Unraveled

in Random Crap

Hailey started knitting a few weeks ago and she told me that she wanted to teach me how because it helps with anxiety and also because I keep telling her the cats need knitted hats.  Turns out she’s really good at it but I sort of suck, partly because I drop a lot of stitches but also because I get into the rhythm of it and don’t want to stop and that’s how I ended up with a scarf that is almost as long as me in spite of the fact that it’s Texas and no one here ever needs scarfs.

Hailey kept trying to help me, nicely pointing out that I’d missed a lot of stitches, that I left big holes in it and that giant knots and loose threads were hanging out of it all over.  “It’s really nice,” she said.  “But…it got weird.”

Victor walked by.  “Wow.  That scarf looks like it’s seen things.”

Hailey tried to tie up yarn that had come unraveled at the ends.  “It’s come undone.”

And they weren’t wrong.

But somehow it fit me.  Raggedy and weird and strange.  It’s come undone but honestly, who hasn’t?

But it’s soft.  It’s warm.  It’s comforting and nice even when it’s falling apart.  “This scarf is perfectly me,” I explained.

And they both looked at it with new eyes.

“It’s…artistic,” Hailey said.

“It’s certainly…unique,” Victor said.

And it is.

Also, I totally made hats for the cats and it was awesome but then I texted the pictures to myself so that I could put them on my blog and I got one of the numbers wrong so I ended up texting a stranger pictures of me and my cats in clothes I knitted and I don’t know if I should apologize or if I have a new best friend.

Trust me. He totally loves it.
Sassy beret.

211 thoughts on “Unraveled”

Read comments below or add one.

  11. I knit and design knitting patterns. My picture here is one of my designs. I keep my first piece of knitting to keep myself humble and remember that everyone started somewhere. Some of us started lumpy and uneven 🙂

  12. I love that all my knitted garments are a history, of myself, and who I gifted them to. Your artistic and unique scarf is a thing of beauty.

  13. Love them, love them, and the fact that the cats are still wearing them by the time you pressed the shutter button says they love them too! ::runs off to start her own fluffy soothing artistic scarf::

  15. Knitting is my drug of choice. I’m actually knitting right this very moment. Snow day in Wisconsin.

  16. The knots hold in pieces of your heart that may be trying to break off. The huge holes — chocolate stash places. What’s not to love

  21. You can knit on a round loom? If so inclined, could you do a tutorial? I have a few round looms that are collecting dust because all I got was a tangled wad of thread. That you actually got a scarf out of it is EFFING IMPRESSIVE!

  22. If I got those pictures you would have definitely made a new best friend!

    Side note, I’ve been told to try knitting several times because it helps with anxiety, but I have always sucked at it and my scarfs aren’t too long, but way too wide! Like blankets for your neck, but it never works. However, maybe I should try again! Your scarf looks perfect on you!

  23. i think they all need booties. and all of your taxidermy – that still has feet — needs booties too!

  25. I knit for therapy (spouse says way too much, but he gets the benefits, so what does he know?). My grandmother called unraveling a knitted piece “tinking” (knit backwards) and I love it, especially since my friends pale when they see me ripping out a sleeve or something. I just tell them I’m tinking and they all go, “Oh, okay”. I will definitely try the cat hats, but since I’m owned by a calico with an attitude, I’m not sure how it’ll work out.

  27. I have a hard time with knitting because it just doesn’t feel right to me (and I get frustrated when I keep dropping stitches and don’t realize until I’m a couple rows past). Have you tried crocheting? I picked that up to help with anxiety and for whatever reason it feels natural to me – at least, it does as long as I do a knife grip on the hook instead of a pencil grip and use one of the hooks with big ergonomic handles.

    Also I’m jealous because when I tried to put hats on my cat she tried to murder me, even though she looked adorable.

  28. I tried to learn to knit and crochet to help with my anxiety. The women teaching the class said they had never seen anyone with stitches so tightly wound…and that pretty much some me up.

  30. I made a mistake in a sweater while I was going through a difficult time. I left it there to remind me that I overcame it.

