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28 November 2016

The Secret Ingredient in Yarn.



Or, what the Yarn Companies won't tell you.. because you know, it's not true, I made it up.


CATNIP!

You know I'm on to something here!

I am convinced that most yarns contain it. Why else would a normally well behaved cat turn into a raging lunatic at the sight or smell of yarn?

Ok, so of my two black cats, one is  reasonably well behaved, Milly is a Madam Muck of cats who likes things her way in a rather calm and gentle way.   The other is a little monster.  She will ONLY drink from a cup of water left on the sink, she's recently taken to sleeping in bathroom basins. She can scream louder than a two year old having a tantrum if she wants something.

The MOMENT a yarn delivery arrives Stella is all over the packaging, she will jump on tables, push my hands out of the way, and sit on the parcel purring at a jet landing decibel.  Milly on the other hand will sit in a very ladylike fashion as close to the package as possible.  This never happens to deliveries for Mr Builder.  Tools, bulk lots of chai latte and work boots are obviously not exciting. I'm actually with the cats on that one.

I've developed a fondness for project bags, most of you have because they are so pretty and unique.  My fondness comes from preventing the cats from making a bed on a yet to be completed project. Stella will rummage through a pile of freshly washed blankets, bypassing anything as mundane as polar fleece, and pluck out the hand crocheted ones. She will certainly find a way to pluck a project from an open basket or bowl.  I like zippered project bags.

I dare anyone to open my yarn cupboard.  No matter how quiet I am, there she is, Stella the yarn junkie.  I'm serious, I can close the door on the craft room and that little ball of black fluff will scream from outside of the room or, as she did today, launch herself at the screen on the window from outside.  Milly has a more stealth like manner, she'll come in very quietly and just make her way into the cupboard and you won't know that she's there.  Its usually the little cries of help after I've accidentally shut her in that will give her away.

I can't block anything without covering it first with a sheet.   I won't show you the photo I have of the last time Stella made the blocking sheet hers, you'll want to get out an industrial vacuum cleaner.

As a kitten Milly would steal entire balls of yarn and stash them under my son's bed, Just like a puppy with a ball, pick it up and run.  We found her stash when my son appeared one day whilst cleaning his room "Umm Mum, I know you don't have to hide your wool but is there a reason there are 10 balls of it under my bed?"

I woke one morning to find an entire ball of Scheepjes Merino Soft had been inexplicably used to set up an entire house obstacle course. One Hundred and Five metres of Monet, around chairs, under tables, up the hallway, across the hallway, over the dining table. Delightful, wet, soggy yarn to trip me up in my uncaffeinated state.

They don't do it to string, fishing line, rope, ONLY yarn.  It's the catnip!! I've noticed the neighbourhood cats hanging around.  I'm pretty sure Stella has told them about her stash!


*Image credit http://www.thecatnip.co/catnip-stories


EDIT*  I posted this blog a few moments ago, turned around to see THIS! 


8 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Sarah! It's an ongoing battle, the pain is real. :D

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  2. My boyfriend wants to get a cat. I'm scared!

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    Replies
    1. Oh Carmen, don't be scared. I think if they learn from when they are very little that the yarn is off limits they're pretty good. Unfortunately we got Stella when she was an older kitten and she just thinks that EVERYTHING is hers. The fun and love they give you outweigh the yarn losses, which in my case would be minimal if I remembered to put things away properly!

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    2. The biggest tip I can give you is to not let a kitten play with yarn scraps. My kids would dangle and throw and pull yarn scraps for Stella, consequently she's a yarn junkie. I never did that with Milly and I got her at 6 weeks old. She would steal balls of yarn like a puppy with a ball but she'd pick them up by the label and stash them not trash them. :)

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  3. I literally lol'd reading this!! Fabulous post hun xxx

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    Replies
    1. I wouldn't laugh too hard, those balls in front of Stella are the ones I'm sending you! :P

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  4. Love your cat story....I was visualizing your kitties as I read it.....lovely.
    As for the yarn.....I'll get to try it one day. Sounds beautiful.

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