It must be in the genes......

I think when your raising your children, you wonder if they're paying attention to anything you say (especially teenagers). Especially the one who says "I don't have to learn to knit, my mother will make it for me."
It's one thing when your knitting for small children, and you don't have a job outside the home. You can crank out a lot of child size articles.  But there comes a time when, mommy has to go to work, and her children are wearing adult size clothing.  Mother doesn't have the time do knit stuff for herself, let alone other adults in her life.
Well Boss Cat has come a long way, from that little girl, and realized that she would have to pick up the needles, if she wanted anything hand knit for herself.
So today....Mother's Day....made me realize that children do listen to their parents on some level.

This is what I received for Mother's Day.
Frozen Leaves Shawl, knit with our own Wandering Cat Slinky Cat yarn. I am honored. Thank-you Valerie, it will always be treasured.
And on that note, I also knit a shawl for my mother...
Pattern:  Springtime Bandit
Yarn:  Wandering Cat Fluffy Cat in Avalon
Needles:  4mm

This pattern is originally done with a worsted yarn, but I wanted to use the Fluffy Cat fingering, so I knit 7 repeats of the first pattern and 1 of the edge pattern and used just less than 1 skein of yarn.  I started last Sunday night and finished it this past Saturday.   Just enough time to block and dry it before I delivered it to my MOM.   (Remind me not to do that again.)

I am now returning to previous knitting projects not yet done.

Just a quick post.....

then it's back to the knitting.  Obviously, I'm not the only one who forgot Mother's Day is only a few short days away, so I promised myself I would stay off the computer and knit till the cows come home. 
I did manage to finish up my socks this weekend, and if you really want a quick pair to knit up as a gift these are the ones.

Pattern:   Duckies (free on ravelry)
Yarn:  Wandering Cat Stray Cat in Grasshopper
Needles:  3.25mm
I still have about 60 yds left from the skein, so you could make the cuff longer if you like.
Now, back to the knitting,....lets see if I can keep to my schedule.

Soft as a kitten...........

I put all of "Boss Cat's" Fluffy Cat in the  shop today. I must say she did do a good job without me, but I did notice a few splashes of dye on my brand new walls.  She'll never change. She's still a messy child.  I keep telling myself, it's just her creativity coming out, but I know in my heart, she's just plain old messy.

I will say, I love this bunch. She did 2 of each colour in semi-solids, so there's enough to do a fair sized shawl. There's Winter Wheat, Rumpelstiltskin, Pink Pearl, English Ivy, Morning Glory, Topaz and Brick House.   And seeing as she left me no Fluffy Cat to dye I did the last of the Slinky Cat.
This is Mint Julep.

 And this is Black Watch, but this one has gone into my personal stash, for a pre-planned project.

Update....

The new colours are up in the shop now.....
Slinky Cat in Marigold, Powder Puff, and Sugar Plum Fairy

Fluffy Cat in Avalon, Aurora, and Sky

There is also more Fluffy Cat drying (because someone had to be a piggy and dye it all by herself). It will be up in a few days.
We're still waiting for our shipment of Alley Cat and House Cat and as soon as it gets here we'll be back in the studio.

Impromtu.....

IMG_7978, originally uploaded by redknitz.

Boss Cat and I had an impromtu dye session this afternoon. It started off with 2 skeins to be over-dyed and then it became more. We're just waiting for our other shipment of Alley Cat and House Cat to arrive, then look out. Who knows what'll happen.

Ready to go....

Well the studio is ready to start dyeing in, now we're just waiting on our base yarns and a couple of back ordered dyes.  Boss Cat snuck in on Friday and did a few skeins of Top Cat up when I wasn't looking. They should be up in the shop as soon as I get a hold of her to get the go ahead. (I'm not sure which ones she's keeping).
Into the Deep

Jiminy Cricket

Fairy Dust

On another note, I have the baby blanket almost finished, and I started a sock in our Stray Cat Sport.  I normally knit socks with fingering weight, but I've been dying to try this base. I found the perfect pattern on ravelry....Duckies.( Did I mention it's a free pattern.)
So cast on I did, and I knit the whole cuff in one evening. And it's everything I thought it would be. Soft, squooshy and just a little thicker than I normally wear, but I wanted the warmth.

Moving in.....

we started moving in to the new studio.  It's amazing how much stuff you seem to collect over the years, and how small your room really is when you get the furniture in it.  But this will do nicely.

Mr "D" outdid himself. I think Boss Cat and I will be very comfortable here(as long as she not too messy).
I'll have some new photos tomorrow of some Top Cat that Boss Cat dyed yesterday.

And on the knitting front, I finished the scarf for Julie that will be at the Knitter's Frolic in May.

Pattern:  Barb's Koigu Ruffle 
Yarn: Prism Saki colour Ginger
Needles:  4mm

The biggest hurdle was casting on the 648sts but I put a marker at every 100 and that made it a lot easier.  The yarn was a dream to knit and it only took just over 300 yds. So a perfect one skein project.
Now I'm back to finishing the baby blanket, Julie's sweater, and fighting the urge to cast on for my new cardigan.  It never ends.

