November doesn’t have much to commend it, here in the UK. It’s cold, it’s grey, it’s aggressively dark far too soon after lunch, and it’s very, very, soggy. Our wonky old brewery home is reliably cold and damp. Sometimes the Stoic Spouse suggests we put the heating on or light a log fire as he stands there wearing his woolly hat and his two pairs of socks and his hypothermic skin tone (though to be fair, blue as a colour does rather suit him). But if we put the heating on now, who knows what decadence that’ll lead to once the winter’s chill properly sets in? And given the inadequacy of some of our walls and windows, we’d mostly be heating the garden, anyway. I’m sure several local hedgehogs would be grateful.
My solution to the cold is to knit, but you’d doubtless guessed that already.
One of the things I’ve knitted lately is a dress for the Finnish yarn company, Novita. They asked me to design a stranded dress, which ended up as the garment photographed below. Given my longstanding love for Finland and its scenery and people and culture, I didn’t need asking twice. Frankly, I barely even needed asking once. In fact they’d scarcely opened their mouths before I squealed YES PLEEEEEEASE! On reflection, they probably think that I’m a little bit weird, now.
This dress is a simple top-down yoked concoction, and the yarn is cosy and warm. The pattern is published (in Finnish) in the latest Novita magazine, but I’ll be allowed to publish the English version myself in six months’ time. That reminds me, it’s time to get on with publishing the English version of this cardigan pattern:-
Meanwhile, I’ve rediscovered my knitting/crochet mojo, which had – I confess – gone for an unsupervised wander elsewhere. Some of you will know that I’m one of the Stylecraft Blogstars, along with these talented folk. We’ve got a big themed mutual design thingy in preparation for next summer, so I’m working on my contribution to the mix. It’s all rather exciting.
You’ll hopefully understand that I can’t reveal the details of the project quite yet. But I can probably get away with posting a photo of me knitting a gauge swatch for my design whilst reclining on the acupuncturist’s couch with two hefty needles protruding from my right foot. I’ve been visiting the same acupuncturist for about 25 years and he’s well used to me pulling out a ball of yarn as he stabs me.
The finished object is going to be a lot more colourful and extravagant than this swatch, I promise. But sometimes you have to pretend to be a grownup and knit sensible gauge swatches in sensible colours.
But also, I have exciting news. News that looks a lot like this:-
To explain, there’s been a very long-running conversation in our family about getting a pet/pets/petssssss for the twinnage. To our shame, this discussion has waxed and waned, back and forth, for about half the boys’ lifetime. Many many different species have been discussed, from snakes to horses to rats. All have their disadvantages (especially horses, which were never a serious contender, much to the boys’ disappointment). Eventually we settled on cats, despite the fact that two of us are allergic, and my parents (The Twisted Seniors) are assertively anti-cat. A great deal of diplomatic work has happened behind the scenes to persuade my parents that visiting a house with cats isn’t quite akin to communing with the devil, but we got there in the end.
It’s not easy to adopt cats around here. The local shelters have an average of zero to three cats available, 2.9 of which are averse to children or to the colour green, or to Tuesdays, or to people whose surname begins with a letter in the second half of the alphabet. We’ve had a fair few false starts and unanswered emails, but at last a kind woman at the RSPCA listened to our plea for human-centric cats of any age/colour/gender/disability, and recommended two out of a litter of kittens with a penchant for snoozing on human laps. That’s how we came to meet these guys:-
Sadly, the majestic Maine Coone in the background is not up for adoption. Oh my goodness he was gorgeous though, and far too dignified to engage in any kitten shenanigans.
So, subject to a home inspection (yikes!) these two tiny trouble-makers will be ours in a few weeks’ time. This will shift the male-female ratio in our family to 5:1 which is a bit too extreme for my outnumbered liking, but two of those males will be having their boy-bits removed at the earliest opportunity. I just haven’t yet decided which two males… 😉
We’ve told the twinnage that they may each name one kitten. No firm decisions have yet been made. I strongly suspect that their names will be STOP-CLIMBING-THE-CURTAINS-YOU-PLONKER and NO-YOU-CAN’T-EAT-THE-CHARGER-CABLE, but time will tell.
