Kathy from MO had the best reason for not finishing her challenge sweater in time. Chickens. She wrote, “The summer challenge sweater was almost done-a short cardigan crocheted from DIC Classy Butter Peeps. Then I discovered the chickens LOVED to watch me crochet. So this past week, every day I did a few rows on the back as I sat outside with the flock. The night before last I joined it all…and the back was twice as long as it should have been. I still cannot believe I over-crocheted the back because I was entertaining the chickens by crocheting.” She even sent me pictures as evidence. I think that’s probably the best excuse I’ve heard yet, for not finishing by the deadline! Note how one is particularly determined to get right into the middle of the situation. Or rather, on top of the situation.
I have the same problem. No, not with chickens. With Zoe, my cat. She loves curling up on my lap when I am knitting. If, heaven forbid, I should have my laptop on my lap 
for a bit, she sits on the arm of the chair and gives me the evil eye until I move it off to the table next to me and she can reclaim her spot. (Really – she can be quite intimidating with her eyes.) This photo was taken last summer while I was knitting my 100% Alpaca Girasole. There’s nothing quite like having a large throw on your lap, made out of 100% really really warm Alpaca, along with a furry, warm, purring cat, in the middle of 100 degree weather and 90% humidity. Special times.
So do you knit or crochet with pets that feel the need to be RIGHTTHEREWITHYOU while you work?
Sheri Idolikehavingalapcatinthewintertimewhenit’scold,though
All knitting at night has come to a screeching halt because we adoted a new puppy and she likes all the attention and when not given to her she then goes after the yarn…… So needless to say until she learns that any and all yarn is OFF LIMITS knitting at night is on hold.
I think that Kathy had the problem with her chickens being so interested in her crocheting because of the yarn name. Butter Peeps. They wouldn’t have been anywhere near as interested if she had been using something like Grey Tabby. On the other hand, Melon Bomb could have made things even more appealing to the chickens. Go figure.
I love this! Made me smile ear to ear. I don’t have any animals that interfere with my knitting or crocheting just 4 small kiddos! 😉
I have the same problem that you do, a cat who is very offended by the lap being occupied with anything but herself. Perhaps that should be “Herself” with a capital H. Once she’s properly situated she usually leaves the yarn alone, although every once in awhile she feels the need to reach out and touch it just to prove that she can.
OMG – – the chickens are GREAT! What a hoot. I also loved your comments Sheri about the ‘special times’. I do have a kitty, Pharaoh, that likes to hang with me while I knit. He will come over to where I’m sitting, and poke his head up to survey the lap situation, and then with a big leap, he joins me. When it is hot, he will opt to perch on the arm of my knitting chair instead of the lap. I absolutely love to have him around and will accommodate him so that he is happy and comfy and will hang with me for as long as possible. I have spoiled cats for sure. (oh, I have two!!!)
That is SO funny.
One of our (four!) cats likes to sit right up next to me while I knit. She’s usually pretty good, but every now and then I will come upon a damp section of yarn…
Two of my three dogs like to be right next to me when I knit. I have dog couch cover for them though, and they restrict themselves to curling up side by side on that. They know that in the evening if the TV is turned on, there is likely to be knitting taking place, and they make a break for their spot. The third dog is a Sheltie, and being so thoroughly covered in fur coat, she prefers the cool kitchen floor…lying right on top of the air conditioning duct!
every cat I’ve ever had has insisted on being right there in the thick of the projecct, altho some were more into needlepoint than knitting, and some prefer the pre-knitting process of winding skeins, while my current pair enjoy simply observing the yarn travel from ball to needles, unless they can squash themselves into the knitting bag for a quick nap. My late Max cat was like Sheri’s Zoe, needed to be right there, all 15+lbs planted firmly on my lap to oversee any knitting progress UP CLOSE! I believe animals think the project, no matter what it is, will be something for THEM, hence the need to supervise. In the case of the fantastic chickens, they were probably hoping for team sweaters in that amazing Butter Peeps coloration!
This is SO cute!! Funny how “the girls” like to hang out and watch Kathy crochet! Well we used to have a “house rabbit” who was liter trained and all – and most of the time he would just mind his own busines -BUT when I would knit – he would come to check the yarn ball on the floor. There was one time I was knitting my son a scarf out of Alpaca and he literally attacked the yarn – jumped on it and began going at it. So I had to put him in his cage until the scarf had been completed. Once in a while I would wind a small yarn ball out of left over and let him have a “new toy”.
