Awwww, my cats "hug" my knitted scarves too. Love the hat Laurie. Gor-ge-ous.

Ummmmm, Aunty Purl, just WHAT is Bob doing to that scarf in that last photo?!?

What type of catnip are you feeding that poor guy, anyways??

HAAAAA!! I didn't think you were serious about the spackle! Lurve the hat.

Brilliant!

I would have never thought of the wood filler.

You must have learned a thing or two in woodshop!

I'll be stealing this idea...I have cats, too...

My cats are needle-eaters, too. One of them (my ADHD cat, Lily) ate both of the tips of my ONE AND ONLY pair of beautiful Lantern Moon straight needles! She also gnarled-up the cord of one of my circular bamboo needles in the middle of a sweater. I still haven't found a way to fix that one!!

Last night my rat (yes, I have rats AND cats) spilled a full 20 oz. glass of water all over my knitting bag and knitting basket and all over my 100% wool sock yarn!! Thanks goodness for sedatives!!

You look so beautiful in that picture, Laurie!! I hope you're finger is feeling better.

Absolutely gorgeous, Laurie! I am impressed by your handiness and craftiness! I would have just sighed and decided to knit something else. You have very strong will power to not run out and buy needles - I think that would have qualified as an "essential" purchase. But I'm very impressed.

Bob is so cute! And I very much respect your handiness with the needle-spackling. You're a smart, resourceful girl on a budget.

Lovely hat--that yarn is gorgeous.

Bob snuggling the knitting. The cuteness of it almost hurts.

A solid uncoloured natural beeswax candle works way better than waxpaper.

Oh, and love the hat!

such a pretty smile you have....

Bob, not the sharpest tool in the shed? I like to think that Bob has a job to do. That job? chew. Well done Bob!

Love your cat herd!
(and the scarf luvin'!)

Freakin' brilliant! I did not know that wood filler was an essential knitting accessory but now that I do, it will be on my daily Lowes shopping list.

Most of my needles are Addis though....oh yeah...and I have no pets. I guess I can take the wood filler off my list.

Love it! And that hat is gorgeous. :)

You're right, that Noro Blossom is gorgeous ... but not as gorgeous as Bob! He can come to my house and knit with me any time he wants to.

That is the most beautiful hat ever. And Bob should be a movie star -- thanks for the great pics

If I ever overcome my fear of DPNs and stitch markers I might just try this hat recipe. The yarn is gorgeous! And I wish I was as photogenic as you are! Pretty!

I heart your industrious fix for cat-chewed needles! And of course I heart Bob. He's so sweet to model the pompom scarf for you like that. And hugs to Roy, cutest cat in the blogiverse!

Great job with the spackle! I'll have to remember that next time Emma the needle chomper strikes.

Re: Bob pictures - awww.....

*
You and Bob and Your Knitting and writing are all beautiful and I love you.

*

The hat is adorable and I love that scarf with its pom poms!

The hat is beautiful! (and you look pretty good in that photo as well)

Do you check to see if anyone is in the stalls before you do your modeling work in the ladies room?

I love Noro Blossom and that hat is fabulous and looks adorable on you. I love knitting hats, too. I'm about to finish up my second one this week, my fourth this month. And I've got at least two more to knit before the month is out....

I like your idea of stitch markers after every decrease -- I've just been counting, and sometimes I lose track and then the top of my hat isn't a lovely starburst of decreases but instead looks a little wonky. Oh well....

I know I said yesterday that I love Frankie. Well, I think I love Bob, too. What a sweetie. (Don't tell Soba.)

Very impressive MacGuyvering! Bob is too cute and deserves to have his chewing indiscretions ignored. My little guy chewed up my Denise set. I don't think the spackle will work on plastic.

The hat is beautiful!!!!

My Fred has a penchant for my barrel-style row counter. I have to hide it or HE will!

I must be the only knitter on the planet to not understand this fascination with Noro. I don't like it at all. It's bumpy and scratchy and not all that luscious. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

Who's that pretty girl in that mirror there? Who can that attractive girl be? Such a pretty face, such a pretty smile... (such a pretty hat!!! )

I just love that song and it's so appropriate!

