Look, Cats! The All-Worfy Edition

Yeah, I have been really slacking about posting. And knititng. And, well, pretty much everything. So I'll continue to distract you by posting random pictures of my cats. Here are some collected shots of Worfy.

He's looking very pretty perched atop my Hello Kitty pillow.

It's kind of all Asian themed. The dresser is Asian style, and the fan is from Ron of Japan, pretty much the coolest teppan-yeki place in downtown Chicago.

Here he is guarding my jacket, and my clapotis.

And of course, I'm browsing ravelry in the background.

He's just kind of posing here.


And looking very concerned here.

Perhaps he's concerned about the amount of time I spend on ravelry.

But this. This might be my favorite picture of him, ever.

So. Freaking. Cute. Excuse me while I go snorgle him some more.

Bellies!

Duncan likes to show his belly. And why not? It's an extremely cute belly. I absolutely cannot resist the little speckles on it.


I love the little leopard speckles.
Fun fact: leopards are the only big cats that purr. I've heard it, and not only does it sound like a motor, it sounds like the motor of a tractor that happens to be located inside your ear. It's freaking adorable. And possibly deadly.

Really, tiny cats leave me scarred enough .

Okay, this doesn't show his belly quite as well, but I like the happy, sleepy look on his face.

Also, the effect of the giant, razor sharp claws coming at you. On the large size on flickr it's a little scary. He's a mini tiger.
Fun fact: tigers are the only big cats that don't have retractable claws.
Worfy does not show his belly quite as often, but here is a rare sighting that he does seem particularly pleased about.

It's still fun to snorgle.
He's also a little bit cross eyed, which is incredibly cute when you dangle a toy in front of his face. But it also means the light from the flash catches his eyes very differently. I've been noticing that in a few pictures I've taken of him. It's not cataracts or anything, just a cute, slightly confused look.

The Sock List

There are very few people on my sock list. Very few indeed. Hats are easy. I'll make a hat for just about anybody. Even a bag is within realm for the average friend or family member, but the sock list is short. You have to earn socks.
Socks take a long time. I read somewhere that the number of stitches in socks is about half that of a sweater. And they're usually a lot smaller than sweater yarn.
Up until now, this has been my sock list:

1. Me. (about 20 times. Okay, now I feel bad about being selfish.)
2. Mom. (twice)
3. My best friend since middle school. (once)
4. A guy I dated. (once. And we broke up the weekend I gave them to him. No more socks for boys.)
5. Babies, but they don't count because they're little.

It's not that socks aren't wonderful to knit, they totally are. They're completely and utterly addicting in ways you just don't understand until you knit and/or wear them. They're a lot of time invested, though. But since my sock drawer is pretty much overflowing at this point, I have added another person to my sock list. Also, she has earned it.


Meet Michelle. She took our office at the lab by storm last year when she moved here. She makes work a lot more interesting. And she helped me clean my house. That was my Christmas present.
I made the hat she was wearing for her for Christmas (her mom made the scarf). She wears the hat all the time, so she seems to have good appreciation for hand knits.

I don't really know why she's wearing them like earrings, but that's Michelle for you.
She's also a transplant from Texas, so even in our spring, she needs some serious insulation against the cold. That's why she got nearly-knee socks.

I did them toe up and knit till I ran out of yarn. They're nearly-knee. On me, they probably would be. Michelle has much longer legs than I do. Really, most people do.

She likes blue and purple, and wears these all the time. Really, that's a major component in getting on the sock list - intense appreciation for hand knits. Socks are a terrible thing to waste on people who don't get it.

Anyway, about the socks.

Pattern: Square toe, gusset increase heel flap, stockinette body till cuff, ended in 2x2 rib. My usual, boring, toe-up pattern. Makes a great purse project.
Yarn:Fortissima Colori Socka Color

by Schoeller and Stahl, color 9095 in blues and purples.

Needles: Size US 0, two circs
Time: A few weeks in the purse
Cost: I think about $10, I got the yarn cheap in a bag at Stitches

Look, Cats!

I'm writing up a post or two, but here are some cats to keep you company.
Here's Duncan looking pretty suspicious.

I would so cast him as a cat villain in a Disney cartoon.

Here's Worfy looking super pretty with his green eyes.

That's a gianormous crochet blanket I'm working on. It pretty much fits my queen bed and I'm still going on it. I'm using hobby store cotton, and I don't want to think about how much I've spent on it.

Here's Duncan sitting with his tail in a weird position.

Seriously, he just sat there like that for a couple of minutes. Didn't that hurt? Here's a closeup.

It's a cute stripey tail.

Here's Worfy regally surveying his kingdom.

And regally surveying his subjects (hint: that's me).

Yeah, I was home sick for a few days. When you're high on DayQuil, taking pictures of your cats is awesome.