  32. I knit for anxiety, craziness, restlessness and also as a constant reminder that I
    Am not perfect. My mistakes are my “unique” spin on the things I make. Keep going!!

  33. Is the gray one a beret? Maybe you could do one in pink and it would be a raspberry purr-aye.

  34. I like to knit and crochet, but can only make long, skinny things. Scarfs or clothes for snakes and worms.

  35. I love round loom knitting. It is so relaxing but I find it hard to stop too! BTW- The cats hats look great!!

  36. I apologize for forgetting your cats’ names, but the tiger stripe guy seems to be tolerating the hat quite well. I think your “sassy beret” wearer is planning to eat you.

  37. As a longtime knitter (i’ve worked at yarn shops and a fibre mill!), the best needles for arthritic hands are square needles. They’re usually called some version of “Cubics/Cubix”. I have a weird hand, so it totally helps take the stress off. The next best thing, is a set of interchangeable circulars, you’ll never look back!

    Welcome to the world of crafting, be sure to check out Ravelry! 😀

  38. Knitting is my sanity. I’ve never thought about knitting for my cat…although I confess I’ve been tempted to knit sweaters for my dogs. If you want to see some amazing knits for dogs, check out Franklin Habit’s instagram…he knit a Wonder Woman costume for his pit bull for Halloween.

  40. I just started knitting and I’m not very good at it. I drop stitches and then my knit stitch doesn’t look like the example. But we’re trying and at least we created something. It doesn’t have to be perfect. We just need to keep going.

  42. Odd – you look like the one least feeling comforted by their knitted creation. And you should take great comfort – because indeed…we have alllll come undone! Thanks for thinking of our needs and as usual, finding just the right thing to fill it with:)

  43. Honestly, I wish I liked Hunter S. Thompson the writer as much as I like Hunter S. Thomcat. I mean, they both look good in hats, so they’ve got that in common, but Hunter S. Thomcat is the clear winner at life, in my book anyway.

    That is one fine lookin’ hat!

  44. A must read:
    Tiny Hats on Cats: Because Every Cat Deserves to Feel Fancy
    Book by Adam Ellis

  45. A Must Read:
    Tiny Hats on Cats: Because Every Cat Deserves to Feel Fancy
    Book by Adam Ellis

  46. There’s a Bob’s Burgers episode from the last season that you need to watch, because you are living Linda’s life. So good!!

  47. I don’t know squat about knitting, or what knitted things ‘should’ look like, so all I see there is a really comfy-looking scarf. I want to pet it.

  48. I love it all and the cat with the grey hat reminds me of Jamie from mythbusters. Lol

  49. Jenny – those hats are adorable -and your scarf looks cozy and warm. I too learned how to crotchet, im not great but i love doing it when i have time – oh if i only had time

  50. That tam is adorable. A woman I work with makes matching toques for dogs and owners–the owner’s hat has a paw on it, and the dog’s hat has a hand on it. I don’t know what exactly she’s trying to say, actually. Anyway, your pussy hats look very warm.

  51. You are amazing Jenny. You make me laugh and I really appreciate that. And yes, I think Hunter S Tomcat loves his hat.

  52. Your scarf is to die for, and the cat hats are fabulous. My cat is totally jealous, I told him that I would paint him a hat, but he was not impressed, sigh. 😘

  53. I’m betting MANY of us in your world would buy a genuinely undone Bloggess scarf. Especially those of us in the frozen midwest, where yet another 4-6″ of snow is falling and more is coming Thursday. Is that a Zazzle-able thing?

  54. Knitting is my very favorite stress reliever and has been for almost 50 years.. But I find I rarely finish a project unless it is a gift. So right now I’m making hats — people hats, that is — and I have a waiting list of friends who want them. I started with friends in chemo and now I’m expanding to everyone else I know.

    Jenny, if you want to try needles, try keeping between size 8 and 10-1/2. They seem to work best with arthritic fingers. The skinny ones and extra fat ones are just too tough on the hands.