I'm glad to know Bob is still appreciated for his Bob-ness. Without Bob you may never have realized how to integrate your woodshop skills with your needle arts. Next stop for you? Making yourself a yarn swift! There are plans for one on the web - just like a guy sells on e-bay!

Bob is way too cute for words...Of course he can be forgiven for his needle chewing escapades...a cat's gotta do what a cats gotta do afterall...I live with a needle chewer, too, although if mine were in a plastic bag they would still be chewed because Ms. Graysea loves plastic bags almost as much as bamboo needles.
Beautiful hat and photo! Love Noro, too!

awwww, Bob!! so cute! I also lose knitting needles to the dog...bamboo, aluminium, he's not fussy....

How super-crafty of you! I would never have thought of that. I did try to use a nail file on a cat-attacked needle once, but the asymmetry of the result bugged me. Great hat!

As a new condo-owner, I need to get into the DIY repair stuff, too. Do you recommend any books for the late-learners among us?

Awesome Macgyvering! And I too am a freakishly tight knitter and am forever making my head hurt trying to figure out things like, "Well, normally I can just go up one size in the needles, but if I want to use a different-weight yarn, plus I have a gigantic head, then divide by pi . . . " Or I could just actually knit a gauge swatch, but I am a big lazy.

My MIL's cat, Buddy (who is a dead ringer for Bob, btw), has left tooth marks in some of my needles. In fairness to him, I was holding the other end of the needle and cooing over how cute he is while he was nibbling the tip. Oddly enough, the tooth marks haven't been a problem when I use those needles. They just make me smile.

Great hat!

The hat is "Faboo"...

My cat has this fetish for chewing on the plastic stitch markers - to the point where they get eaten off of (and out of) my work.

So far, no yarn has been damaged in this activity, however there was one REALLY (really really) close call (he chewed the stitch marker off of the knitted work at the BOTTOM of a panel of a sweater coat). Good thing that he is insanely cute so that he avoids total banishment.

It is sad that wrapping work in a ziplock AND hiding it in a closed knitting bag is no protection. I've had to resort to shutting the knitting bag into my coat closet when I'm not working with it.

That is one happy looking cat! Your hat looks great, too.

Oh spackle... how useful you are. Let me count the ways!

My basset hound, Henry loves to eat yarn as well. One time I was knitting him a sweater and he got a hold of it, dropped a few stitches and made teeth marks in my bamboo needles. Needless to say, Henry did not get a lovingly hand knit sweater.

Do you have any IDEA how many gnawed needles I have in my collection? Now, thanks to The Brilliance That Is Laurie, I can try a remedy I would never have thought of. (If you come up with anything to deal with gnawed plastic cables, please do tell. Lightly toasting them does not work, nor does judicious application of a nail file.)

The hat, she is brilliant. She is also fuchsia. Please note spelling. Normally I don't hector people about such things when not paid to do so, but this is my identity you're toying with here.

Ah, the unbearable cuteness of Bob. Next up on ET: exploring the illicit relationship between a cat and his scarf.

What a wonderful color ffor you, it really compliments the glow of your skin. Never have I thought of spackle and knitting in the same moment. Clever girl you are, Miss Laurie!

I also have an orange male cat who loves to get into my knitting! Instead of chewing DPN's he drags my yarn out of the basket that I keep my cottons in and makes dental floss of it all over my house. Last time this happened it looked like a spider spun cotton webs all over the dining room and living room. He proceeded to destroy 4 balls of yarn. I love your blog and enjoy reading and the pics of your gorgeous cats!
Oh, I would have NEVER thought about fixing those DPNs like that, you are awesome!

Awww! Bob likes those awesome pom-poms you just made! His disciminating taste for fine knits far outweighs his bamboo-gnawing tendencies!

Oh Laurie, that last picture is so sweet I just want to make it my computer wallpaper!

Gorgeous hat - the color is purrfect on you!

Mischief has already used 1 of her lives by chewing a Lantern Moon needle. I know, that should count as, like, 2 lives but it wasn't the "working" end of the needle so she got lucky!