Please wish me luck…
My boys had to wait until the age of 10 to have a pet, one they could look after themselves and was not long lived. I had a beloved cat as a child which was killed on the road and I couldn’t face that again. One chose a hamster, the other gerbils. 30 years and a lockdown later they are both single and one has a naughty pair of cat siblings….I call them spoilt brats! Seriously I think that caring for a pet has all sorts of advantages and I hope the grandparents are won over by the cute pair
Completely agree with you about the advantages of pets. (But I’m very sorry that you suffered such a painful pet-loss.)
I do wish you luck, because kittens, oy vey. But they will turn into sweet cats. I know, you seem like a sweet mom so absolutely will be a sweet cat mom too. I am a cat carer for umpteenth year, and take anti allergic medication for just as long. The longest time I was without cats was 8 days, and I was a sorry person in stitches. My cats have had a cat cage to go outside on the big farm, and now a cat proof garden at my town house. They are a bit more floofy than those little black rascals, all my cats have been from high Persian birth. They tolerate me. Yours will tolerate you. I bet the Twisted Seniors will be charmed of their socks by them. I wish you all the happiness cats can bring, and hope the mess will be little less than expected XD
Not for the first time of saying, thank you for every single word of your lovely comment. The luck you wish is appreciated, because I’m guessing that this pair is going to be TROUBLE. May your gorgeous Persians bring you endless smiles.
FAR OUT, Phil !!! Life goes much better with cats, I promise. Why are the Twisted Seniors so anti-mog ? When I told Boodie about that he was deeply offended, and leaped off my lap to re-charge with a snack of Royal Canin Dental, which is the sole thing in the entire world that he likes to eat. YOUR cats will be fed much more sensibly, and will indubitably learn to eat vegetables as well as other stuff. My family once had a cat whose favourite meal was cold cooked cabbage and mashed potato; and this meant someone had to leave some of her dinner, of course. Not that we didn’t eat anything else, you understand; just that Curly only got his beat-liked meal every so often. 😀
That cardigan. It breaks my brain that anyone could even design it, let alone knit it. You must be a genius. Are you a genius ? – of course you are.
The dress is, simply, sublime. Them Norwegians will love it.
How’s everything else ? Has the most recent surgical attention to your upper bod settled down and made itself at home ? – I hope so. And the foot ? – what’s with that ?!
Well. I’m moving (again) next week, so I must have my shower and get dressed and have some breakfast and Go Out And Do Stuff.
The kittens are adorable. They don’t know how lucky they’re about to be.
Oh my goodness, I hope that your move goes WELL. You’ve been through enough already.
The Twisted Seniors… Mother Twisted is allergic, and Father Twisted hates the wildlife-decimation that cats can cause. (Fair enough, as a wildlife-lover.) We’re planning indoor-only kitties so no birds/frogs/insects will be harmed in the caring for these felines.
Thank you for your knit-related kind words. You’ve made me blush. No, I am very much definitely, positively, NOT a genius.
The ‘everything else’ is improving. I had a wee wobble but I’m doing better. The boob-wound seems to be finally healing, thank goodness.
Yet again, I appreciate the kindness of your comment. May all be well with you.
Kitties 😸
I’ve never had to go and ‘get’ a cat. They just seem to turn up. Hope you have fun with then and patience 😉
Absolutely! Over the year three have found me, and there was also a ‘time share’ – all very much loved!
To both of you, I’m envious! I’ve long yearned for a cat to just appear in my children’s lives but sadly, the universe hasn’t obliged. May your own kitties bring you endless joy and love.
