In Which the Pirate Presents Feline Friday.

August 17, 2012

Before Floyd and Kipling came to live with me, I spent a lot more of my time knitting. When I was at Pennsic and knitting pretty constantly (partly because I could do little else, but mostly for the joy of it and for something to do with my hands) I realized how I much I miss having a project going at all times. I miss finishing things. Since knitting hats and armwarmers on the plane rides I took back in January, I’ve only finished two washcloths. This is simply unacceptable.

Floyd and Kipling are going to have to be trained to leave my knitting alone. Oh, I’m not kidding myself that they’ll be able to resist the lure of an unattended project; that’s just too much temptation for a cat to bear. But while I’m knitting – I’m going to teach them to play with things other than my yarn. It’s easy enough when they’re sleeping…

…but when they’re awake, knitting becomes a little more difficult. Especially because Kipling has been super-clingy since I came home. I’ve been meaning to knit all week, but that can’t happen if he won’t be content to just be next to me on the couch. No, he wants me to be petting him. With both hands. At all times. If I take one of my hands away, like if I want to use the tv remote or eat my dinner or take a sip of scotch, he launches headfirst at the “missing” hand. As a result he’s pretty constantly dancing all over my lap and climbing up my chest and sticking his face into everything my hand is trying to do. His persistence is remarkable.

I miss knitting. I miss having a project right there (wherever “there” may be) to grab at any moment and work on. I have an empty shoebox in which I could keep a project or two tucked into the coffee table, ready for me and safe from the cats. Putting a WIP up on the mantel works well too, but I only seem to remember it after I’ve already got a cat on my lap, and then I’m hesitant to unsettle him to go get my project.

My idea is to keep a toy or two near me, and if a cat gets too interested in my knitting, I can distract him with the toy and then hope he runs after it when I throw it across the room. I could dose them up with catnip; after the initial amusement they often wander off, dazed, to have a nap somewhere quiet. How have you trained your cats to leave your yarn alone while you knit?

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2 Responses

  1. Marie/Underground Crafter says:
    August 17, 2012 at 12:25

    So cute! I started when he was young (I adopted my cat when he was 8 months old). I used to hiss at him as a training – it seemed to show him who was in charge and he would run off. I am fine with him sitting with me, even when he ends up on top of the pattern, as long as he doesn’t play with the yarn. I agree, untended projects must be hidden because the temptation is too much!

  2. Julie Rose says:
    August 21, 2012 at 20:42

    Aw, they’re such cuties! My kitties, Bucky and Cocoa, never had that much interest in my knitting when they belonged to my grandmother, but now that they’re mine, and they’re much more affectionate with me, they just want to be in my lap all the time, which makes knitting difficult and spinning absolutely comical. So far I’ve just been taking the yarn away from them and saying, “No.” I’ll have to see if it sticks!

    xo Julie
    ♥Julie Rose Sews♥

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