I'll have to stand with you on the Noro Addiction thing - it right up there with my Rowan Obsession. But it's not a problem. It's not hurting anyone. I could stop if I wanted to. Just leave me alone.

~picking up jaw off the ground~
Ya'll! She spackled her knitting needles! I love it! That's taking Craftiness to a whole new level!

Spackled. Needles.
Bwah Ha Ha Ha

Dear Bob: Aaaaaaawww! You're a naughty kitty, but damn, you're cute.

Dear Laurie: Clever! I would have just wept openly and thrown the needles away. You fixed them! I am keeping this in mind, in case anything ever happens to my wooden needles, which I do adore. (Aluminum makes too much noise.) And that hat is GORGEOUS. We love you Noro, oh yes we do!

laurie, has anyone walked in on you while photographing yourself in the mirror?

wondering, that's all.

A Cat Comforter. You are such a nice mommy to that needle chewing varmit. Sorry Bob, but that was not very nice.

I love the hat and your cheeks and all the pinkness! So Cute.

Laurie, you crack me up. Also: beautiful hat, & beautiful cat!

BTW, just spray the finished needles with a couple light coats of clear lacquer (with a very light sanding in between) and chuck the wax paper.

Yeah, sometimes folks walk in and I just say hey and tell them I am taking pictures of something I knitted. They think I'm a little "colorful" as it is so they never really make comments on my unusualness. But mostly I try to take these pictures very very early in the morning before many folks get in the office. It's best not to be too "colorful" at my place of employment LOL.

My animals all have their appreciation for the knitting (STRING! Also, BLANKETS! Yay!) but my mom's dog beats all. I made him one little poodle sweater in yarn the same color as him, and now every time he sees me knitting, he sits by me to GUARD the knitting. He lays on each project, and gets very disgruntled when he learns not EVERY one is hor him. Toy poodles do NOT have toy emotions...

Great hat! I made a cabled hat for myself out of Noro Transitions and I must confess I spent an unusual amount of time petting it when it was done. I may even have made other people touch it so that they could appreciate how fabulously soft it was, too.

LaDonna, that is a great idea! I just have to see if I have any clear spray paint hanging around in my garage :)

Okay I keep looking at that pic of Bob and wanting to immediately go home and pet him. He is so handsome. He deserves Greenies.

Love, love, love the scarf! So beautiful!

And Bob? Lovely, sexy kitty-pose you got going on there with that scarf! ;)

I am making mental notes of everyone's helpful remarks before my first ever knitting accroutements purchases, i.e., Put.Up.Knitting.Bag when not in use so that frisky kitty does not destroy.

And putting things in ziploc baggies would not work. My Teddy chews on plastic.

Oops, I meant I love your hat. Well, also, the scarf but that was from before. Yes, the new hat. The one you are modeling now. I like it.

The end.

OH! The easy roll brim hat recipe! This is what brought me to your site over a year ago and I have been a daily reader since! Your recipe reminded me that I wasn't drinking enough WINE while knitting. And now, I find that I'm not using enough Spackle! Who knew! I do love the Noro! Whacha gonna do with the left over yarn from the 2nd skein? skinny scarf? Or do you have another?

Bob is unbearably cute! And your new hat is unbearably gorgeous! I think I need to get me some of that Noro and jump on that bandwagon one of these days...

Oh, Bob, *sigh*. So THAT'S what happened to my bamboo dpns, I wonder which of our 2 cats did it. Speaking of needle abuse, I once caught my 4 year old boys sword fighting (very quietly with repressed giggles) with my mother's aluminum 10.5s. YIKES!

My fuchsia identity thanks you!

What exactly do you mean by "freakishly tight"? I have a sock that may be destined to remain eternally single because I ran out of yarn and I keep forgetting to call the store and order more. I was supposed to get 7 sts to the inch and I got 12, and for some odd reason, despite my freakishly tight grasp on the needles, I failed to grasp the implications.

(Let me assure you, lest you adduce this as yet another reason not to take up sock knitting, that I have never met anyone else who gets anything close to 12 sts to the inch in normal sock yarn.)