Our cat of many years (Mitzi) was a constant fun lover. She was an indoor kitty. One (of many) bits of fun for her was to hide in closets (ones that you have gone into, and didn’t see her sneak into, and have closed). How many times have I thought, “Where is that cat? What closets have I been in lately?” and then of course, I didn’t recall. My reward for finding her was to see her spring out of the closet I opened (it is the last place you look, of course) with such glee and a meowing comment that sounded a lot like hee! hee! hee! and dash off. I couldn’t help but laugh every time.
Uh-oh Kitties are trouble, aren’t they? Life is about to get crazy…
(Mitzi does sound gorgeous, though. Thank you for telling us about her.)
Your parents ay some round. My Dad consistently referred to many generations of cats as “varmints” until one of them picked him as his Person. Total pushover/surrender by my Dad. Congratulations!
“may” come around. Sigh.
Oh I DREAM of this happening, but realistically, probs not…
I seriously hope to be wrong.
Congratulations on your future furry additions 🙂 I would strongly recommend joining Pet Club at least for the first year of their lives. My hand reared little boy is due to have his one tiny pompom (honestly that’s what it looks like, he’s a pale creamy ginger and it’s only as big as a 5p piece) removed. Unfortunately, he has to also have an operation in his side to hunt for the missing pompom. So he and his sister who’s being snipped too will come home in kitty babygros to protect their stitches. The 10% of each op with pet club will really help + they’ll both be microchipped while conked out and have their nails clipped – both for no extra charge. Hope the Arnica helped 🙂
Thank you (very seriously) for the recommendation. Am off to have an online explore. All of this is new to us so I do appreciate more experienced folks’ wisdom.
As someone who is allergic to cats, kittens are perfect. As long as you get them when they’re young (first 4 months), you should develop a resistance to that particular cat. It’s something to do with the saliva when they learn to wash. I’m totally immune to my own cat, and still sneeze around others.
The fun will be teaching them not to chase yarn! But again, consistent distraction with other toys should work.
Oh my goodness, I had no idea that this was a ‘thing’. Thank you SO much. If this is how things pan out, then three generations of our family will be very happy at the lack of need for supplemental meds.
DH would really like to have had a cat. I have cat allergies. So no.
Eventually daughter, wanting to be a vet (at the time, age 12?) strong armed us into getting a rabbit. It would come in of an evening and watch TV, preferred sports, loved Wimbledon (only one in house that did!) even in B&W. We moved all cables, fortified the furniture, and actually, it wasn’t too bad and was quite entertaining.
But Vet’s fees sure make you grateful for the NHS!
Oh that’s adorable! May your daughter’s career thrive. She sounds exactly like my vet-cousin who for many years had a (mad but adorable) house rabbit.
The Novita dress is gorgeous! I’m still a bit wary of stranded knitting, was hoping your book would inspire me – do you have a new publisher? I love the kittens & hope they are a successful addition to your family.
Your comment about cold weather inspiring knitting over turning up the heat brought on a memory. A few years ago a nearby museum mounted an exhibition of Halston’s fashions and I attended a tour led by his niece. Apparently he enjoyed low temperatures, kept the air conditioning high in the summer and the heat low in the winter. She lived with her uncle for a time & wasn’t a fan of the cold, so he gave her a lot of cashmere clothing, some of which was on display. What a great uncle!
Oh gosh, that’s very cool!
Also, thank you re the Novita dress. My current editor has gone a little quiet. I’m going to pester a little more. If all falls apart, I’ve got a publisher here in the UK who is also interested.
Hey Phil, congrats on becoming a cat mom. I presently serve two middle aged cats that I adopted a year ago. Make sure you have lots of cat toys for your kittens to play with and try to spend time playing with them every day. A tired kitten is a good kitten and there’s less chance of them getting into trouble.
Every word of this sounds wise. But no matter how much we play with the tiny tearaways, I’m expecting BIG TROUBLE.
