I have completed knitting on the front and back of my poncho!

I carefully steam=blocked each piece to make the seed stitch borders lie flat and to even out the fabric. I carefully ran the steam iron over the cabled portion to, without pressing down on it.

Now I am almost done with the first shoulder piece:

I’ll make two shoulder pieces and attach the front and back to them, leaving a “hole” in the middle for the neck opening. Then I will pick up stitches around the neck edge and knit a neckband.

Loki is ready to help:

Or he may oversee from his perch by the window. His choice!

I have a bit more than two-thirds done on this piece:

However, knitting time is minimal. When I am given a choice of working on knitting  or having a happy purring kitty who wants to sit in my lap while I pet him . . . happy purring kitty wins out every time!

Still, I hope to have this piece done this weekend. Then all that remains are the shoulder strap pieces and the collar, so I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The past week or so it has been cool enough in the mornings that I have needed something. I have been wearing my Not-Viajante, which is a very handy, versatile garment. This differs from Viajante in that I increased on both sides to make it wider across the shoulders faster. My Viajante is a lot skinnier at the top so in bunches up more around the neck.

Anyway, I am hoping it won’t be too much longer before this poncho will be the perfect outwear for my morning commute. I do plan to write up the pattern. I am finding it an enjoyable knit, and some of you may as well. Besides, if the government shuts down next Tuesday and I am out of a job temporarily, I need to sell patterns to support myself, right? 😉

Loki!

In a comment on my last blog post, Debbie asked how Loki was doing with letting me touch his floofy paws.

When I first got him, he would not allow me to touch his paws, much less clip his claws, so I had to take him to the vet for his mani-pedi. And I have been making a point of gently fondling his paws as much as possible since he came to live with me.

I am pleased to report that recently, with the help of the King of All Remote Controls, I was able to execute a partial claw clip! Loki got a little squirmy before we could finish so I thought it best to end on a high note and finish the job later.

The King of All Remote Controls held Loki gently on his side on a towel-covered table, grasping him by the scruff of the neck while I extended a paw and clipped the claws. This is how the vet techs did it when I took him in and I was amazed when I saw how quiet he was — no crying or struggling. So we replicated this at home. We had some initial fumbling while we got into position, and then it took me a while to find each transparent little claw in all that floof, so it’s no wonder Loki got squirmy before we were done. But other than that, it went very well. No crying (from either the cat or the humans) and no hard feelings when we released him.

Another boring blog post with an update on a long-term project. Here’s the front, halfway there:

Yes, it looks just like the back! Upcoming blog posts will continue to feature my incremental progress on this project.

So to distract and entertain, Loki has consented to pose for you.

He has just this weekend discovered that his big scratching post has a little pedestal on top, perfect for posing in a regal manner.

Here he is in a more candid pose:

And here is an extreme close-up of his giant floofy paws!

Drumroll, please . . .

As you can see, Loki is taking his job as spokesmodel seriously.

But it is hard work, so lots of naps are on the schedule.

The title is an exaggeration: what I have completed only seems like miles of knitting. Here is my progress:

A bit more done on my poncho since Sunday.

I have lots and lots of this yarn. Approximately 3200 yards of it, and I plan to use most or all of it for this project.

The design features Celtic knots in its cables:

And it has a seed stitch edging:

Knitting a very large, very warm wool piece may not be the smartest move when it is in the 90s and humid outside, but onward I knit. Indoors. With plenty of a/c.

Crochet for Dolls Book Giveaway

The winner of my review copy of Crochet for Dolls by Nicky Epstein is Angie, who has been emailed and has responded. As always, thanks to everyone who left a comment.

Loki Sez

“I’ve been resting up all day so I can help Momma with her knitting tonight!”