Laurie, have you ever thought of going shorter with your hair? I think you'd look so good with a kind of bob, like Jen's on the first couple of seasons of Dawson's Creek.

I can't tell you how happy I am to read your post every day.

You teach us things (wood spackle!)

You show us beautiful art (Noro hat!)

You make us laugh (Top Secret Picture-taking Spot!)

You melt our hearts with your silly pink-toed cats (Bob hugging the pom-poms!)

Thank you so much, Laurie.

Agreed on the cuteness of Bob. (my cat Lenny likes to chew on my 10.5 dpns as well)

Nice hat, very pretty colorway. Let us know what it is if you ever find out.

Behold the marvels of The Amazing Purple-Fingered Lady! She spackles! She knits! She rides the bus! Seriously, dude. Impressive.

(And those cute kitty photos make my teeth hurt.)

I have the same problem with my cat, in fact I decided to give up bamboo needles altogether because I'm so bad about leaving them around! Good thinking with the wood filler, I never would have thought of that! Very crafty indeed.

My compliments to Bob on his skillful gnawing. I kind of see why they do it. Soft wood. Little pointy teeth. Crunchy sound. Like gnawing a pencil.

Filling IN the hole! I'd only thought of filing away the hole. Large and then small grit sandpaper works. (Well, also a pencil sharpener, but then you definitely need sandpaper.) Getting a smooth round point is challenging. "Wax" paper is plastic now, so the suggestions of real wax or spray laquer (why not a color?!) are good ideas. And maybe nail polish on the gnawed plastic cables? I'm going to have to hunt up my damaged needles now!

By the way Laurie, thanks for the way-back-when downloads of Lark's music. It's keeping my drive to work so much more interesting, and That Voice! Fabulous!

Brilliant repair job, gorgeous Noro hat and cute, cuddly Bob. Good work!

Heh-heh. Spackle. Spackle spackle fuschia spackle. Spackle dee, spackle do, spackle spackle spackle.

Spacklespackle. Snark.

I just like saying spackle. It sounds funny inside my head.

A very ingenious repair! My schnauzer also likes wooden knitting needles (especially size 1 sock needles) but she doesn't just leave marks. She chews them to pieces. "Well, they're sticks, right?" she thinks. "Sticks are for dogs!"

And in the last photo, the giant pompoms on your scarf make Bob look like he's about three inches long. Very cute.

It sounds funny READING it umpteen fifty times, MG, heh.

I know what you mean about the norovirus. My hands start twitching when I'm in the Noro section. You're hat is gorgeous!

LOVE the hat, with the funky way it offsets the polished stainless steel of the Top Secret Picture Taking Spot ;o)

Re: "patented Bob-proof Needle Protection Device ("ziploc bag")"

What dose it say about me when I confess that my first thought was that you are also protecting your needles from The Terrorists?

I've used a 4-way nail file to help restore bamboo needles after cat gnawing, but I have not needed to resort to wood filler (yet!).

GREAT colors on you! There is a satisfaction hats give me that scarves don't quite meet. And the roll brim is my favorite.

As for the Norovirus? Yes, I suffer from it too. I am in the middle of a mitered square binge with skeins of Noro that will eventually become a blanket. It is so beautiful that I am literally losing sleep because I want to knit the squares more than I want to go to bed. The best part of the project? An excuse to buy one skein in every colorway I can find. ;-)

OH my heavens! You are GENIUS!!!
And adorable in your new hat!!!
AND have the.most.precious.kitty!!!

I guess I'm lucky, my kitty leaves my needles alone. Yarn, on the other hand... especially if I'm working with 100% wool yarn... well, it tasks her! It tasks her and she shall have it! Curse you, delicious merino! (and I'm left with a moist section of knitting.)

Oh my goodness! Love, love, love the colorway!
My cat generally leaves all needles and yarn alone, unless they are in my hands (then he has to show me that my hands for petting him only). But love the fix, needles are freakin expensive!

