Saturday, March 31, 2007

Finished Object: Scout Sweater

What can I say? Knitting blog readers have discriminating tastes. With so many blogs out there to read, it’s easy for one to ignore boring blogs. So I’ve noticed.

So, as a desperate attempt at lighting a fire under my blog readership and as a pathetic plea for new readers, I present the following:

I'm adorable!


Pattern: Doggie’s Kitty’s Soy Silk Sweater from Men Who Knit & the Dogs Who Love Them, size XS
Yarn: SWTC Karaoke, 50% Soy Silk, 50% wool, 1 ball, color 281 Bloom
Needles: US size 8 (5mm) and size 9 (5.5mm)
Modifications: Obviously, I used only one color of Karaoke instead of the three specified in the pattern. The mod that I should have done was to shorten the length of the collar. The collar doesn’t lay flat on Scout. I’ll keep that in mind for the next sweater that I make for Scout.

I'm so relaxed that I'm looking out the window.Pattern Errata: In this back view photo you can see that there are four distinct sections in the sweater: ribbing around the neck, an eyelet section, a reverse stockinette section, and a long ribbed section. This is identical to the sweater shown in the book. However, the instructions do not include the reverse stockinette section. Instead, it has a panel of stockinette set off by purl ridges. I could have made the sweater either way, but I thought the reverse stockinette added more visual interest.

The chest area of the sweater has some lovely shaping between the legs. If you follow the shaping instructions in the book for the X-Small size, you will end up with a front that is much too long. To correct for this, I omitted six of the eight plain rows that are knit before the shaping starts.

I'm such a show off!


Comments:

Play time!Before any of you start accusing me of drugging Scout or having a stuffed cat, look! She moves! Here she is playing with a purple bunny toy. Not the greatest photo, but it proves that Scout is alive and alert. I would never hurt my baby Scout. Scout loves me. She loves the sweater that I made for her. She is more than happy to wear it and have her photo taken.

I started knitting this on Thursday night and finished it on Friday afternoon. While I was knitting it several people questioned my sanity and doubted that I could ever successfully put Scout in a sweater. And when I say several, I mean several.

I'm well behaved.Knittyheads Valerie, Barbie, Theresa, Miko, Sarah, Karen, and Bean* all called me crazy and gave me strange looks. (As much as one can give strange looks over the internet.) Of course, some of them started by encouraging me to make the sweater, but as soon as I actually started it, they began saying that I was insane. I think they wanted me to make a fool out of myself. I showed them!

Houston SnBers Meredith, Kelly, Amy, S t a c i, and Drew* all doubted that Scout would stay in the sweater for very long. But as you can see, Scout wore the sweater for THREE different photo shoots. (The first photo shoot was before I weaved the ends in. I asked Scout to try on the sweater before I cut the yarn. She was so obliging.) And in fact, after the second photo shoot, she wore the sweater for 45 minutes before starting to try to squirm out of it.

I'm to cute for my sweater!Getting Scout into the sweater is not very difficult. Getting her out of it is much more of a challenge. The difference may have something to do with the fact that I put the sweater on her when she’s sleepy, and by the time I take it off, she’s wide awake and a little bit annoyed. Or perhaps she just doesn’t want me to take off the sweater. Maybe she really likes wearing it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

*Note another ploy for getting people to pay attention to my blog: linking to lots of other blogs.

61 comments:

cpurl17 said...

OMG you made my day. Your cat is amazing. Now I want to make one.

p.s. I'm putting your blog in bloglines right now.

Liz K. said...

Oh, gee, Laura, feeling lonely are you? Well, I have been a new reader here for a few weeks now, and thought I would come out of lurkdom to give you a little lift.

Sherrill said...

I have to say that Scout was the perfect little kitty model. I don't know if I would go as far as saying "crazy" for knitting such a piece as my oldest daughter ALWAYS dressed her first beloved cat in the dolls cloths. Said cat, Blue, did not mind one bit. Strange!

I'll be back to read more...you've been on my bloglines notice for awhile.

Valerie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Valerie said...

I think Scout is an imaginary cat. You're just really good at Photoshop or something.

I still think you're crazy, but I love you anyway. :)

(Sorry I deleted my previous comment; Gmail likes to mess with me and screw up my Blogger accounts.)

Anonymous said...

I cracked up at Scout's expression in the second-to-last picture. ;) My cat would never let me do this to her -- heck, one of my dogs would never let me do this to him! ;) Totally cute, and thanks for the giggle. :)

Karen said...