The aftermath.....

This is what happens when Boss Cat leaves me alone too long...with time on my hands.
Some new Slinky Cat Fingering:  Mystic Forest, Blue Jean Baby, and Green Eyed Lady.  I really love dyeing the greens and blues.

I took a picture in the sunlight too, and the silk content just sparkles.

Some more Stay Cat Sport:  Candy Girl, Mermaid Treasure, and  Dusk.

I just re-skeined, photographed and popped them in the shop this afternoon,  I really had a hard time photographing Dusk, it's over-dyed and has underlying shades of lavender and green and light blue, and the camera just doesn't do it justice. I may just have to knit it myself.
And on the knitting front, I have half of Julies scarf  knit and I have one more day off work, so I'm thinking if I get to it, I can have it done tomorrow.

Happy Easter....

 What more could a girl ask for....perfect weather for silly girls.....

 New books and crayons to colour with.....

And messing up Gramma's house and not getting in too much trouble.
And the day after is gramma's quiet time, breath in, breath out.

The weather is perfect again. So Ladydog and I sat out side and watched the laundry dry with a few more skeins fresh from the dye pot.  We should have our new shipment of yarn coming in the next couple of weeks, so I been daydreaming of new colourways, and actually writing some of the more popular colours down so we can re-create them.

The studio is also ready to start moving into, so that will be the next thing on my to do list.
I also started a new scarf for Julie, for the Knitters Frolic in May.  It's a gorgeous ruffled scarf knit with fingering weight yarn. I kept putting it off for the last couple of days, because you have to cast on 648 sts.  But they're on there now an we're motoring right along.  I'll post the details when it's done.

Any day now....

Mr "D" has been a busy boy so far (we're off this week).  While I've been upstairs, cleaning and doing up the laundry and knitting, he's be in the basement working on our new dye studio.
This use to be Boss Cat's room, and when she got her first big girl place, this room has been a storage room.
Well gone is her band-aid coloured walls, the old stained carpet, and all the nasty mould that was hiding behind the walls from the previous owners.
Mr."D" completely gutted, put up new insulation, new drywall, new ceiling with fluorescent lights, and today he laid the sub floor and the laminate.  All that's left is the trim and closet shelves, and shelves and work tables.
It's almost a shame that Boss Cat will be slopping dye and water all over this.

I think I'll keep him around....he's kind of handy.

New cat in town......

Boss Cat and I made an executive decision today and we're going to try a yarn in the  shop.
Introducing House Cat.....this is 100% Superwash Merino in fingering weight.  I don't know why we didn't try this before, it's soft and squishy and has a lovely tight twist.  I want to cast on right now.

This one I saved for myself....Merlot!

I'm almost finished the shawl (scarf) for Julie. Pictures soon.

More stuff........

We topped up the shop again with a couple of Boss Cat's spring colours.  Some have sold already so you might want to see what's left.   We should be dying up some more this week-end if everything goes as scheduled.

 Lavender Fields, Aurora, Forget-Me-Nots, and Victorian Gothic (special order), all in Top Cat MCN.

One down.......

I just finished this up for Julie

I give you Iris the Gourmet Monster. I believe Julie said she has these as kits in the store. This one is knit with Lorna's Laces Revelations Multi, a thick and thin yarn, so this girly has lots of texture.

If you're looking for a fun and quick knit, this is the one, 5 easy pieces.

Now I'm on to the second project. We'll see how fast I can get it done.

St, Paddy's Day...........

I was saving this for St. Patrick's Day....how appropriate. I finished up Miss "P"s hat this weekend.  This is the colourway she asked me to dye for her. "Meany Greeny Black"

Pattern: Emergency 1 Day Hat

Yarn: Wandering Cat Yarns Fat Cat

I was so pleased with the way this one striped, but I think I could have made a medium to fit her instead of the large. I'm sure it won't matter to her though.

Robo wouldn't keep hers on her head long enough to get a picture, but I did manage to snap some others.

Update.....

We just put some new Alley Cat sock yarn in the shop.and some of our new Slinky Cat Fingering.
I think these are my favorite ones so far.

Winner...........

Well, Boss Cat did a random number generator for our 100th Sale Contest and the winner was.............Jeanne of Jeanne Knits. Thanks to all that entered, and we will have more contests in the future.

Next up, this week we'll be updating the shop with some more yarns as soon as I can get some good photographs.

Yeah.....

Finally some finished projects..........

Pattern: Stinky Pinky Hat (emergency 1-day hat)
Yarn: Wandering Cat Yarns Fat Cat DK (dyed by me as requested by Miss "P" for Robo Baby)
Needles: 4mm
Wonderful pattern found on Ravelry (free)


Pattern: Top Down Hoodie (soon to be published)
Yarn: Wandering Cat Yarns Fat Cat DK (Lil' Boy Blue)
Needles: 3.25mm, 4mm

Now I'm on to working on a couple of projects for Julie for the Knitter's Frolic coming up in May, drying some recently dye yarns, and dreaming of new projects on the horizon.
Photos coming soon........