Hmm, what is it with cats and knitting accoutrements? My cat figured out how to flip open the latches on the storage box my knitting accessories were in so she could dig one of those blue rubber point protectors. She had to root around in the box for several minutes before acquiring her prize. Then she brought it to me to throw so that we could play fetch. It was so cute I gave in. *sigh* Now I have no more point protectors.
Awesome hat. And scarf. Oh, and of course, spackle.

that last picture seriously tugged at my heart.
~sweet kitty~

I use old-fashioned aluminum needles, so if the cats chew on them, it doesn't do any damage - although I worry about the feline dental work!

But they also have a distressing tendency to chomp the yarn in two if I leave an end dangling out of my knitting basket. I'll be knitting along, not paying attention, and suddenly come upon a frayed yarn end, soggy with cat spit.

I have never SEEN Noro yarn. Guess I'm going to have to go to my LYS and find some!

LOVE the Bob photos. You really should consider a book of cat photos. It would sell. Really!

Love it! Does anyone ever walk in on you while you're taking pictures in the biffy? ;)

you are just a riot.
I would never spackle my needles, But the story is so much better because you did.
Maybe you need a better needle protection system, like a freezer guard ziploc!! ;)

Dang! Spackle! I shoulda used spackle!

I have a size 5 bamboo circular that fell victim to my kitty, Moxie, and I tried sanding. Utter failure. Oh well, if it happens again I know what to do now!

What a cute baby kitty! Love the idea with the spackle - how ingenuitive! I actually keep my DPN's and circs in a bait (yes, like fishing bait) I picked up at Wallyworld for $4. It has a bunch of ziplock bags with holes/eyelets in them to snap into the bag, like a trapper keeper. It works great and it's tough to get into without opposable thumbs!

Awwww, Bob. My orange boy kitty, Buffy (don't laugh, grandma named him that because he's buff-colored), always wants to snuggle directly on top of whatever project I'm trying to work on. He gets this dreamy look in his eyes, purrs like crazy, and "makes muffins" in place until I pry him off my knitting. Poor baby.

Pretty hat! I think it's hilarious that you manage not to sweat to death wearing hats like that in LA.

Helen

that's a fab hat! and Bob is sooo cute.
and I have learned a new word - spackle (i'm english - i think we just call it 'wood filler'). am so glad you explained it with pictures, I thought it was some kind of special treat you had with wine :D

10.5 comes real close to 1/4 inch dowel.
I want the hat. Give me the hat.
Except I doubt it would bring out my eyes the way it does yours. Or is that the love shining through?

OMG. I'm so not a cat person and your kitties are making me want one! SOOOOOOoooo cute!

Cute hat! Cute Bob! He definitely looks teensy next to those giant pompoms.

Who knew... Bob is a yarn sniffer!

I truly love Bob. I had a Manx cat with Bob's coloring that always chewed on the tips and other ends of my bamboo needles if left unattended. He passed on 8 years ago, but everytime I see those needles, he's right back with me.

Awesome! For the times when duct tape just isn't enough! (And for Shannon, who was asking about DIY books: Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home by
Julie Sussman & Stephanie Glakas-Tenet)

Thanks for the laughs!

My furry little sweetums would do the same thing if she ever got half a chance... and had more teeth. *L*

Love the Hat. Love the Bob!

a) you're a genius.
b) you're also kinda easy on the eyes in that color, missy, and,
c) what we DON'T see is that two seconds after that last picture, Bob, if he's like most of the cats I've known, turned and MAULED THE CRAP out of that scarf. Yarn is just irresistable, isn't it?

:)

that's such a cute scarf you knitted for bob. it's just his color.
;-)

So, Laurie. I typically do my decreases on the two stitches before each marker. It comes out like a spiral. I like that effect, but sometimes I would like straight lines. Do you do your decreases after each marker to get straight lines?

Love, love, love your hat!

Laurie, now that you've mastered Knitting Needle Repair 101, you need to take the next class... Making Your Own Knitting Needles Out of Common Household Items 202.

I'm tempted to get some wooden dowels and a pencil sharpener and see what I can come up with..