  55. Welcome to the dark side. No cookies, but lots of soft, tactile yummy stuff.
    I love the rhythm of the process and how even though it kinda feels like you are wasting your time, you still end up with a tactile thing that tells a story… i am currently wearing a scarf I knit while sitting beside my dad as he slowly drifted away from us. It took me months to knit, months of memories, soft conversations while he was still lucid, tears when he wasn’t. This scarf is something I would save in a fire.

  56. I find knitting to be pretty meditative. I’m not very good at it, but I enjoy it and it keeps me from stabbing people (which I could do, because knitting needles). I can only knit rectangles and triangles, so I have a lot of shawls, blankets, and scarves. From now on, when my mother tells me how badly I’m doing, I’ll just tell her it’s like me, wonky and frayed at the ends, but still able to give warmth.

  57. OMG… those cats in hats are the cutest ever! I love your scarf too. Your picture shows it as a warm pile of comfortable. Who doesn’t love that?

  58. That’s amazing, Jenny. I can’t knit at all, despite my mother’s best efforts at a time when there was still room in my brain. On the other hand, even she had her limitations. She was really good at knitting vests, but if anyone wanted a whoke sweater, it had to go to the local knitting shop for remedial sleeves. You know that wasn’t why they were called pussy hats, right? I’d be happy to get kitty texts. So much better than random tennis times. I don’t play tennis.

  59. I have a knitting machine that I inherited, and I think it’s the best idea ever because it’s easier on my hands (arthritisy) BUT if you don’t actually know how to knit before you start, and you drop stitches on a knitting machine, it’s rage inducing to try and fix them. But I keep trying! And if my results aren’t perfect, well they’re mine.

  60. I love your scarf. As long as it’s soft I would wear it too. My random text story is about the time someone texted me a picture of boobs. I called and asked why. The person was godly and said her friend had sent the pic to the wrong number. Duh. I forwarded the text to my sons and told them look at why I just got! Haha

  62. Once, I was knitting a scarf and didnt know how to finish it, so I just…kept going. Its like 8 feet long now.

  64. I tried to learn to crochet from YouTube but the baby blanket I made ended up shaped like Iowa and I gave up. Maybe someday I’ll try again. Or specialize in artistic scarves.

  65. Yeah, the “knitting [or some other kind of craft] is supposed to help with stress” thing: I keep hearing I need some kind of hobby like that to help with my stress. Problem is, what kind of craft is there for somebody like me who the only thing I can stand–and I can just barely stand it–to do with my hands is turn the pages of a book or operate a computer mouse or keyboard. You know those joke hardhats guys buy for each other that hold cans of beer with straws hanging down so they don’t even have to look away from the tv long enough to pick up the beer can; they can just sip from the straw? When is somebody going to invent one that’ll feed me food like that so I don’t have to look up from my book or screen?

  69. Ok, so from my semi-expert eye (i.e. not-at-all expert), it looks like you were working with a chenille yarn. So while that is warm and cozy and comfy, it doesn’t ever seem to hold together well for me. And I have been knitting and crocheting for at least 25 years. I think it’s perfect. Enjoy it while it holds together – nothing lasts forever.

  71. I love the knitting looms. I haven’t been able to use mine for a few years because my hands cramp too badly within minutes but i have a couple of homemade Christmas stockings to show for it. i got a lot of weird looks when i was using it in the airport on a trip to visit family over Christmas though : )

  72. You are so frickkin’ awesome, Jenny.
    I LOVE that scarf….it is so you! (And many of the rest of us visiting here.)
    The cats look phenomenal….
    You all bring me such JOY….right when I needed it.
    THANK YOU!!!

  73. I went to a knitting class once. Then they told me they would let me know when the next one was scheduled. And they never did. But there is always youtube. And they were CLEARLY not my people. 0.o

  76. Knitting is one of the best ways I’ve found to learn to accept (& love) imperfections. Plus, the end result will keep you warm.

  80. Welcome to knitting!! I’ve been doing it for years and it’s great for my anxiety, to the point where I have a sick project that lives in my car for when I am having a bad day and need to hide from my coworkers and knit in my car. And don’t worry- everyone’s first scarf looks like that. Mine was filled with holes and loose yarn and dropped stitches. Keep at it!

