Cats cats cats

I just this morning finished the last nose on the last cat square for this blanket.  I don't like the way the eyes add dense, less flexible spots to the square, but maybe it's because I made it from Vanna's Choice acrylic and not washable wool like the original.  I wanted the recipient to be able to toss it in the washer and dryer (which you totally can with Cascade 220 Superwash), but also I already had a lot of acrylic and didn't have to buy anything but the gray and some white.  No sense making something for a fundraiser if it's not likely to get bids that cover the cost of the materials.  I know, I'm not the one getting the money, but I still like to feel that the item is valued at least as much as it cost to make.  No, we're going to leave time and effort out of that equation or nobody would ever give or sell handknits.

I laid the squares out for positioning, then took pictures to guide me as I slip-stitch them together.  Then I had to gather them up and stash them before the real cats shed all over them.  Although I'm sure they already have a healthy dose of cat hair just from being on the bed….

I also don't like the eyes I made as much as the ones in the original, but she used buttons, which could be a choking hazard (and speaking as a former long hair wearer, buttons are treacherous hair traps) so mine are crocheted circles.

At any rate, once I put these together and crochet a border, it's done and I can move on to smaller projects.  I projected this as my output for the Warm and Fuzzy Fundraiser 2015:

• 10 hats for adults and kids.  I was told "normal" hats are more popular than the kind I find interesting, so normal hats it is.  Two so far, one waiting with yarn and pattern bagged up.
• 3 pair of adult mittens/gloves/fingerless mitts (one down, skein of alpaca on deck for another)
• 3-5 pair of kids' mittens
• 4 - 6 scarves.  One done.
• 2 pair of socks.  Yarn bought, bagged up with patterns.
• 8 toys.  One alligator knitted, still to be sewn together.  Other patterns identified.
• 2 - 3 bags.  Two done, waiting for me to felt them.  Will probably crochet a basket from some Aunt Lydia's Rug Yarn I got for free - that stuff makes for sturdy construction.
• 1 raffle item - the blue beaded shawl?  A kid's project like last year's farmyard?
• 2 blankets - this cat blanket and the white crocheted baby blanket - done.
• anything else I find interesting on Knitty.com or Ravelry

In between I'll make pigs and other farm animals for my friend's farm store, and I just ordered 11 skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima fingering yarn for a summer sweater for me.  This is the softest, most wonderful cotton yarn I have ever used, but I might not have this sweater on my back until 2016.  I'm thinking this pattern, but I'm still looking.

I'm getting braces on my teeth on Tuesday, to correct the shifting that has happened in the 40-some years since the first set.  I plan to live with these teeth another couple of decades, so they can't keep going the way they are or my mouth will look like a hedge maze.  But I know I'm going to be in too much pain to chew for a while, so I'm planning a soft food menu for next week. Gluten-free, sugar-free, and texture-free.  Mmmm.  Mashed potatoes, broccoli cheese casserole, small pasta slightly overcooked, scrambled eggs, applesauce, yogurt, homemade rice mac and cheese, lentil soup.  My tastebuds won't suffer while my jaws do.

The wild raspberries in the vacant lot have flower buds, so we're on track for berries in a few weeks.  Last year I picked at least 2 pounds over the few weeks of the season - small and seedy, but very flavorful.  I froze them on cookie sheets before packing them in boxes for the freezer, and they kept very well.  I would still have some if I hadn't dropped a whole tray of frozen berries, grrrr.  The organic farm CSA I signed up for will start soon, and hopefully I can chew what they offer.

Yarnworks this afternoon, then the next one is May 20th at 7 pm.