You’re just too funny. I’m not sure how many times I laughed out loud
Thank you. Thank you. And also, thank you. The Stoic Spouse didn’t even laugh once when he read it, so much appreciation to you for propping up my fragile ego.
I can’t wait for your Novita dress pattern to be available. Even in Finnish. Knitting is one of those universal things.
Yes, but knitting in a language you can vaguely comprehend is WAY easier.
Oooh, exciting times – you’ll be too busy chasing them around to notice the cold! We are just about to meet a potential adoptee – we are SMITTEN after 3 photographs😻. (My OH was very anti-cat until we cat-sat – he hasn’t given up asking for a cat since he met her – I’m wondering how I’ll hide all the yarn about the place).
Looking forward to your future tales…
Oh, congratulations future cat-slave! What is he/she like? Please tell EVERYTHING!
Stop feeding birds in your yard unless that is the food you want the cats to eat. As someone who has always enjoyed your bird pictures, I view this change in your life with chagrin. I hope all goes well for all beings involved.
Phil mentioned in her comment responses that they will be strictly indoor kitties so all the outdoor critters will be quite safe.
They’ll be indoor-only cats (except perhaps on a leash) so that risk won’t be there. Sadly we’ve had some new cats move in on both sides of our garden who are Very Fierce Hunters, and the bird population is suffering the consequences.
I grew up with pets, dogs and cats. Then I married a farmer and our barn had “Sucker” written on it in cat and dog. It’s always been a steady stream of pets including lab rats (our daughter brought them home) and birds along with the cats and dogs. Then wretched sub-humans dropped off unwanted pets nearby that wandered to our door for handouts. Pandora, the black Diva, actually found her way under the house and arrived by opening the panel that was used to access the plumbing under the garden (soaking) tub. This was disturbing enough, but I happened to be taking a long relaxing soak at the time. I screamed for Hubby as a black blur raced into the house. He came running in and said simply, “We have a new cat.” Thus her name. We were naming the animals after mythical gods at the time.
Some of my best knitting was infused with pet hair. The poor yarn had no choice. Love your dress. It looks like it will fit a variety of body types, that’s always a plus. You always entertain and inspire. But Boring November? We are celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday and are shoveling out of 2 feet (translation: over my knees) of snow that fell over the last few days. My workplace was closed Friday and I was as giddy as the kids to have a “snow day”. The Twinage will be sleeping with their furry friends and will be fine if the heat isn’t on yet. Thanks for the smile.
Oh my goodness your animal stories are wonderful, but it’s easy for me to say that as I’m not the person who has to care for these waifs and strays. But thank you for your kindness to critters.
Happy Thanksgiving. Yes I guess that you people across the pond have a good reason to like November. Here, it’s just a long interlude between nice-autumn and nearly-Christmas.
Beautiful, beautiful work on your knitting. Just lovely. Cute kittens too. You’ll be certain to keep us posted on their names and antics? What a nice adventure your family is embarking on. Do you ever get to knit anything for yourself? That you actually get to wear? Or is it all for spec?
Oh yes, believe me I’ll spam you with kitten updates. You’ll be begging me to stop.
Yes I do knit for myself, too. I should knit more things for other people.
Eagerly awaiting your reveal next year. And, so glad your family decided on 2 kittens. Very smart move: They’ll keep each other company and amuse the entire household. Advise you keep an eye out for a carpeted climbing structure, plus a 10×24″ cardboard scratching plank, which just sits on the floor and takes their abuse. All the best holiday happiness, for you and your family. Stay well: the H3N2 going around is wicked.
Thank you. Smart, perhaps? Or maybe they’ll gang up to completely destroy the house. Thank you for the recommendation – will have a look online.
Wishing you holiday joy too. (As for H3N2, I’ve had my flu jab at work, but am hoping that my nearest and dearest don’t catch the lurgy. May you stay well too.)