Hahaha! I think Scout totally likes the sweater and does not want to be taken out of it. Next sweater you make should bring out the color of her eyes....

Anonymous said...

I can't add to your readership since I'm already a subscriber, but I gotta say - this ploy should work.....that is the cutest (and only) kitty sweater I've ever seen!!

Anonymous said...

Excellent!! And I LOVE the photo with Scout's back to the camera. Brilliant!!

g-girl said...

oh my goodness! scout is so freakin' cute in her sweater! new reader here and i've added you to my bloglines! :)

Jennifer said...

That is a very loving cat. My cats would rip a sweater to shred and try to take out my face while they're at it.

Ali said...

Laura,

I would have known better to taunt you on this project. You are amazing. Or maybe it is Scout who is truly amazing. She needs to be in commercials or at the least a knitting book/mag with her sweater. I love her poses and expressions. :)

Batty said...

It's a cute sweater, but Scout doesn't exactly look thrilled. You better get that sweater off of her before something unfortunate happens to it... and to your face!

Obsessed with knitting said...

I'm torn between disbelief and amusement. A cat in a sweater...

Anonymous said...

I would like the record to state that I was FOR the Scout sweater from the beginning.

There are other reasons I think you're crazy.

Helen said...

very, very sweet pics of the kitty :)

but hey, Ms Editor. typo in the last photo! ;)

Marie said...

Heehee...I love Scout's expression in all of the front shots. She looks so sweet and obliging! :) Amazing feat and amazing cat!

Theresa said...

I most certainly did not think you were crazy for knitting Scout a sweater! Scout deserves a whole wardrobe in my opinion as she is the most beautiful girl in the entire universe. I am in LOVE with Scout. LOVE. LOVE!

Anonymous said...

I have to admit I'm not a cat person. But yours is too adorable and just MAY change my mind.
The sweater is Fabulous too!

amylovie said...

Oh my goodness! I am so impressed with Scout. I never knew a cat that would wear a sweater.

Amy

turtlegirl76 said...

Hee! Scout and Ripple could start a support group for cats forced to wear knitted garments. Hee! I need to make another one.

Sue, aka seiding said...

I don't know what part of the story I like better: the fact that you knit your cat a sweater and she wore it, or the fact that you knit your cat a sweater out of Karaoke. Excellent.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! You've had a blizzard of readers and you've managed something noone else ever could. My arms bleed just thinking about what my cats would do if I tried to put a sweater on them! Gorgeous cat and very cute sweater!

Amy said...

Awwww, cutie Scout! There are those of us, too, who read faithfully but are terrible commenters. :)

I'll try to be better about it!

Mintyfresh said...

i love everything about this post. it is such an amalgam:

1. a finished object post, complete with pattern mods
2. a cat post, which satisfies even an allergic reader like me
3. a plea for comments, and nicely done!
4. a link repository of a lot of new sites to check out!
5. a funny glimpse into your wacked out brain (knitting a sweater for your cat!!)

Well done :)

LaBean said...

I might think you're insane, but I also think yours are some of the best knitting FO's I've had the pleasure to see. They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity. You didn't write the pattern, but you choose patterns well, and you're still crazy. Just kidding.

Anonymous said...

Okay, you get a new comment from me - I have long looked at my stores copy of the dog-knit sweater book with the lonely picture of the cat in the sweater and said "it must be photoshopped, because there's no way my Ringo would go for that."

You have made me a believer. Congrats!

complainr said...

You are my hero. This is hilarious and so awesome!

Mary, Mary... said...

Thank you for what I've thought all along. The cat just needed the right knitter and the right sweater. Well done!

GURO said...

Scout is such a sweetie. She definately wears that sweater well.
And I don't think a cat sweater is odd at all!
On the side; my FIL (and MIL?) are getting a new dog. By the looks of things it's going to be a chihuahua. Even before they have decided completely, they have asked me to knit a sweater for it.

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Gosh. I've never heard of anyone knitting their cat a sweater! Your cat looks adorable!

Now if I tried that with my cats? I don't even what to think of the carnage that would occur (to me).

chemgrrl said...

Now you just need to make her a scarf and hat set to match...

amy said...

So adorable. So precious. So. Freaking. Cute.

Ingrid Hendy said...

I too have made a kitty sweater, but the recipient was less impressed than Scout. I suspect he needed it more too (old skinny kitty bones get cold easily).

