Kitty Crack

It seems all my friends and family are cat people, not dog people. What's up with that?!
My sister has two dearly loved cats, my friend Rene and another friend at work both acquired new cats for their respective homes.

During a recent Knitting Party at my house, the conversation was definitely heavy on the cat antics. All the cute and silly things cats do. This was probably an effort to counter the effects of my very persistent hounds staring down guests for nibbles, laying around releasing pungent odors, and generally making themselves a complete nuisance.

Hmm...maybe there's something to be said for cats....Ooops, sorry Lola, sorry Rudy!! I didn't mean it, really I didn't!! I just know so long as I have a Coonhound and a Basset Hound under my roof, cats are pretty much out of the question. I mean, I do value the few pieces of furniture and decor in my house. Broken lamps and ripped upholstery are not my favorite thing.

Which is all a lead up to share a recent diversionary project with you, one that came together over the Holiday break. I made up a bunch of catnip mice. Mice filled little packets of kitty crack, sure to make any cat go completely insane.

These were really fun and really easy to make. Once I mastered the basic pattern, I was able to knock them off in about an hour, with a few more minutes to add eyes, nose and work up the braided tail.

I used bits of leftover yarn, knit on much smaller needles for a dense fabric. Then I sewed up the body, stuffed with some polyfill and a tissue filled packet of catnip. Once the body cavity was completely filled, I finished off the seam and used embroidery thread to add the details.

My sister reported that Spike and Flippy were thrilled with their toys and played with them for hours. These are really fun to make and a great way to use up some scraps.

The specs
Pattern: here
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needle: size 5