Crafting with Cats

A few months ago, I signed up for a fall craft show. At the time, it seemed like no big deal. Fast forward a few months and now I'm like, what was I thinking?!?! (Yep, again..) Let me say that at the time I decided to go, I figured I had plenty of time to get stuff made and would make money off of the crafts I like to make.

Now, as I keep working on my crafts and finishing as much as I can in the coming weeks, I wonder why I thought I could single-handedly finish a bunch of time-intensive projects. Aside from my non-existent spare time, I also have some rather unhelpful help in the house: cats! Some of the cats have been more than helpful in their own ways. Currently, the most helpful one is Smokey. She has to sit on me, lay on my shoulder, lay on the supplies I need, or hunker down right in front of the sewing machine while I'm trying to use it. Not exactly the most helpful; in fact, it slows me down a lot. I end up spending time trying to coax her to sit somewhere else (clearly not as comfortable as what I'm working on), moving her out of the way only for her to come back in less than a minute to claim her spot once again. Ultimately, I get frustrated, give up on trying to work on anything, and end up holding and cuddling her. It's a lose-win situation - with me losing!

The other helpful cat - Dobby. She is by far less intrusive than Smokey. Dobby's main concern is what I am working on, what all the supplies are, and do they meet her standards? (I have yet to figure out her standards) She's most happy to walk around sniffing and rubbing on everything, doling out some chirps and meows as she sees fit. She's not much of a cuddler or lap cat, so she doesn't look for an in-the-way spot to nap. Dobby would prefer to play with all the loose ends or pieces I drop.

Hazel and Ash prefer it when I crochet or work on the loom knitting. Each of them thinks it's their job to help the yarn unroll, touch, and pull it as I work. Occasionally, they will just watch the yarn move as I work. They are definitely low-key helpers and tend to not be as helpful (or create too much chaos). The end game for them is to get the ball of yarn and play. Working with yarn can be tricky with cats. They are all drawn to it for some reason. One time, I didn't tuck away my crocheting very well and came home to the entire downstairs and basement booby-trapped. I'm sure most of the cats helped as they chased, pulled, and followed the ball of yarn all around the house. Sadly, that project was not salvageable.

For now, the other cats are less interested in my crafting, which works well for me! They will be happy if I can sell some of these things I've been working on so that I can get them new toys and treats. I just want to make enough to help cover the ever-growing expense of medications and vet visits for the #purrfectdozen.

Be sure to check the shopping section of the blog to purchase handcrafted items (with assistance from the cats!) in the coming weeks.

Till our tails cross again,

Mel