Cats and knitting is definitely a thing
I come from a family of cat-loving handcrafters, and I was hooked on knitting from a young age. I started my shop with a range of knitting patterns for cupcakes in DK yarns. I couldn't find a cupcake pattern which gave a good result and was easy to construct with minimal seaming. So I designed my own. Then I carried on, adding cloths, bags, Christmas decorations, and toys - always with the ease of the knitter in mind.
I like making smaller items which are great for stash busting and quick to finish. I especially like to avoid sewing, so I aim for an all-in-one knit with minimal seams. That's why I love extreme knitting - if you are a time-poor seam-hater like me, you get a quick result with huge impact.
My adventure in extreme knitting started in 2013 with 100% British wool, undyed, and as thick as your little finger. My cats would constantly sit on it and make nests in it, so I made it into cat baskets. My Uncle made me some giant double pins and circular needles on his lathe, as oversized needles were not easily available at the time. Adored by cats for its warmth and woolly scent, I quickly got through the yarn, making lots of cat baskets and cat caves for adored felines everywhere.
After a couple of years, the giant yarn I originally used was discontinued, so I looked around for a cost-effective alternative. I experimented with wool roving, which I hand-felted to give it strength and structure. The resulting giant wool was thicker than ever and made a really dense, squishy wool basket, but the preparation was time-consuming.
Now that arm knitting with giant yarns is massively popular, giant yarns and giant needles are easily available. No hand-felting is required and there are lots of colours and fibres to choose from. I made some sample baskets in arm knitting yarn and they worked great. I tried it bottom up and top down, included both methods in the pattern.
I am very happy to be working at the extreme end of knitting, using the tools hand-made by my uncle. It feels great to be continuing the family handcrafting tradition.
I like making smaller items which are great for stash busting and quick to finish. I especially like to avoid sewing, so I aim for an all-in-one knit with minimal seams. That's why I love extreme knitting - if you are a time-poor seam-hater like me, you get a quick result with huge impact.
My adventure in extreme knitting started in 2013 with 100% British wool, undyed, and as thick as your little finger. My cats would constantly sit on it and make nests in it, so I made it into cat baskets. My Uncle made me some giant double pins and circular needles on his lathe, as oversized needles were not easily available at the time. Adored by cats for its warmth and woolly scent, I quickly got through the yarn, making lots of cat baskets and cat caves for adored felines everywhere.
After a couple of years, the giant yarn I originally used was discontinued, so I looked around for a cost-effective alternative. I experimented with wool roving, which I hand-felted to give it strength and structure. The resulting giant wool was thicker than ever and made a really dense, squishy wool basket, but the preparation was time-consuming.
Now that arm knitting with giant yarns is massively popular, giant yarns and giant needles are easily available. No hand-felting is required and there are lots of colours and fibres to choose from. I made some sample baskets in arm knitting yarn and they worked great. I tried it bottom up and top down, included both methods in the pattern.
I am very happy to be working at the extreme end of knitting, using the tools hand-made by my uncle. It feels great to be continuing the family handcrafting tradition.