BUT this chicken story’s a keeper and I LOVE the photos – absolutely priceless!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Zoe’s photo is very cute too – she looks very lady like taking her nap.
i *love* those chicken crochet photos! what a great story.
My dogs. Both of them are large, 73 and 95 pounds. And they both think they are lap dogs. In fact I just posted a picture of my dog Django on my blog of him laying like a baby in my arms wanting to be cradled and of course forcing the stitches off my needles. Abner the lab, he likes to in the middle of my knitting, particularly if he can use it to wipe up his drool. He’s a little older though and knows not to push the stitches off the needles.
I don’t think I know how to do something with out assistance from my kitties. I’ve had to learn how to adjust my knitting, spinning and weaving to accommodate at least one cat on my lap. One of my favorite photos was of all three of them crammed onto my lap while I was trying to spin. It made it a little difficult to change the hooks on the flyer!
I think Lexi and Zoe might be communicating with each other. 🙂 Lexi will stand by my chair and meow very loudly until I remove the offensive item from my lap. This is always knitting that she is complaining about. Once I move it or at least off my lap then she will jump up and make herself comfortable in my lap. After all….she OWNS me. lol
I have a distant cousin who raises chickens. I’m going to forward this post to her. She is getting back into knitting and her chickens just might like it!
LOVE the chickens! I might have to learn to crochet and hope some chickens find me. 🙂 My cat Angel loves to lay on my knitting. My boy Davis is only a snuggle bug when I am knitting. He is not a lap cat but if I am knitting, it’s “mommy, I love you so much! I need a hug…I want to sit on your lap and gaze into your eyes. Oh mommy I love you soooo much!” Davis is more of a chest-cat than a lap cat. He needs to sit on my chest and extend a paw to touch my face. That guarantees no knitting is going on.
If I am using my laptop, Angel just stares at me with the biggest roundest puppy-dog eyes. (think Puss in Boots from Shrek)
So cute! One kitty (Honey) meows at me unless I leave a place for her next to me on the couch while I knit. And she must be right up against me, just to make sure I don’t leave. The other (Wabi) meows at me if I knit too long and she wants me to go to bed (and give her her bedtime snack). Really, I feel like I am working for them!
CHICKENS!!! 😀 I love it!!!!
Salty is now 2, and has calmed down considerably. Time was he would snatch the work, whatever it was, and run with it. Now, he’s decided it’s a good thing because I stay where I am. Paddy will emerge from wherever he’s been hiding all day and climb up on my lap. If it’s alpaca or lace weight, though, Paddy WANTS the yarn badly. But yes, they both like evening knitting/crochet time. “Means snuggle time wif Mama,” say Salty Dog and Paddy Cat.
Loved the blog today…truly original!
I love the chicken story and photos!
I also have a cat problem. As soon as I settle down in a chair in the living room to knit in the evening, my black cat, Mourka, hops into my lap (after jumping on my dh’s stomach to get there) and demands petting. She doesn’t like it when I knit with DPNs as they poke her. And she only wants to be in my lap when I am knitting. If I sit in the chair in the bedroom, one of my Siamese, Coco, joins me. I enjoy their company, but they can be very demanding!
My chickens would be fine but my other pets……….. I have five goats. They’d EAT it. I’d happily knit and suddenly- the yarn ends and the ball would be gone. And come to think of it- I knit on bamboo needles. I have seen my critters munch through twigs that were as thick as my finger. SO goodbye needles. 🙂 We manage books. Just about.
Oh yes I do! When my recently adopted/rescued cockapoo sees the knitting bag come out and the chair foot rest up, she thinks that is her personal invite to join me! 🙂
And maybe the chickens heard her mention the color being “Butter Peeps” and their motherthly instincts kicked in! And they hung around to make sure she wasn’t going to hurt thier babes! 🙂
Ben the cat glares at me when I’m knitting and will not get in my lap until I’m done and he can get my undivided attention. He’s hot-blooded like I am. Between his fur and my hot flashes, we could not add yarn to the mix or we might both spontaneously combust!
What a scream!! That is hilarious. I love the photos as proof of evidence.
Hey, I have a little kitty that likes to curl up on me when I knit. It drives me crazy plus she gets cat hair on my knits. Of course, I leave here there…
One of my cats (Samantha) is just like Zoe; I either have to knit around her while she’s on my lap or make room for her. Fortunately both cats have been trained since they were small to not mess wtih the kntting, though occassionally the younger one temporarily forgets her manners and has to play with the yarn.