I am so impressed that the UK has the cat situation so well in hand so far as overpopulation. In the US, shelters are always overflowing with cats and kittens and are desperate for decent humans to adopt them. Enjoy the babies! Just like children, they grow up so quickly. Two of my dogs and the cat are all seniors or close to it and it seems like they were tearing around the house just yesterday (the 2 1/2 year old dog still tears around).
Aww, that’s adorable!
I’d been reading (US-based) cat threads on Ravelry LSG and as a result had the fantasy that one could rock up at a shelter and pick a cat. Little did I know. Feral cats aren’t really a thing, here.
Ahhh adorable bundles of mischief. Hope they bring you much joy and entertainment and not so much sneezing! I’m on a 5:2 boy/girl ratio in this house with the cats included. The girl cat is a lovely old dear floofball. The boy cat is just starting to mellow into adulthood but was a tiny terror in his yoof.
Aww, your kitties sound lovely!
The dress in Novita is GORGEOUS!! I love stranded color-work, and will be looking forward to the English version! I am excited that Plonker and Cable will soon be joining you. Fur-faced family members are wonderful. Sadly, I do not have any fur-faces in my flat now, but I do get to go visit my friends’ schnauzer, and hear the antics of another friend’s cats. Thank you, as usual, for sharing your wit, yarn-artistry, and humour!
Oh my goodness, you have NO IDEA how much your comment has made me smile. Also, Plonker and Cable would be the best names for kitties – I’m going to try and persuade the twinnage…
May your future involve several furry trouble-makers.
Aaawww! the kittens are so adorable… i know you will really enjoy them …. wait until they snuggle under your chin and purr …congratulations!
btw, you will have to put your yarn and needles and projects into safe very high places… if you leave them out they will quickly become cat toys! i’m speaking from experience!
best regards always,
daisy (cat lover)
Yeah, my knitting will be in severe danger. Sigh.
But thank you for such a warm-hearted comment. I DREAM of sweet kitties snoozing under my chin.
Thank you for adopting these beautiful boys,black cats struggle to be adopted so it’s great you love them. Children growing up with animals is a great thing and makes them appreciate them. Happy and annoying times ahead 🤣
Life is certainly all the richer with a pussy-cat (or two) in it! Priorities change, but only for the better! I’m official cat-less at present, but my neighbour’s ‘tubby tabby’ regularly calls by tho make sure that all is well!
Thank you both so much. Yes, I’ve heard that black cats are less adoptable, which sounds crazy to me. My sons have many faults (trust me on this) but they both said that they don’t care about age/sex/disability/colour of cat, as long as said cat is friendly and strokable. I think we’re gonna be OK with these two tiny feline trouble-makers.
My husband is a much-valued fur-faced family member. Has been for the past 41+ years. He would like a cat, but I am allergic to them. He likes the socks, jumpers, gloves, hats I knit him though.
Sending <3 for all of this.
I do wish you luck with the kittens, my friend has one and they suspect it’s part monkey and have been posting hilarious videos of it climbing the curtains and trying to swing across the curtain rail. Mine used to climb the vertical blinds and hurl themselves off and land on the sofa (mostly). I guess you are fairly south if you haven’t had your heating on yet, it’s minus temps in the Highlands now so heating is definitely on in the morning.
Yeah, I do fear that we’re in for some fairly crazily-destructive kitten shenanigans. Sigh.
As for temperature, we’re not quite in the minus figures here yet, but it’s pretty blimmin’ cold. I hope you’re surviving the proper-cold in the beautiful Highlands.
Phil – you DO know that they love yarn…don’t you ? You cannot let it lie around anymore – JUST SAYING – and they DO look adorable!
I know. It’s going to be a nightmare. A disaster. A CATastrophe. Sigh.
One more comment to the cats…my father HATED cats too – vehemently – and when i was presented to a litte grey darling and brpught it home, it was my father’s lap he wanted. He ( father) was won over there and then
Oh that warms my crusty old heart. I doubt that I’ll be saying similar things about my own father, but I live in hope…
Well done for adopting kittens! It seems to have become fiendishly difficult to adopt a pet from a shelter now.