I've got a friend who does beautiful wood turnings. I'm tempted to ask him to make me a walking stick that looks like a giant crochet hook. Why? Because I want one. :)

btw, i'm a noro addict, too. i have four skeins of transitions #1 that are so pretty i'm almost afraid to knit them. but i'll get over that. i'm working on a sweater (!) in silk garden. i suppose at my present knitting rate it's for some future winter, or else i'll make the sleeves 3/4 & say it's for the spring.

if you want to advance into Xtra advanced knitter, there's an easy peasy klaralund sweater in a cornelia tuttle hamilton book, which i made in kureyon. it's like knitting three tubes & sticking them together (in a nice way). the body can even be done on round needles. i think it would look lovely on you.
happy knitting!

Well, this confirms it, your Bob and my Bartholamew are related somehow! I just had to buy a zippered knitting bag so he couldn't get everything out of the bag and chew and/or lay upon said items, and get himself IN the bag.

love the hat too!

Whoda thunk knitters had such utter tragedy in their lives? =-O

I think Bob wants that scarf for his kitty pi... it sets off his fur tone *just so*...

You look so adorable in your hats! Not everyone can wear hats, yanno...

You are hysterical! With four of my own cats I won't be buying any wooden crochet hooks, I can tell you that!

My rescue cat chews my yarn or thread in two pieces so fast it's incredible. The other cats just snag the balls and play soccer.

What fun would it be without the little furballs?

Is Bob cuddling on lovely Malabrigo? My weirdo cat loves Malabrigo more than she loves bleach or even limes!

What a great idea! I really need to do that to my needles that have fallen victim to the kitties.

I'm impressed that a ziplock bag keeps Bob out! My cats (that I lost in my pretend divorce -- turns out if you just pretend that you're married and never do that church thing you don't need to sign any paperwork when the so called relationship ends! Sweet! -- and I'm heartbroken and miss them so much) saw bags as entertainment. Anything you ziplocked would be on display on the kitchen table (without the bag) the next morning. Forgetting a bag of tortillas on the counter? Expect teeth marks and shredded tortillas.

Norovirus? Hmmm...I don't remember you joining my Norovember KAL last year.... ;)

I love Blossom - it's a little weird to knit with, but the results are gorgeous! And so are you and Mr. Bob.

How could one ever get mad at a face like that? How? And your hat is simply marvelous, dahling.

That hat is GORGEOUS.

And so are YOU.

I just adore Noro, too. Sigh. I am felting a Noro hat right now and I have at least 2-3 washings to go. I am desperately trying to find more things to wash because I want to wear it already, dammit.

I love the spackle. LOVE IT.

Why is it that once the yarn that is so yummy to munch, is left unchewed after it's knitted up? A mystery! Great hat! Puts a sparkle in yo' eyes...

Bob looks just too cute snuggling your scarf. The hat looks real good on you. I wish I didn't have such a freakishly huge head. No hat I've ever mad has actually fit me. Nor has any hat I've bought.

I don't know which is better here, the knitting projects or the cats. Both make my day, often. Thanks again for a lovely post.

I think if you're a super-tight knitter, then people who aren't should go DOWN a needle size when using your patterns, not up. Otherwise they will all be making ginormous hats. Because your stitches are so tight that you knitting on a 10.5 is like someone else knitting looser on a 10 or 9.

Also, your spackle is totally genius. Paddington once destroyed an entire size 6 long bamboo needle. There were about 50 shredded bits on the floor and god only knows how many in his stomach. Who knew bamboo was so delicious? (Um, besides pandas, I guess.)

Dear CAP,

I have just spent the past few minutes reading your posts that I have not been able to read at work because I have been so busy I want to weep. Yet, you make me smile EVERY time. Keep on keepin' on girl.

Sometimes, you even make me want to learn how to knit.

You're a gem.

xooxoxox

I have been through a similar fate except my labrador thought they were cute little dainty chew toys. I sanded mine down to were they were serviceable. When you have waited four weeks for an internet order to arrive, you tend to like to hang on to what was in the package.

Carpenter's tip: get some linseed oil, follow instructions and allow ample drying time. Your needles will be smooth as silk and last forever. (Barring another assaut by Bob T. Cat that is.)

