About a month or so ago, I decided that I needed to make myself something for a change (which is rare as most things I make tend to find their way to other people eventually) and so I ventured out to Micheals with a friend.
I had already decided that I was going to make a blanket, winter was looming on the horizon and I could already feel the chill in the air during the wee hours of the morning. I envisioned curling up in this new, thick and cozy blanket with a cup of tea, a kitty and a good book. With that image cemented in my mind, I wandered the aisles and stalked for the perfect yarn.
At this point, I had pretty much decided on 2 things, firstly the blanket would be grey and white(or cream) and secondly, I was going to use bulky yarn for this piece. That was it. I had no plan for the actual pattern I would use and this made deciding on the amount of yarn needed a tad difficult.
I settled on using the Loops & Threads Charisma, and grabbed myself 3 of the Charisma BIG! in Steel and 2 of the 100g Off White; I shuffled off with my friend and discussed patterns on the way home.
Part of my ‘process’ when deciding on what to use a specific yarn for, is to hand-wind my yarn into center-pull balls. This gives me the opportunity to really get acquainted with my yarn; as odd a concept as this may sound, it allows me to discover imperfections in the yarn prior to using it in a project. If the yarn feels too scratchy or is thinner/thicker than anticipated, then I now have the time to consider how I am going to tackle these issues while I wind the yarn.
The yarn winding itself, I find can be rather therapeutic at times. However, let’s return our focus to the actual project.
While winding the yarn this time, I discovered that a few of the yarn balls were cut oddly and had multiple ends. (My total for one ball was 5 extra ends, which although annoying, did make me chuckle a little.) I also realized that this yarn was much heavier than I had first assumed but was also much softer.
Okay so, I have had this pattern saved for ages and it was just perfect for this yarn; the only issue is that the pattern was not for a blanket, it was for a hooded scarf. A hooded cat scarf.
So I gave in and I made the scarf, and as I made it, I silently mourned the loss of my cuddly winter blanket.
When I had finished, I was pleased with the outcome but, it seemed to be missing….something. Again, I saw my cozy blanket in my mind but this time it looked a tad different; I messaged my friend for another ride to pick up more yarn (got severely motion sick on the ride back), and returned home with 3 more balls of the Charisma BIG! and some impulse yarn to be used later.
I went through my ritual of winding the yarn and then grabbed the Cat Scoodie I had just completed and got to work. Here is the end result:
I LOVE how this turned out. This Hooded Cat Blanket was so much fun to make and I cannot wait to finish writing up the pattern and pricing it out so that I can offer it for sale. Final count, approximately 5 balls of Loops & Threads Charisma BIG! in Steel and 1 ball of Off White Loops & Threads Charisma 100g.
The cloak is long enough to cover you and house a cuddle buddy for when you are curled up with that book, and it is short enough to wear around the house on a chilly morning while you prepare your tea. It has slits for your arms but comes with a button near the neck to hold it on your person if you want to keep your arms tucked in.
The pockets are a wonderful feature, (I am considering adding more on the interior) they are large enough to keep your hands cozy or carry your phone, glasses or pet rat. No? Just me? Hmm, okay.
One thing that I didn’t anticipate however is just how heavy this cloak is. It isn’t cumbersome by any means, but it has the bonus effect of acting like a weighted blanket (these have been known to aid in managing anxiety as well as providing added comfort to those who live with autism).
The added weight will bump up the shipping cost, but I will work that out in a little bit.
So, what do you all think? I look forward to curling up in bed with my cats, a cup of tea and a good book while the snow makes its silent decent to cover us in a blanket of its own.
Cozy Kitty Cloak About a month or so ago, I decided that I needed to make myself something for a change (which is rare as most things I make tend to find their way to other people eventually) and so I ventured out to Micheals with a friend.