A Contest........we hit 100!

Wow! You guys are AWESOME!

Today Wandering Cat Yarns reached a milestone - 100 sales!

And to say thank you for all your awesomeness and support - we are having a contest!

Rules:

To enter:
Go to Wandering Cat Yarns and look at all the pretty yarn - then come back here and leave a comment telling us what your favourite colourway is.

Extra entries:
To receive an extra entry...

POST about this contest on your own blog and email the link to wanderingcatstudio(at)hotmail(dot)com or let us know with your comment.

BUY stuff. Each item you buy (stitch markers and jewellery included) will give another entry.
(Items purchased today have already been entered in the contest!)

Deadline:
Contest runs from today to midnight, Friday, March 12. Draw will take place on Saturday, March 13 and I'll announce the results here.

Prize:
The winner will receive their choice of one (1) skein of either Alley Cat, Top Cat, Fluffy Cat, Slinky Cat Fingering, Stray Cat, Fat Cat or Fat Cat Kit, available from the shop at time of choosing, as well as a set of Wandering Cat Paw stitch markers.

On behalf of Boss Cat and myself and the Wandering Cats (at both our houses), thank you so much for your support. AND GOOD LUCK!

Calm after the storm........

What a gorgeous day! After all the snow we've had in the past 2 days, it felt like spring today.
Lady dog and I took off for a walk this afternoon, just to enjoy the sun and to take some pictures. I'm telling you, small town living is the way to go.
I get to look at all this when we go for a walk.............

A couple of geese.......
We even have some talented artists in town. Smithville is famous for our Annual Poultry Fest every summer, so these neighbors decided to celebrate early. It's so cool.
Even Lady dog can't get enough snow. The more the better. I swear she's worse than a 5 yr old.
And during this wonderful snowstorm, "Boss Cat" decided to dye up some new yarns without me. Can you believe that? Reminder to all you parents........take away house key when child moves out!!!!!
These will be up in the shop sometime this week. So check back.

New colours...........

What can I say............I had to let Boss Cat mess around with the dye again.It's all up in the shop now. We now have a new fingering weight Slinky Cat.........50% SW merino/50% Silk. We also did some Fluffy Cat, Fat Cat DK, and my favorite....Alley Cat.

These 2 Fat Cats will not be going in the shop. They were specially ordered by "Miss P", for gramma to knit 2 hats.
She asked for "Stinky Pinky Black" for Robo Baby, and "Meany Greeny Black" for herself.
I'm still wondering about the meaning behind her colourways.

Takin' a break........

I had to take a break from the cable monster for just a bit. Don't get me wrong, I love cables, I am the"Cable Queen", but it just seemed like I was not making any progress.
My Lil' Boy Blue was calling me....it said I only have a few weeks left, so get a wiggle on. The body is almost done and I'll be on the sleeves shortly, but I had to post a progress pic, because I love our Fat Cat DK.
Once this is done I'll be working on writing up the pattern. I love top downs. I also have some more Fat Cat in the back room waiting to be skeined up and photographed, so it should be in the shop soon........we'll keep you posted.

Friday is Dye Day.............

Well, it was another Friday for dyeing up some yarn. Boss Cat came over and we spent the whole afternoon in the basement with the dyepots. We have a new base yarn of 50/50 Merino and Silk we're trying out, and I think I'm in love. Boss Cat may love her Fluffy Cat, but momma cat loves our new Slinky Cat fingering. We're also trying some superwash worsted, so we'll let you know how we like it.
We'll have an update as soon as they're dry and re-skeined, but I think it's going to be hard to put these ones in the shop.

This one is Fat Cat in Lil' Boy Blue. I dyed it for my own personal use. A young friend at work is having her first baby, and I wanted something special. So, I'm going to try and work on some baby stuff in between Julies pullover, because I only have about 8 weeks left.

Beck

Here's a photo (finally) of the project I'm working on for Julie. It feels like it has taken forever to get this far. The back is almost done. If your looking for some wonderful patterns for men you should definitely check this book out.
Queensland Collection by Jane Ellison

I know, I know...........

I'm supposed to be knitting, but after my blue mood a couple of weeks ago, I needed some pink.
Every time I think of pink, it reminds me of Steven Tyler and Aerosmith. You know the 9 Lives Tour (several years ago now).
Boss Cat got tickets to go, then unfortunately, her best friend decided to get married that day.
So guess who got to go!! 2nd row right at the edge of the stage.
So in honor of Steven Tyler, I give you.............Pink.And a few others, that decided to join in. They're all up in the shop now.Tomorrow, I'll post some pictures of the new project I'm working on for Julie.