Lilliane. She of the brown tabby persuasion - CSI could get her DNR off most of my DPNs. I too just filed 'em with a nail file and find that the yarn doesn't slip off now! I explained carefully to Evangeline that, as a Knitter's Cat, she's not to touch yarn or needles and it worked! Lilly MOSTLY follows her lead, but a big soft ball of some nice Joann Fabrics yarn (pastel, very soft) is too much for her and she loves to grab the ball and rush away, causing me to gallop after her, cabled panel and needles in hand.

Laurie - that cap is darling, and save that picture for the cover of your first book! You could write about cats, knitting, life skills, wise handling of money -- or photography using mirrors and lighting in the corporate biffy.

Aww, he hugs your knitting!

Packet made biscuits on my clapotis once.

The Noro hat is adorable, and it looks great on you. Both my dog and my cat eat my bamboo and wooden needles. UGH!

i like the hat. Your bathroom pictures crack me up.

all I could think of once I saw Bob on the scarf was "OH NO! It's going to snag!" Love the hat.

If you're feeling really crafty. Once you can buy things you might try making your own DPNs with dowls (sp?) from the hardware store. I love the four sets I have and they only cost me ~$0.70 a set.

Ok, but would you REALLY want Noro that had sprung from every orifice? Although Noro from a booty is still Noro, it's still still Noro from a booty. That's all.

He's a naughty boy that Bob, but oh, so handsome! Beautiful hat, almost enough to make me wish it was cold here...

Beautiful hat. Love it.

But Noro from EVERY orifice. eww.

I adore the hat! Great colors, but you lost me on the marker after each decrease thing. I have made your roll brim hat (and I adore it) but it may be my cold, or the fact that we have both snow and ice outside, but I'm not wrapping my mind around the marker thing!

Bob T. Cat looks exactly like the "grown-up" version of my new kitty!! If you have a chance, take a quick peek at his picture on my blog and let me know---then I'll know what Toebi will look like when he gets older!! Love the hat---the colors are great and it looks lovely on you, too :)

I love the pink Blossom with the little bobbles on the yarn. I knit some in the brown, gray tone and I love the sweater. I will keep the spackling in mind. My dog ate my double pointed #2 needles and got part of it wedged between her teeth! Pets!

Aww, Bob the butterscotch kitty...

I wish I could use that method to repair the cables on my circs, which my boys love to chomp on.

You are so darn CUTE!

Hello, Noro. My yarn porn. God that is just gorgeous. You don't get the jist of that yarn unless you see it knit up.

When you get around to writing that knitting book, that second photo of Bob so needs to be on the cover.

Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze and amuse me - improvised pompom makers and stitch holders, fixing gnawed-on dpns- what next?

I tried looking at Noro color cards; I lean towards colorway #194, but maybe 170? It's hard to tell. But keep it away from Bob, he may not let you wear your hat as he may claim it as part of his yarn harem. He's so blissful in his first picture and in the second one so possessive- it's mine! all mine!

and btw, Happy Valentine's Day (or VD, as I like to call it. I am easily amused.). I still like it even though I've nearly always been by myself on this day, and am even currently knitting the Besotted scarf from Hello Yarn. It's for myself (so there). And why not? :)

Lovely hat Laurie and lovely skin you have! Fresh as a daisy. Very impressed with the DIY needle repair. LOVE those stitch markers! Where d'ya get them?

You are such an inspiration! I love the Noro colourway (Do they have a 12-step program for us? My name is Marg B and I'm also a Noro addict; it's been 2 minutes since my last Noro purchase...) And what a great job repairing your needles! Not only have you saved the money on purchasing new needles, you've reduce the amount of unnecessary crap around your house and in the landfill. Both you and Bob look very cute with the knitting.

That hat is so beautiful. And Bob? Utterly gorgeous. Such a flirt, he is (I would be smooching the screen, but my colleagues would look at me oddly) ~x~

Very cute -- before we know it you'll be knitting a nice new Ladies' room.

Laurie, the hat is beautiful and you are a fabulous writer. But I love the cat toes from Monday even more.

Why are their toes SOO cute?

the hat looks great and looks great on you.