Anonymous said...

Awww...it looks great on her, and she looks happy while wearing it. Being a Houston kitty, she will have to wait several months to really get much wear out of it...

Some animals are okay with clothes. Out of four dogs, I have one who enjoys modeling.

(Thanks for all of the spaces in my name. I've heard that it's a pain for most folks to type out.) haha

Peri said...

It's lovely and Scout looks beautiful. I just know that Conkers wouldn't appreciate a sweater!

Rachel said...

That is HILARIOUS. What a stylish little cat. She probably likes it because she knows she looks so good.
I'm putting your blog on my bloglines too - apparently your attention ploy works!

knitseashore said...

She is SO adorable and patient. My cats would absolutely have a fit if I came near them with a sweater. You have to give her extra treats for all that faithful modeling!!

Anonymous said...

So sweet!

Amanda said...

I think I just hurt myself from cuteness overload!! Your kitty is so sweet and I love the sweater!

Unknown said...

Scout in a sweater is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. You have a VERY accommodating cat!

Anonymous said...

Ok, this post makes me delurk. What a cute kitty and an awsome sweater!

Aimee said...

That's a very cute sweater and a very well behaved cat! My cat gave me a dirty look just for admiring your photos.

KeanaLee said...

OH my gosh, Scout's twin Smokey would NEVER go for that, great job....I am so impressed, maybe I should try to do that with Smokey? I might have to get him declawed first. :-)

Meredith said...

Aww, look at Scout in her pretty sweater! She could be a kitty model.

Unknown said...

Heh. My one cat will wear sweaters- anything really but lifejackets!

Anonymous said...

*Very* well behaved Scout!

Anonymous said...

Holy crap! With all these comments you don't even need your old standbys like me anymore (good thing, too, because I'm terribly delinquent in commenting). That sweater is just too darn cute -- I think the overlarge collar gives it a fashionable cowlneck look.

I believe you that Scout is not stuffed. She just has an admirable appreciation for handknits. And don't we all?

Anonymous said...

My Millie would bite me to death then pee on my bed if I put a sweater on her. Scout is some cat. So is Millie, don't get me wrong, but she'd never tolerate clothes. So human--so wrong.

Terby said...

Honestly, I just don't know what to say. I've never seen a cat wearing a sweater before. Great post, Laura!

Jennifer said...

What a great cat, and what a cute sweater.

Unknown said...

This is so much better than cat-on-a-leash! I'm forwarding this to all the cat lovers I know!

Anonymous said...

Oh. my. goodness.
This is too adorable! My cat would never stand for it, but I love it and the shots you got!

Janet said...

alright, i'm not going to lie - that is freakng adorable.

brilliant ploy for blog readers... absolutely brilliant.

Nana Sadie said...

Wow. Just. Wow. The Meezer would not EVER allow that.
I know.
I tried ONCE. Never again. The neighbors thought I was killing a child.
(you know how loudly Siamese scream?)
Scout is adorable. And long suffering of her mom's whims, I can tell!
What an angel...and the cat sweater is too cute!
(((hugs)))
btw...you've been in my bloglines awhile, but I sometimes lurk..

V said...

Okay, how cute is THAT? I would have never thought to make a dog sweater for a cat. Great job, and what a sweet cat you have!

mikomiao said...

oh Scout how I love thee, and how adorable art thou!

not only is Laura a fabulous knitter, but she wields magic with the kitty!

Kate said...

Hi Laura -

Debby of She Knits By The Seashore sent me over to your blog since you're a Houston Knitter and I'm moving there in June - you mentioned a SnB. I'd love to hear about any knitting groups and I'd love to make some knitting friends when I arrive. I know you're busy - even if you could just direct me to a website or something

Thank you!

- Kate
kate.wilbanks@gmail.com
www.katerzers.blogspot.com

TheSlyCat said...

OH OH OH !!! I want one. I'm going to ask my Mom for one. She loves knitting and sometimes, I snoopervise her projects. Thanks for posting your sweater and please tell Scout I said hello. Does she have a blog too? I would recommend asking your human for one. Thanks.
Sly the Cat

Kozy Kitty said...

That is so cute! I will have to share this with my daughter who's kitty also wears clothes! Check him out on my blog here and here.

Sally said...

This is a scream. I can't believe your cat actually wears it! And it worked - you definitely have a larger readership now. :o)