  81. 🤣😂🐱 oh thats awesome. I need to learm to knit. I made a collar for my cats. Plan on more but the hats would b awesome 😋 if i can figure out how I’ll send a pic. Thanks for sharing that made my day today. 😊

  82. I am an avid knitter and YES it helps with anxiety. It’s soothing and rhythmic and I don’t want to stop either. Just practice some more and you’ll get better at it. It’s also one thing I can TOTALLY control, when I can’t control the world at all. Love the cat hats, they’re great! Keep at it!

  84. My dad used to call me every year on my birthday, sing Happy Birthday, and then hang up. One year he misdialed the number, got a stranger’s answering machine, sang Happy Birthday, and hung up. We were all totally delighted when we realized what he had done. So your misdirected pictures probably brought total delight to someone. Or not, but go with the delight.

  85. I love this post! I love to knit, and I love cats and of course I love you…this post is perfection all around! Amazing scarf, btw <3

  87. Never learned to knit. Would like to. But I can crochet. That is easy. I love the hats for the cats but don’t think my cats would like them.

  88. I am big believer in wearing what I love, no matter how it looks to others. Wear your ‘uniquely artistic’ scarf with pride. Snuggle in that warmth. I am about as creative as a brick wall, and I’m blown away by those who can accomplish such wonderful things.

  90. Steph, I love Cubics. I have two sets of circulars (wood and metal), and have worn the finish off the metal ones. My sister-in-law told me about them because her hands hurt with regular ones. She said it makes the stitches much more uniform.

  91. That sassy beret made my whole day. Good job! I wish I could figure out how to knit anything more complicated than a straight line. Maybe that hat will inspire me…

  93. Since you ARE in Texas, maybe you could try a lighter weight yarn than chenille. There are a ton of light weight yarns that you could use to make Coming Undone scarves that you could wear in the spring and fall! (Do I dare tell you about the recycled sari yarns..? Some of them are quite bulky, but omg are they amazeballs…)

  94. I think your cat is Jamie Hyneman. Would share a side-by-side comparison, but it doesn’t seem like comments can include photos.

  95. Why is it that the not-intended-for-me texts I receive are never as fun as cats in hats? That would totally make my day. In fact, I like the idea so much that I might have to randomly start texting pictures of cats in hats to strangers. Or maybe teddy bears in toques. Or pigs in wigs.

  96. As someone who knits hats for cats – BRAVO! I have no imagination and have to follow patterns, but you are one of those crazy talented people that just go your own way without fear – I am oozing admiration right now. Knitting is my anxiety therapy as well – the more complicated the pattern the better if I need to be distracted. I can’t wait to see your first sweater <3

  97. I love that Hailey is knitting and creating and that she is teaching and praising you for your efforts (I’d definitely wear that artistic scarf in Northwestern PA). Oh my my! Cats in the hats are adorable.

  100. I had a really bad year a few years ago. And knitting saved me. And continues to do so. And I’ve made a boat load of lopsided strange hats. I’m now able to reliably produce a hat someone else might want to wear. All good. Love your cat hsts.

  101. I had a really bad year a few years ago. And knitting saved me. And continues to do so. And I’ve made a boat load of lopsided strange hats. I’m now able to reliably produce a hat someone else might want to wear. All good. Love your cat hsts.

  102. I heartily use knitting as therapy for my depression. It helps so much, and allows me to have a creative outlet, and feel like I’m being useful and productive, even in those times I can’t muster the energy to get out of bed and shower or go grocery shopping.

  104. I didn’t know I was a terrible knitter until I joined a knitting group (I a recommed EVRYONE join a knitting club! I moved to Minneapolis for my husband to go to university, but I had nowhere to make friends, so I thought “What kind of club would be ‘my sort’ of people (nerds AND artists)? Knitters, yes, knitters. Anyone in a knitting club will be ‘my sort’ of people.” And they were. They were the best crew of mismatched nerds, free-free thinkers, and wierdos. Now I was TERRIBLE at knitting–holes and dropped stitches everywhere! But they tried so hard to help me get better, and only occasionally made fun of me. For anyone who needs a solo hobby to help with anxiety, or need a nice “nerd friend,” try knitting or a knitting club 🙂

  105. Somewhere around my 30th birthday, I decided I HAD to learn to knit. I don’t know where or why this weird ass compulsion came upon me, but I’m so very glad it did.

