Blocking

As you know, Kitten Thunder is very helpful. They love to knit. But sometimes our squares don’t end up, well, square and we need to block them.

Obi was helping me by hiding under the foam board to make sure I didn’t stick any pins all the way through.

Oliver came into the living room and discovered me working. He thought I was unsupervised and immediately rectified the situation.

As he stomped up my foam board, though, it squeaked. It squeaked the squeak of a squashed brown kitten.

Oliver high fived Obi in the face for a job well done.

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Sew Fun

I’ve been quilting all week. I’m tired of it so Kitten Thunder offered to help.

The problem is that Oliver had no legs.

And Obi prefers the sewing machine when it’s quiet and nothing is bobbing around.

I’m practically on my own here.

Yarn

It was only in the 80s today. Inspired by the cool temperatures, I decided to break out the loom and knit a scarf. It happened in small steps. I got the loom. I got the yarn. I removed the foot of peach scarf that I started, oh, 15 years ago.

There were no cats to be seen.

Finally, I started to knit.

As I wove the first row onto the nails, Obi appeared. He watched. He snuggled. He chewed on yarn as it came free from the roll.

He left as I tried to take his picture.

Oliver arrived. He allowed me to drape completed scarf over him as I worked because he wanted my lap. He also chewed on the yarn on its way to the loom.

He left as I picked up the camera.

My thumb nail hurts. As a kid, I used this loom all day and never had an issue. I think it make be time to grow up and buy a hook. I put the yarn and loom in a big bag for the night and tied it shut.

Why? Because I’m not an idiot.

Both cats have been by to try to get some yarn. They’ve worked at the bag for several minutes each before giving up on the knot. And they’ve fixed me with a glare.

Stupid Girl and her stupid thumbs.

How to Sew Curtains

Preparation

1. Read email from friend saying she needs help picking out fabric for daughter’s new princess extravaganza room. Gag a little in anticipation of princess pink, but agree to meet her at the fabric store.

2. Realize at the store that you are expected to sew the curtains. Accuse friend of leaving that part out. When she objects, tell her she is smoking pot.

3. Spend time needed to purchase supplies and lunch afterward trying to teach toddler to say, “Mom, you are smoking pot.” Think this is especially funny since, of all your friend who may have smoked the pot, this friend is least likely to have actually done so.

4. Receive sincere thanks for curtain project. Less sincere thanks for teaching children about pot.

5. Return home to find that email does, in fact, clearly ask you to sew curtains.

Set up

1. Lay fabric out on the floor. Remove brown cat.

2. Cut fabric to appropriate length. Remove grey cat.

3. Lay black out fabric on the floor. Take break for breakfast. Remove Mr. Bear.

4. Cut black out fabric to appropriate size. Wrap brown cat in fabric and gitchy gitchy him until he’s over excited and runs from the room.

Sewing

1. Lay two types of fabric together to pin them. Remove brown cat.

2. Change needle on sewing machine. Try to remember when needle broke. Do not succeed in the remembering.

3. Load the bobbin with appropriately colored thread. Look at horrified kittens on the table and realize that neither of them has ever seen a sewing machine.

4. Start sewing two pieces of fabric together. Remove grey cat.

5. Stop and move brown cat to kitty condo after 14 whacks on the nose with the bobby part on the machine.

6. Finish one edge. Decide it’s time to take a break. A long break.

7. Decide to blog about sewing curtains rather than finish the other seven seams.

And…post blog. What was I doing?

For Thunder Thursday, I bring you an LOLcat that actually made me LOL. I was researching costumes for The Boy and I; we’re going to a meme party. I was told that LOLcattiness was expected of me, given this blog. So I’m thinking…ceiling cat and basement cat?

I’m also sharing a picture of a pug loaf. I saw this and giggled like an idiot for at least two minutes. Then I laughed intermittently throughout the evening just from the memory of it.

I’m sorry, I don’t have any way to track the sources of these pictures for attribution. Hat tip to the memeiverse.

Multiple Choice

"I'm still supervising. You're doing fi-zzzzzz."

1. What wore this kitten out?
a) Thundering
b) Napping
c) Beadwork
d) Zumba class

The correct answer is c. I was restringing a necklace for a friend. Obi helped.

2. How long did it take to exhaust Obi?
a) 5 minutes
b) 10 minutes
c) 30 minutes
d) An hour

The correct answer is b. Beading is hard work.

3. Why is beading such hard work for a kitten?
a) Eating string is hard work.
b) Gagging as The Girl pulls the string back up is hard work.
c) Jumping back and forth across The Girl’s lap as she moves the bead tray is hard work.
d) Chasing two strings at once is hard work.

The answer is all of the above. In regard to a and b, Obi says that cat gut is commonly used in the manufacture of jewelry.

4. Where was Oliver during all this?
a) On the back of the couch, supervising.
b) Taking a nap.
c) Also helping.
d) Trying to start a Thunder.

Again, the answer is all of the above. Ten minutes is a long time when you multitask as well as Oli.

5. Where is Kitten Thunder now?
a) Taking a nap before bedtime.
b) In bed.
c) Helping blog.
d) Doing post-Zumba stretches.

The answer is a. They are both napping on the back of the couch. If you answered d, maybe you should start this quiz over.