In mid-December we went from being a household of all adults, including one cat, to a house of chaos. We got two kittens, brothers. Now don’t go telling me that getting kittens shortly before you put up the tree is not smart. I now know that. Kittens being the main attraction for the Holidays did mean we got lots of visitors.
But it’s how it affects my stitching that is inspiring my post. My life is lived either at the computer or with needlepoint in my hands. You can see how Bingley helps me at the computer, pictured above. This is one of his quiet 15 minutes. He also lives to help by chasing the cursor, pulling out the LAN connection and snuggling up to the screen so HE can get a better look.
The there is the needlepoint thing. He likes to sit near my face when I’m in a comfy chair and so he puts himself between me and the needlepoint, no matter how close I hold it. I put him down, he pops back up. I ask him to sit on my lap, he clambers up to my chest. Eventually he gives up and goes to fight with his brother, Darcy.
Darcy, while not climbing on me, loves thread to distraction. He “helps” me stitch by grabbing the thread. He attacks any small piece of thread in sight. Bingley aids him in this obsession. So Saturday when I decided to put away threads they went bonkers. They also inspired this post.
They are particularly fond of yarn and thread being wound. i have scratches all over my legs from the day i tried to wind up a ball of persian Wool they had pushed through three rooms. Saturday’s attempt to wind some Kreinik ribbon has made my stomach look like a battlefield.
At some point they will clam down and, in fact, are marginally calmer than they were a month ago. Yesterday they didn’t bug me all afternoon; it was late afternoon naptime. But for now, I understand, completely, the people who complain about their cats and needlepoint.
Do your pets help or hinder your stitching and what do you do about it?
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Oh yes, I have cats that do all that. More than once I’ve come down to find knitting spread across the room. Rumple love the rotary cutter and scissors. One of these days, it will be more than fabric that gets trimmed
Dear Janet–I have had cats most of my stitching life and here’s what works for me. Never tolerate them grabbing the thread. When they do, put them down. This requires a good bit of patience but eventually they will learn that to be in your lap, they must ignore the thread. Put them in another room if they attack what you are winding. Also never use anything thread-like as a game (I am sure they thought they were having lots of fun while you were winding.) Cats are smart but not that smart. Bingley and Darcy (love those names — I am a Jane Austen fan too) will eventually grow out of kittenhood and become excellent stitching companions. As to the computer, I just shift around to look past whichever cat is “helping” me type. Good luck!
At least with them being small, I can pick them up and move them! The problem here with the “put them in another room” is that downstairs where the thread is there is a grand sum total of 2 interior doors, one to the powder room and one to the closet. So I’m trying to deal with the thread underhandedly.
I have two cats that are now older but Rembrandt likes to be with me constantly. I understand the chest part completely. She usually lays on my knee or on the arm of my large chair. When trying to do other things, I put her back on my knee or put her off on the floor, Most of the time it works. They are such great company. I am lucky in that they stay away from the threads 97% of the time. They do like to walk and lay on the canvas however. mlh
mlh
Some years ago I stayed with friends in Toronto. Gail asked me if I could repair an antique bobbin lace double-bedspread. After research at the textile museum I started work. When Gail left for the office Chloe was sound asleep, snuggled into the duvet on her bed, two floors up. In no time Chloe was down and hopping up onto the dining room table to help me. She liked to lie on the lace (not as comfortable or snuggly as the duvet) and immediately going to sleep; becoming a dead weight when I tried to move her. I don’t know how she could time her arrival so accurately as I hadn’t made a sound setting things up two floors from Gail’s much more comfortable bed!