    As a fellow Texan, I also have no real need for long ass scarves but I have one too–it’s a 20 some odd foot long 4th Doctor Doctor Who scarf I knitted a few years ago.

  108. I started a knitted dishcloth 13 years ago but couldn’t figure out how to get it off the needles, so then it became a scarf and then a very narrow blanket and now I could wrap my entire car in it. If I could get it off my needles. Also, I ran out of yarn and The Viking won’t let me buy any more.

  109. When I was a kid and very terrified of everything, I used to use an anicient blanket that my grandmother had made. It was extremely heavy (which explains why years later people began using weighted blankets for anxiety) but it was so tattered. Almost falling apart. I didn’t care, it felt like I was somehow that blanket. Anyway cheers for your scarf and your kitty hats are awesome, Jenny!

  110. When I was a kid and very terrified of everything, I used to use an anicient blanket that my grandmother had made. It was extremely heavy (which explains why years later people began using weighted blankets for anxiety) but it was so tattered. Almost falling apart. I didn’t care, it felt like I was somehow that blanket. Anyway cheers for your scarf and your kitty hats are awesome, Jenny!

  111. Knitting is one of those things that takes practice, not talent. I’m not saying the aren’t naturally talented knitters, but as someone who is really good at knitting I always find it weird when people say “oh, I tried knitting. I’m bad at it.” Yeah, I’m good at it… But I’ve also been doing it for 20 years. I was pretty bad when I started, but as you said it’s addictive, so you just keep going. And you learn. And you get better. 🙂

  114. The cat-hat pics are hilarious! I am putting them on my phone for a pick-me-up when needed 😀

  115. Oh man, my day, nay, my month would be made if I received random texts with pictures of a stranger’s cats in knitted hats.

  117. This is brilliant. I am no longer the only person that had to be taught how to knit by her daughter,; instead of vice versa, like what proper people do. Love the scarf, love the cats in hats.

  118. Hats for Cats! I think it should be able 501(c) 3
    You and your family often make my day brighter.Thank you all😻

  120. When’s your new best friend coming to dinner, and are you making that person a scarf? I NEED AN UNRAVELING SCARF like I can’t tell you. You think you can screw up a second one? I’ll trade artwork. You don’t get to choose what, though.

  123. Welcome to the Fiber Club.
    And, scarves should be as long as you are tall.
    (Speaketh one who designs knitwear.)
    Your scarf is amazing, and so are the Cats in Hats.

  124. I love that you texted it to a stranger, who’s probably now a friend. Life is good 🙂

  125. Ferris looks so cosmopolitan — Bonjour! Hunter just looks miffed. 😉 Your scarf, my dear, is tres chic!

  126. It is my dream that one day you will accidentally text me something and we will become best friends. Well, that and to find enough marshmallow fluff to fill a pool. And I’m not talking about one of those little kiddie pools. I’m talking a kidney-shaped, deep-at-one-end, concrete job with a diving board (that I will never use because I heard too many paraplegia warnings as a child). This went sideways. Let’s go back to just being accidentally friends.

    PS, when we are accidental best friends, can I come over and collate paper with you and Wil? I met him on the Star Trek cruise and he told me, and a huge room full of my fellow geeks that you are a national treasure. He was right.)

  127. If you make a scarf wide enough it becomes a lap blanket or a baby blanket! Good for seniors or babies. Or a blanket for the dog bed. I know this because I don’t like to stop a knitting project either.

  129. Wow. Profound and nice. How long did the hats stay on the cats? 😊 life isn’t tidy, but it’s worth it.

  130. Wow. That’s lovely and profound. 😊 Life isn’t tidy but it’s so worth it. P.S. I wanted to like knitting and hated the counting and dropped stitches.

  132. I totally think you and Hailey could combine efforts and figure out how to make cat hats that look like a Trump comb over.

