Respect The Spindle – Spin Infinite Yarns With One Amazing Tool!

This is the most awesome spinning book I’ve ever looked at, and there’s a DVD to accompany this book! And, if you go to Youtube, you can find Abby Franquemont’s short series of videos on spinning. And…..

This book Respect the Spindle will tell you how to spin on a spindle. Period. Clear pictures, step by step tutorials, and then, once you’ve become addicted to your spindle, it will show you how to take care of it, and how to make your spinning hobby, just as portable as your knitting.

No matter what kind of spindle you have, by the time you reach the end of the book, you’ll be spinning and plying like a pro. Don’t need a new hobby? Well, think of this as an extension to your knitting! No longer will you have to hunt for the yarn you’ve been looking for, now you can create it yourself!

Click on the Interweave Press link to get your copy of the book and DVD!

I don’t often share knitting patterns for pets, mostly because I don’t think of it. I don’t have a dog, and I’ve never knit for my cats except a knit couch and a little cat bed I made on a knitting machine, both of which were pretty much ignored.

I have shared some pet bed knitting patterns, and both hats and sweaters for dogs.

But I don’t think I’ve shared a pattern for a cat sweater, until now.

This one is the Bunny sweater by Sarah Zhou, so named because her cat is named Bunny, of course.

It’s a made to measure pattern because cats come in all shapes and sizes, and you can also use any yarn you like and whatever gauge you are getting with that yarn.

The design is knit from the bottom up, that is, from the tail side up toward the head. Pairs of decreases shape the body as you work toward the armholes, which are made by binding off a few stitches. Then the belly and the back are worked flat, then joined and worked in the round for the chest part.

There are some design options in the pattern, from the look of the photos they include using a contrasting color for the edging, working a scalloped edging, maybe a foldover collar? But of course you can add your own embellishments, stripes, make it in team colors or for a Halloween costume. I’m sure they’re quick to knit so you can make a bunch if you have a cat who is willing to submit to such torture.

Bunny looks like a very good and mostly tolerant girl; I don’t think either of my cats would be willing to wear a sweater. But if you make one (the pattern is available on Ravelry) and successfully get your cat to wear it I would love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sarah Zhou]

Have you read?