Ha! Great minds must think alike... I just read your tutorial on the EASY HAT... I have only been knitting for about 18 months, and I so totally started my first sock inside out on DPNs! Course with a 1 x 1 rib, who's to know, until you get past the ribbing! And the stitch marker thingy... I thought it was going to get knit into the fabric also!

I love reading your blog... you so totally rock... ... and the kitties rule... I have 5

Congratulations!
Did you know you are one of the nominees for the weblog awards! I'll wote for you.
Love to read your blog, but I haven't commented before, because I blog in norwegian and my english spelling stink...

By the way: http://2007.bloggies.com/

Good Luck!

Your Noro hat came out beautifully! I'm making note on how you fixed those needles. Very ingenious, and way to stick to your no-spending resolution. A set-back like that would have sent me to the store without a second thought, and my husband has to pack his lunch because of budgeting. Good for you!

It is hard to stay mad at the little buggers when they are so cute... You are way more inventive than me. I don't know that I would think to "spackle" the needles. Good job!

Abcolutely fabulous. The hat and the spackle.

There is no vaccine for Norovirus, I'm afraid. I am also afflicted with Koiguvirus and Opalvirus, and once you are infected, these diseases become chronic.

Like many other illnesses, they are very expensive, and, unfortunately, not covered by insurance.

Oh, the eternal feline cuteness. I have tooth dents in my Pony Pearls. Doesn't make snages of affect knitting, tho'. Just cute.

Not enough coffee yet. I mean, "doesn't make SNAGS OR affect knitting."

Happy Valentine's Day, Laurie!!

I just saw your post on Annie's blog. That's so sweet of you to fill in for her!! I hope her move is going smoothly.....moving across country is such a nightmare. I did it with a 2 year old son and 9 month old daughter many moons ago, back when I was young and completely clueless! We drove from NY to VA in an ice storm, 13 years ago this week. Why did we move in February??

I was curious; how did you meet Annie and Drew??

I can see how you can forgive Bob...one look at those cute pictures and I'd forgive him for anything!

And spackle + DPN's? Are you sure you're not an engineer? ;)

"...where under cover of darkness, Bob snuck up on them and dug them out in the middle of the night and proceeded to leave big, deep chew marks all over their bamboo surfaces."

YOMANK. which stands for "you owe me a new keyboard" because i laughed so hard at the visual of bob biding his time, waiting for you to go to sleep so he could stealthily start his secret bamboo knitting needle destruction mission. i have a dog that would do exactly the same thing!

I yell at my cats like a mad woman when I catch them tearing up my yarn. But you can only do so much. Thanks for the spackling advice. I'll keep that in mind when I need to repair my bamboo dpns.

Your pictures are fabulous - a knitting with cats calendar just seems the perfect medium...or a book...or bookmarks or both. I love your writing and feline family.

Happy Valentine's Day Sweetie!

Wow, that really is a cute snuggly cat. Cute enough of a cute snuggly cat to force me to delurk! Hi!

bob is so freaking cute....

You, your cats, your hats, and your scarves ... the cutest things in Southern Cali!

Bob is incredibly cute :)

Very nice! You do good work!

I love love love the hat - wish I could make one for myself! And aren't you clever with repairing the needles!!

Sooo, hi. My name is Emily and I think you're neat and I just started knitting in December. I knit up the body of my first hat this morning (dpn of doom to follow) and it even fits -though it think that was by accident.

I don't actually know how to knit a swatch in the round. Do I really need to make four inches (which is most the body) of hat just to check gauge? To use you're easy hat recipe, I ended up swatching using straights in the same size as my circs and knitting up about 2 inches in stockinette to measure. It all seems to be working out this time, but you know, gnomes.

help?

xo,
Emily

Wonderful ph0otos, Laurie! I love the last cheesecake one of Bob and the scarf. You look lovely in the mirror shot. And I must agree that knitting a simple hat is one of the exquisite pleasures of life.

Bob and the red scarf = Cutest Thing Ever

Hi, Aunt Purl!

I need some good advice. I have a favorite (and expensive) sweater that needs some loving care. Is there a place in LA that you would recommend for that sort of thing?

Thanks for your help!
Sharon