    Don’t judge me. I’m just sayin. Just promise me you’ll use the profits to support his opponent.

  133. You might consider crochet, it’s a lot less hassle if you drop stitches, and you only (usually) have to deal with one hook, not 2 or more needles.
    As for the long scarf, Dr. Who! OBVIOUSLY!!

  134. Your cats in the knit hats are the cutest things I have ever seen! Thank you for making me smile today.

  137. Please tell me you watch Bob’s Burgers. The most recent Christmas episode is about knotting and the beauty of imperfection.

  139. Try crocheting, no dropped stitches and you don’t have the whole width on the needles which is bulky. I’ve taught both knitting and crochet, like crochet best. Start with a scarf first or a dish cloth until you get the hang of it

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

  140. “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” has yet to let me down. I’d like to have it knitted into a scarf. -Your scarf is so pretty! Someone once knitted berets for me and I adore them because usually I don’t let people be nice to me like that. My favorite accoutrement of Mr Tomcat’s is that tawny lion’s mane and I don’t know why you ever take it off of him. But Ferris’ beret is deliciously à la mode. Três chic Ferris!

  141. Remember that the great Bob Ross once said “There are no mistakes…just happy accidents.” Embrace and enjoy your magnificent happy accidents Jenny! ☺️

  142. It does indeed help with anxiety. It’s my #1 on my official list (really, I have one printed out and everything) of Stuff to Do Before Freaking Out Entirely. I was knitting all afternoon & evening today because I had a lumbar puncture & while I wait the next week to find out if I have MS I’ll be making a 50-yd long scarf. Whee!

  145. I love crafts like this! And it’s wonderful to look at something you made, when it’s finished!
    I crochet and I would totally make hats for my basset hounds (with holes for their floppy ears) if I thought I could get them to hold still for the picture!

  147. I crochet. Does anyone else have problems with getting obsessive over hobbies? like, staying up all night to finish a jigsaw? or crocheting til your hands hurt?

  148. Glad knitting became a soothing pastime for you. Please consider projectlinus.org. They take blankets knitted by volunteers and give them to children in need. For example, kids in homeless shelters don’t care if you dropped a stitch or everything is uneven, they are just glad to get something to call their own. Quick – check the website: Saturday, Feb 16 is Make a Blanket Day! Just picture Peanuts’ Linus with his blanket and it will make sense to get with this project.

  149. I used to crochet, but haven’t in a long time. I tried to pick it back up but but my hands wouldn’t listen to me .. I’ve always been a klutz and neuropathy from chemo a few years back makes it much worse. I tried knitting with large needles and that went better but after about 20 rows I set it aside to run some errands and now have no idea where I put it it.

    I think I’ll just stick to computer gaming.

  151. You can clearly see in their tiny, disgruntled faces hoe much they actually adore their new hats! 😂😂

  154. I love cats in hats. There is a book available at Amazon called Cats in Hats: 30 knitting and crocheting patterns. Easter is coming and I think Hailey could use this book in her Easter basket. the book is by Sara Thomas. I own it and it is a laugh.

  155. I crochet! Works up faster & much more forgiving!! mistakes are less noticeable! In fact many people purposely leave in mistake to remind us that nothing is perfect! Crochet Crowd! Check this site out! Crocheters from all over the world& no negative! Not allowed!!!!!

  156. I’m teaching myself to crochet for similar therapeutic reasons. I mean…eventually…when I can stop procrastinating enough to do more than row after row after row….
    I’m going to add cat hats to my list of crappy crochet projects!
    Also…sad that it wasn’t my random number getting random cat in hat pics…would have made my day!

  158. I just have to say CONGRATS on learning to knit! I can only crochet and only the very simplest of stitches. Also your scarf reminds me of the first one I crocheted as a gift for an ex-boyfriend and he called it his Dr. Who scarf because it was like eleventy feet long and became the Thing That Wouldn’t End but he wore it for several years so I count that as a WIN.
    ALSO I would pay good monies for an undone ragged knitted scarf of your creation because those words describe how I feel and I MUST HAVE ONE PLEASE. <3 xoxoxo

  159. WHen knitting, one mistake is just that, a mistake. Make the same mistake, or new ones, and you have a unique PATTERN. Enjoy your scarf.

