Crochet for your Cat ~ That won't make him hate you.

We've all seen it, someone learns how to crochet clothing like items, and decides to take it out on their furry friend. There are pictures all over the internet of mad angry cats wearing sweaters, hoodies, and any number of hats. 

Way back in early 2012 I pointed out the oddity that yarn people are usually cat people. And this seems to be the natural progression for someone who loves to create with yarn, and loves their cat. BUT NOT TODAY. I'm here to tell you that you can create things your cat will LOVE, without putting him through public humiliation (or giving him a reason to hate you). 

First. Does your kitty wear a collar? (Like all good kitties should?)
Then you should spice up your kitty's style with a brand new Bowtie!!  It increases your cat's style points by 50 (because bowties are cool). It attatches directly to his existing collar which means it's not constricting any part of his body.

Gus Gus loves his!

Doesn't He look Dapper?

Second. Does your kitty like to get into your yarn stash? Does he have a favorite type of yarn? Why not grab some of that and make him something that's okay to play with! I'm talking about this adorable Mouse Toy. I realise that this isn't something your cat can wear, but it is a constructive way for you to release your creative yarn energy into love for your cat. This is also a great pattern if you want to try out a super easy amigurumi project. 

It's even kitty approved!

I haven't even gotten to the best part yet! If you purchace both these patterns together in my Ravelry store before May 1, you'll recieve an automatic $2 off!

For the Beginners

This is for all those beginner crochet artists out there!
I've got two (that's right, TWO) free patterns for you today. They're both super easy, and don't require anything more difficult than a dc stitch. The best part? These are awesome projects that look and work great (without making you look like a noob). 

The first pattern is one you may recognize if you've read my old posts from 2012. It first appeared last January in Baby it's Cold Outside. Here is an example and a close up of the stitch.

Example from 2012

Close up of Kelsey's Shell Scarf

It's mainly just a super simple shell stitch, but if you need help starting & finishing for a scarf you can just check out my Shell Scarf pattern! My biggest tip for anyone doing a project with shells is to always end with a half shell. If you do it this way, every row will be exactly the same (instead of having to go back and forth between two kinds of rows), AND all your turns will only be ch 1 which (in my opinion) makes the sides of the scarf look a lot better. 

The second pattern I have for you today is a dish cloth, and it's not just any dishcloth, it's an Epic Dishcloth. 

Epic Dishcloth (Folded)

I call it epic because it has a great texture for hand washing dishes and it's also easy to make. It's the perfect combination, don't you think? The best yarn to use for dishcloths is definitely Sugar'n Cream. If you choose not to use it, just make sure your yarn is 100% cotton. Why? Cotton absorbs up to 27 times it's weight in water. If you need an idea for what to do with the rest of your cotton yarn, I highly recommend one of these lovely scrubbies!

Happy Hooking!

My First Pattern!!

I wrote a pattern!!!! Can you tell I'm excited?

I'm not sure how many exactly, but I've made at least 25-30 hats in my crochet history. Over half of them have been along the same lines as far as a pattern. In fact, the first thing I ever crocheted was a hat!! I'm not sure where that particular hat is, but the majority of the hats I've made since have been an evolution of that pattern. It's not really anything like the original anymore, since I've tweaked it a bit every time I made a new one, but I'm really proud of it's most recent reincarnation. And now I'm sharing it with the world!!!

Ta-Da!!

Here's the link to download the pattern!!
I used Deborah Norville Collection Serenity Garden Yarn in Hibiscus. 

Since this is the first pattern I've written for the public, comments and feedback would be wonderful!! Happy Crocheting!