While the Cat’s Away, the Mouse Will Play

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’ve been working on some Mother’s Day gifts for awhile now, with many stops and starts along the way.  I took another break recently to work on two other projects, just straight knitting of other people’s designs–not designing anything myself–which was a welcome break.1

Turkish Bed Socks

A Turkish Bed Sock in progress. As you can see, there will be only a small slit on each side of the sock to be seamed at the end. Hurrah!

The first project was a pair of slipper-like socks from a Churchmouse Classics pattern (“Turkish Bed Socks”).  I’ve never knitted socks before, but I’ve wanted to try doing so for a long time.

Eons ago2 I saw a sock pattern that I loved so I bought the book it was in and some sock yarn, but back then I had never worked with double-pointed needles (aka DPNs) and was a bit scared of them.  Since that time, I have used DPNs many, many times and frankly just adore them.  Like many knitters, I am not a big fan of finishing work so I love knitting in the round and having very little seaming to be done at the end.

One finished Turkish Bed Sock.

I thought that starting with a small pair of socks such as the Turkish Bed Socks would be a good way to learn the anatomy of a sock, which I’ve heard can be a bit tricky at first.  The Churchmouse pattern is well-written, with clear, easy-to-follow steps for each part of the sock.  I’ve completed one sock and am almost done with the second,3 and they’re turning out quite nicely.

Cat & Mouse Reversible

Our brown and pink (my daughter's a "girly-girl") striped cat. The mouse is tucked up underneath (inside) the cat's body.

The other project that I started (and finished!) is a reversible cat and mouse toy for my daughter.  This pattern is by Susan B. Anderson and is found in her “Itty-Bitty Toys” book.  I have made a few things already from this book and love Susan’s designs.  She provides clear, step-by-step instructions and her patterns result in fabulous toys.4  If you enjoy knitting toys, “Itty-Bitty Toys” is a must-have.

The little mouse is ready to play, with the cat now tucked away inside the mouse's body.

Along with being a really cute and fun project, this cat and mouse reversible would be a great project to learn to use DPNs.  It’s small and manageable, and Susan provides clear instructions to help you along the way.  While DPNs can be a little awkward at first, if you stick with them5 and find a way to hold them that’s most comfortable for you, they become really easy, and a pleasure, to use.6

The transformation from cat to mouse in progress.

My daughter just loves her cat and mouse reversible, and I’m sure the child in your life would, too!

1. As with most things in life, I find I need to strike a balance between working on my own designs and knitting someone else’s. I really enjoy the challenge of creating my own patterns and projects, but it does entail a lot of time and effort, and sometimes I just want to knit and not think about every stitch AND have a finished product in a reasonable amount of time! [↩]
2. Well, maybe not eons, but it’s probably been years by now. [↩]
3. I took a break to make the Cat & Mouse Reversible for my daughter. [↩]
4. There can be many parts to her toys–for example, with the cat and mouse you knit the ears, arms, legs, and tails separately and then have to attach them to the bodies–but it’s totally worth it because the end results look so good. [↩]
5. I just realized the pun; sorry, it wasn’t intended. [↩]
6. I can almost promise you you’ll be hooked on DPNs once finished! [↩]