  160. Is your orange cat actually lacking a soul altogether, or is it just the photo that makes him look that way?

  162. There’s a book idea in this, maybe something Dr Seuss-ish with wonky drawings called “Cats in Sassy Hats”.

  163. I would love to get random texts of cats and knitting!
    I knit to help my anxiety. I have way too many hats now.

  164. Sister, knitting is my jam (used as in the lego movie of course).
    Ravelry is the greatest (you can see my page user name Sholeen), so good for demonstrating your ‘mistakes’ as inventions!!

  165. What a metaphor! Looks like it needs more regular up-keep/repairs than your average scarf but is otherwise very awesome! I also want to make an off-color joke re: knitting and pink pussy hats but there are cute cats in this post so I just can’t bring myself to do it.

  166. Tell Victor you are a free form knitter which is a thing. There are cat hat patterns on Ravelry. I always wondered how she got her cats to pose.

  169. I crochet. Just blankets. I haven’t got the patience to learn actual other stuff. I’m pretty sure when my family and friends see me start up again, they cringe now.

  170. It’s beautiful, and congrats on knitting your first scarf! I’m learning to crochet because I couldn’t wrap my brain around knitting. My intent wasn’t to reduce anxiety, but it does help so yay. So far I’ve made a practice washcloth that I use as a shower scrubbie; a very uneven cowl that still keeps my neck warm; a pair of boot cuffs for boots that I don’t wear enough; 2 decent hats; and a baby bootie-blob. And for the record, I would love to receive a random stranger’s pics of their cats wearing knitted hats!

  171. If you read Greek mythology you find that people who sought perfection usually ended badly. So not seeking perfection is the routed to take.

  173. I am with the rest of the crocheters. Much easier to do, much easier to fake a correction if errors occur. Larger size hooks make a fluffier end result – good for both arthritic hands and warm climates.

  174. Another reason I love you – I knit and sew just like you. I make a nightdress in Primary school, my mum used it as an ironing board. Kinda tells you how good it turned out 🤣🤣

  175. I just rather love you girlie. Just keep keeping n being you and appreciating you! There are a whole heck of a lot of people who do!

  179. I love the metaphor. We’re all kind of hole-y and raggedy and missing stitches….that’s why we love you, each other, and the world you’ve created. There ought to be a Raggedy Society for us….

  180. Thank you. You made my week. It has been a rough 2019 at work and it doesn’t look like it will improve anytime soon.

  182. Good on you. I love knitting, and it can indeed help with stress/anxiety. There are even some patterns where you drop stitches on purpose! It can look pretty neat. But, honestly, don’t feel you have to worry about little mistakes. Gods know I made enough of them, and now I’m knitting a pullover. (I haven’t worked on it recently, because the yarn is a bit hard on my hands, but whatevs. I’ll get it done eventually. Right now I’m nursing a sore back due to shoveling snow.)

  184. About imperfections…I love the Navaho weavers take that every weaving must have an imperfection because only god is perfect. 🙂

  185. You do know that the 4th Doctor’s scarf was so long because the woman they commissioned to knit just started and kept going without stopping. Tom Baker just went with it, wrapping it around himself multiple times, and a legend was born. If you hunt around the internet you can find a pattern to knit your own Dr Who scarf, but since Hailey is the great knitter, maybe you can talk her into making one for you. Not sure what you’d do with it, but I can see you wanting one.

  187. When I was a child I made a clover chain flower crown for our elderly cat, Kitkat. She just sat on the front lawn for ages with it on her head like a regal feline forest queen. I still have the picture somewhere. I’m not sure if my current cat Penny would be into knitted hats – but I might try one anyway. 🙂

  189. Your scarf is gorgeous and so are you! The the kitties look quite debonair in their new hats. Might I suggest knitting a top hat for one of them? Would look quite smashing. 🙂 And perhaps a monocle.

