Very Disappointed

I have to say that I am still waiting to hear from the Swansea Cat Protection all this time later. Obviously they are never going to contact me. I'm bitterly disappointed that I gave them all my precious work - over 35 crocheted cats which took me a year to make, plus all my cat ornaments - when there has been no feedback whatsoever. I have no idea whether my cats sold to help the charity. The couple of emails I sent ages ago were never answered :-(


If only they had given me some positive feedback I would have happily continued to donate more crafts and other things to this branch of Cats Protection. As it is I have felt very discouraged and haven't crocheted anything other than slippers for 18 months...

Five Kittens

My latest five cats, all kittens this time (around three and a half inches high) with various types of eyes and whiskers. They will join the others in Swansea and wait to be sold (hopefully) on the stall at the Gower Show on the 2nd August!

Peony and Leo

Peony in her new home with gorgeous Leo!

Swansea Cats Protection 2

Two of the cats outside their new (temporary) home!

..and indoors with beautiful Pingpong

Swansea Cats Protection

A decision at last!!!

After months of soul searching about what to do with my crochet cat family - should I sell them on the internet or should I give them to charity? - I finally made a decision: to donate them to my local Swansea Cats Protection branch to sell on their stalls at events in the area over the coming months, and in their shop in the city - see this link. Hopefully you may see some of my cats here at some point.

Although really very sad to see all my cats leaving me yesterday (including many I never put on this blog), at least they (and a large box I included of beautiful cat ornaments in glass, silver, china and wood which I had collected over many years) will help to raise money for the much-needed Swansea and District Cats Protection funds. I have been assured that a photo or two will be sent to me soon showing some of the cats for sale, so I will add them to a new blog here, and also give details then of a great cattery and cat and dog grooming service for people in this area.

More as soon as I receive the photos!!

Four Move House!

Yesterday, I was delighted to see four cats go off to live with Frances and Catherine in their lovely home in Thornbury, near Bristol.
Here they are below with various other feline friends!

Borage, Speedwell, Clover Kitten and Mum Clover posing with Arthur, Anthony and Wagstaff!

Here's Speedwell with the sleeping George...

...and then all of them creeping up on him!

"Wake up and play!"

All photos taken by Catherine - thank you!

Columbine 2

The second cat in purple, a little better than the previous one of the same name, I think

Borage 2

My first curled up cat! Not a perfect design but I know what to alter the next time I try it.

Close-up of the face

Misty, Katy, Rosie, Poppy and Fuzzy!

I was so thrilled today to receive this lovely photo of Rosie, Poppy and Fuzzy in their new home in Edinburgh, looking out over the wonderful view towards Arthur's Seat, and being watched over by Misty - one of the two other beautiful cats in the house!

(For those who are interested in learning more about Arthur's Seat please click here! )

A lovely photo of Misty in the garden - what a sweetie!

...and here is the other gorgeous cat who lives in the same house : Katy!

Sweet Cicely

September 2008: Two 'firsts' for this 8 inch high green and white cat, made with my favourite yarn! First of all, the only cat I've made with eyebrows - an addition suggested by my friend, Ann - and, secondly, the front paws are chunkier. I think both are an improvement - I'd be interested to hear any opinions. Also, having made several cats recently with a rather sad and wistful expression, I decided on a happier face for this one!

A close-up to show the eyebrows. The whiskers have practically disappeared into the yellow background!

The yarn which I used for this cat

Sweet cicely flowers

Columbine

This time a pale purple one, just over 7 inches high, September 2008.

How I love this yarn (must get down to Shaws and buy some more before it's all gone)!

Close up of a ball of this lovely silky yarn

Pretty Columbine flowers

Borage

My latest blue-and-a-contrasting-colour cat! 8 inches high, August 2008. I might replace these photos with better ones soon as the blue has come out a little dark, also the whiskers don't show up too well (if you click on the photos to enlarge them you can see them better). I wish I could find something else to use other than this opaque 0.3mm nylon thread. It sews in easily but doesn't show up clearly - and gets bent if I'm not very careful, especially when storing the cats. Suggestions anyone?

Close-up

A few days ago: the body in progress on the sofa...

...and a couple of days later, nearly finished!

Borage flower

Peony

Two cats from August 2008, including my first lying-down one! The sitting cat is 8 inches high.

Here I am outside "Shaws" of Neath the other day with some of the 'Peony' yarn, which is amazingly cheap at only 99 pence a ball! It's the nicest and softest I have used so far and interesting too, with the little flecks of contrasting colour.

A lovely peony flower

My Hooks

Until very recently, and for almost 40 years (impossible!!), I crocheted using the hooks from this case.

It's a bit worse-for-wear now, and some of the hooks are missing, but I'll never get rid of it because my mother gave it to me. However, just a few weeks ago I decided to invest in some new hooks as I'd read about some of the lovely new coloured ones.

First of all I bought these (above) from Ebay: Susan Bates Crystalites - translucent acrylic crochet hooks. I love them - they are really lightweight and the colours are so pretty. They remind me of boiled sweets! They were so cheap too - an unbelievable £3.72 including the postage from America!!! (US $7.15)

I also decided to buy some (probably more durable) aluminium hooks. I couldn't find a set of coloured ones on Ebay, so I bought these from KCG Trading Limited, the trading company of the Knitting & Crochet Guild in the UK. These Susan Bates Silvalume Crochet Hooks were nearly £10 (including postage) and excellent quality. I'm really thrilled with them; indeed both sets, and am now a fan of the Susan Bates hooks! I've only used one acrylic hook and two aluminium ones so far - but give me time...!!

Cornflower

Two bright blue cats: the first arrived in March, 2008...

..and the second (5 inches high), in July 2008

A vivid blue cornflower

Rosie

One of my very first crocheted cats from way back in February, 2008. 5 inches high, so quite small (as you can see where she is sitting in my hand); embroidered eyes and a collar with a 'bell' instead of the later ribbon and bow which I now prefer. The legs were quite 'bendy' but now I like to make them rather stiff. I do lots of things differently now of course, like adding claws and filling in ears, and bringing the tail to a point. Also, I don't use this silver thread for whiskers any more because they frayed, despite coating the ends with varnish.

Rosie left home to live in Scotland in May 2008!

Iris

Just one Iris so far from May 2008, and with the round 'teddy bear' eyes - I still have so many of them to use up! She's 7 inches high...

...and here she is in her new home in Tamerton Foliot, in the South West of England, with gorgeous Marmite to look after her! August 27th 2008.

Iris flower

Fuzzy

Two experiments in May 2008 using very spiky yarn! 5 inches high with glass eyes and embroidered mouths. Green-eyed Fuzzy went to a happy life in Edinburgh in May. I couldn't think of a suitable flower's name although I have seen pictures of spiky white flowers since then, but I don't know what they are called. I'll find out before I make another spiky feline!