I have cast on the Helix scarf from Spin Off magazine! I did make a modification, casting on thirty seemed very narrow, so I ripped out (only a couple rows) and cast on 50 instead. I adjusted the short rows to alternating 20 and 10. It turns out that I really like short rows, and the wrap and turn method. Izzy the cat doesn’t mind being on my lap as I knit, but Thor the cat thinks the yarn smells really good and keeps trying to take off with it, or chew on my circular needle.
The ironic thing about this photo is that I have seen both Missy the dog and Thor the cat jump higher than that gate in other situations. Our other two cats can jump over, but Thor doesn’t even try. The gate is there to keep our dogs out of the kitty litter and cat food. Now it also serves as a place for the female cats to have some time away from the playfully annoying young male cat.
I was out brushing Mr Tom the long-haired white cat, when I looked up to see his colony mate, who we call Garfield’s brother, with some very unusual coloring. I thought maybe he somehow tipped a dye pot somewhere, but no, he was sitting in the shadow of my wire deer. The iridescent plastic in the deer’s antlers cast a teal-colored shadow.
The picture is terrible, but was all I could manage. This cat is very skittish.
Our front window at our house gets the most sunlight, enough that cactus are happy. This would be a great place to start seedlings, so I ordered some hanging acrylic shelves to put in the window.
I received two sets of three shelves, and installed them centered in the right and left window panels. The idea is that it gives me more space for sunlight loving plants, and raises the plants above the windowsill so the cats too can enjoy the sunshine.
The shelves consist of formed acrylic trays, twisted-steel polymer-coated flexible cable, and tubes threaded for screws that act as stoppers. The assembly wasn’t difficult, but did take some time. Could I have made a wood and rope version? Absolutely. I like that the acrylic lets light through.
The jute rope wrapped around one of the scratching posts was really getting worn. I ordered some new 1/4” rope, then cut off the top of the old rope. The bottom portion was still in decent shape, so I stapled the old end to the back of the post (which is actually two 2×4 boards.) I then stapled the new rope on and wrapped it tightly around the wood. I cut off some of the carpet so I could take the rope higher, because I have a couple long cats. I used a heavy duty stapler designed for furniture, with 1/2” staples.
Critters and Craft 