  190. I totally use knitting as therapy. It might not be the same as stabbing things with needles, but it sure helps me with my anxiety. And I though your scarf looked awesome!

  192. I bet a children’s hospital would love some hats for their oncology unit! We started ‘loom knitting’ here a year or so ago, because it is less stabby than regular knitting needles and I don’t even trust myself with sharp things for the most part, I’m too accident prone.

  193. Your post with the embroidery of Rory made me want to take up embroidery, so I did, and now I’ve got tiny scraps of canvas from my painting class all over my dorm with little flowers all over them, and I’m giving everyone embroidered roses for Valentines!

  194. “Wow. That scarf looks like it’s seen things.” That is now my new favorite description of just about ANYTHING

  195. I’ve become unraveled right now. I lost my baby boy on 2/4. I don’t know which way to go

    (I am sending you so much love. I wish I could hug you. You are not alone. ~ Jenny)

  197. Yay you! Knitting really helps me with stress/anxiety. The rhythm is soothing. I about did a spit-take reading Victor’s assessment (Wow. That scarf looks like it’s seen things.) Some of my knitting has a similar look. I frog and start over, maybe I should start keeping some of my more challenged creations. Badge of honor and all that.

  198. This may seem like a weird question, but why aren’t you in your own contacts on your phone?
    Maybe if you make yourself a contact in your phone putting in a wrong number won’t happen again? Hope that’s not an annoying suggestion! Love the blog and your Instagram!

  199. I was lost at one time and acquired 23 rescue cats. My daughter and I crocheted little red and silver collars for each one. Now that I am old I have 4 cats. They are old too. I don’t have a blog, I have 4 cats.

  200. “Sassy beret” made me snort my coffee. Always fun when your coworkers give you strange looks and avoid you. 🙂 I tried knitting and could never get the tension right so i switched to crochet.

  202. My mom was the real knitter in our family. I used to know how to, but I always needed my mom to get it started. She knitted me a dress when I was little, as I grew and it got too short, she knitted a pair of pants, with that braidy design down the outside of the legs, and completed the ensemble with a coat. I don’t know where the pants and the jacket are, but I still have the “dress” which is now a sweater. Man, I miss my mom. 😢 and it’s my sisters first birthday since she passed 2 months ago so I’m sorry my funny response has turned into me crying.

    I love your cat hats, and I would have wet myself if it was my number you accidentally sent those pictures to.

  204. You are doing great! Keep it up and you will get it! I’m not allowed to knit or crochet my cats hats. My mother specifically forbids it. You should stick to knitting because then you can make foxen! I have one that needs assembling.

  205. Of course, you made an “artistic choice” to have fringe at the edges of your scarf which looks cozy and comforting. There are a variety of loom books on the market when you are ready for new loom knitting challenges. Ravelry has many patterns, too. It’s amazing the cats left their hats on long enough for you to take pictures.

  206. Try crocheting. It’s easier than knitting ’cause you only have to deal with one needl

  207. “Sassy beret” makes your cat look like a very small twin of Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters. 10/10, would giggle at again.

  208. Jenny. Thank you from the bottom of my (heart) boots! your books are awe inspiring and absolutely (pmsl) funny. So glad I stumbled upon you at the local library! P.s… your next world adventure totally should be New Zealand… we promise nothing will eat you bar the locals lol

  209. I got through a rough period of my life by knitting blankets. The most basic knit stitch, back and forth. I used bulky yarn and cast 110 stitches. And that helped me cause I also get into the rhythm and keep going. And then you have a lovely blanket at the end.

  210. I love the scarf. My cats would never put up with hats.
    I sent 22 crocheted items (hats, scarflets, and mittens) out to family for Christmas, and I continue to wear the additional hats I’d made (because, like you, I just KEPT GOING, even when I was done), even though I live in California, where no one ever needs a warm hat (we totally DO, or at least I do). I have also made some Easter Baskets for the youngest ones, but I haven’t “finished” them (even though they’re TOTALLY finished) yet because none of the parents of the youngest ones have chimed in to say how BIG they should be… but I need to finish them so I can mail them out before April, right? Shit. It’s March 1. I gotta get on that!

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