a few of these fun toys and watch the ensuing festivities. My thanks to Coffee and Cream for sharing this simple pattern with all of us. You will need: • scraps of dk yarn (thicker yarns/larger needles would also work, but I wouldn’t go any finer for kitty toys or they’ll be too tiny) • one pair of 3.25mm (UK10, US3) needles • black embroidery thread or black yarn for eyes • white felt for the tail • toy stuffing • catnip Start by casting on 22 stitches Work 32 rows as follows – k1,slip 1 repeat to end. Make sure the first knit stitch of each row is quite tight so you don’t end up with a ladder at each side. This method creates an inside-out pouch – no seaming, woo! Break yarn leaving a good 8 inch tail and thread a needle on it ready. Carefully slip all the stitches off of the knitting needle, pinch each side and gently open up the end of the pouch. Pass the yarn through the stitches, but don’t draw it up yet. Turn right side out. Using the black embroidery thread, give bunny some eyes. I wrap a stitch 4 times with the thread for each eye. Next, give bunny a tail. An English 5p is the right size to draw around for the tail, but you can always go freehand if your circles aren’t as wonky as mine using that method. Blanket stitch to bunny’s bottom and set aside while bunny is waiting for ears. Ears – cast on 9 stitches. Work 5 rows of k1,p1 moss stitch. Row 6 – k1,p1,k1,p3tog,k1,p1,k1 Row 7 – k1,p1,k1,p1,k1,p1,k1 Row 8 – k1,p1,k3tog,p1,k1 Row 9 – k1,p1,k1,p1,k1 Row 10 – k1,p3tog,k1 Row 11 – k1,p1,k1 Row 12 – k1, k2tog, pass first stitch over Break yarn and pass it through the remaining stitch on the needle. Weave this end down through the middle of the ear. Using the cast-on tail, fold the ear in half and stitch the cast on edge together (picture shows one unfinished ear, and one finished) Make second ear as first. I find it easiest to knot both ears together at this stage Next, take a small amount of toy filling and add generous amounts of catnip. I flatten the filling out, heap catnip in the middle and then draw the edges to the middle so it doesn’t escape whilst stuffing it into bunny. Pop the filling into Bunny, and stuff the ears on top – the knot will help give something for the body to “choke” around when you pull up the threads. Draw it up as tight as possible, and add enough stitches to secure. Tada! One catnip bunny to treat your feline master with. Or make lots for your local cat’s protection shelter and spread the kitty happiness further.