Love the dress!
Completely agree about the difficulty of adoption these days. And thank you!
Kittens and stranded colourwork; what could possibly go wrong? 😁
It’s going to be a total and utter nightmare, isn’t it? Sigh…
Ohmegosh two of the little blighters! You will have so much fun. Just keep the yarn hidden away. And don’t let them chew your favourite needles. Fave bit of this post – Boybits and not being sure which of the household males will be going under the knife! I am the sole female in a household of 5 so I understand the hormonal imbalance! Warm hugs from snowy Canada. xx
Yeah, it’s going to be a complete nightmare, isn’t it?
Solidarity fist-bump to a fellow outnumbered female. It’s tough amongst the testosterone, isn’t it?
Snowy Canada, you say? Please please please send a little of the pretty white stuff our way. (And I hope you stay warm.)
A new post on your blog is always a great gift. Especially with kittens inside.
Thank you so much ❤️
And thank you for such a heartwarming comment. Warning: kitten spam probably incoming some time soon.
Just name them Mischief and Mayhem and be done with it then. 😉 Kittens are so much fun, especially in hindsight. Not that puppies are any better, though. Anyways, really looking forward to reading the tales you’ll have to tell once they’re coming to live with you.
A blog friend named her two black cats Chaos and Mayhem. Her blog is Stumbling Over Chaos 🙂
Ella, that’s quite tempting because it will doubtless be an accurate description.
kmkat, I LIKE the sound of your friend!
Phil,
both patterns look wonderful, although a wool dress would probably not to have a chance to be worn often in sunny California, since we also keep the house cool in winter, it may be a great layer for inside along with thermals. I may just have to make one next summer when you can release the pattern in English.
So glad to read that boob wounds are finally healing, are you able to run again?
It always makes my day/week to have a new blog post to read. The kitties will be wonderful company, mine used to sit on my lap as I knitted, so I figured those projects were extra warm with the addition of all the fur. Keeping them as indoor cats is also better for their life spans and safety of the birds you have outside, as many other people have commented.
Cheers!
Thank you so much, dssater. Also, please post a little of your Californian heat over here because right now, it’s way too cold.
Yes I’m allowed to run, and made my first attempt a few days ago. It was exactly as painful and horrid as you might expect, but I’ll persevere.
You can knit with kitties???? That sounds like utter heaven. Enjoy.
As someone who lives with three unique and wonderful felines (and a husband), I highly recommend it. Our boys are adults now, but we all love cats. Kittens are a handful, but cute and fun. As they settle into adulthood, they’re wonderful companions as well. As for your patterns, aces all the way around.
Oh your cats are beyond beautiful, especially Tessa. Please never stop posting photographs.
That rabbit was certainly a Character!
Daughter did Animal Management at ‘A’ Levels, then travelled large parts of the East and Australia, doing various jobs to support herself and others, while working out what she really wanted to do with her life.
She qualified as an SRN last year and is now working her socks off in an understaffed central London hospital. She loves it.
Your daughter sounds absolutely awesome. May she thrive in her job and in her life.
Phil, I love your articles – they make me laugh. Your knitting and crochet is exquisite xx
And I always love your kind comments. Thank you.
Congrats on the new family members! (We have three dogs and two cats.) One of the regrets of my life is that we did not get a dog sooner. Elder Son was ~11 when we got Bear the Gentle Giant Newfie-Chow-unknown hybrid. She and ES bonded so tightly! Every day when he came home from school he would hang up his backpack, grab a leash, and take Bear for a one-hour-plus walk. I have a photo taken when he came home from college for Christmas one year; he is dozing with his head on Bear and both look extremely calm and pleased.
Oh that sounds adorable! I do think it’s good for children to have pets.
Thank you, Phyll
🙂