Three cats, each of which have their own interest in the knitting process. One will eat yarn, so he’s not allowed to get too involved. One that likes to snuggle into whatever I have going as it’s on my lap and one who sits as close to me as possible when I’m sittin’ & knittin’.
I want to live at her house. How cool to have chickiepets! My 2 dogs decide when I get to knit unobstructed; this is not as often as I might prefer.
Also, the loopy solid yarn that I have purchased has helped me get to know some of my students this summer. The swift is set up at the back of the room and 4 of the students are caking my loopy solids. They took pictures of the summer session today and the swift project was one of the highlights.
Even non-knitting humans are entertained by yarn on occasion.
Too funny! Yes, I know what she’s talking about—i have a Newfoundland dog who watches me adoringly as I knit or crochet (and tries to drool all over whatever i’m working on)!
On closer look at top photo, the chickens look more concerned about how those red crocs were made.
I used to have a sweet little cockapoo who was very jealous of my knitting. I was making an afghan, and when I had the knitting in my lap, there was no room for Theo, who loved to get right up in my lap to snooze. I didn’t realize that Theo resented the knitting, until the afghan was done. I folded it neatly at the foot of the bed. It rested there for 3 or 4 days, and then one evening Theo chewed the heck out of it! Revenge! I think that’s when I started knitting socks.
I loved the chicken story, my dachsunds are my life. They both enjoy my knitting and
squeeze into the recliner with me in the evenings, they frequently include their filthy duck toy and whatever else they can find and so it gets a little crowded and challenging to knit anything at all, but like I said my dachsunds are my life.
Those chickens are really funny. Great shots. I’m glad you shared them with us. My little Maltese dog likes to get as close as possible when I am working on something. I have had yarn wrapped around her little paws from time to time. She doesn’t seem to mind at all.
what a great story! Chickens!
My dearly departed cat Magpie loved to sit on my lap or next to me when she saw me take out my knitting. She knew it meant I would be staying still in one place for a while!
Usually when I’m knitting or crocheting, I sit in my comfy chair with my feet up on the ottoman. My cat, Ellie, seems to think this is the perfect time to cuddle with me and always tries to get in my lap, which of course is occupied with yarn and needles/hooks. We have reached a sort of compromise, though. She lays on the arm of the chair with her front legs on my bicep and her head on my shoulder. Since I knit continental style, that works okay for both of us.
My roommate says he’s convinced that I cannot knit with Ellie’s help!
My kitty, Parker, loves to help me knit. He will jump into my lap and stick his head through the circular needles (all in one movement, as if it is a bullseye). After I remove the circulars from around his neck, he cuddles up in the crook of my arm- preferably under what I am knitting and purrs. If I am knitting with straights, he will try to play with needles. I have to remind him that if he wants to be a part of the knitting, he has to behave, and he settles down. Sometimes, I let him hold the ball of yarn while I knit from it.
Me! My cat, Buddy, loves to watch me knit. He doesn’t chew or play with the yarn WHILE I’m knitting-lone balls of yarn, however, are considered prey. The funniest thing, though, is that he is a yarn snob! The cat bed I made him out of leftover LB Homespun? Won’t touch it. He only wants to sleep on my Brandywine shawl (made of Mal sock). What can I say – he like the good stuff 🙂
My cat, Sassy (yes, she lives up to the name), KNOWS MY LAP IS HER SPOT, regardless what I’m doing! She is longish hair and pure white, so all of my handknits have that (unusual) fiber running through. I have up long ago trying to fight it and now have just adapted. Of course, I’d miss her greatly if she wasn’t around.
What? You mean having a cat (or other pet) on your lap while you’re trying to knit isn’t a requirement? I thought that was part of the challenge? 😉
I love the pet chickens!
My cat, Bubba, loves to sit in my lap. If there is knitting in my lap, then it becomes a cat cozy. Big problem when I need to flip the knitting to work a new row.
Almost all knitting is done with my 2 Golden’s snuggling with me. Samson at my left elbow and Delilah at my feet. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s very nice in the winter. It can get a bit warm in the summer.
Oh, absolutely! My Lilith (beautiful tortie-mix kitty) will jump into my lap almost as soon as I sit down to relax and knit. Then she starts demanding attention, then she’ll knead on my lap for about 15 minutes. I can’t do anything when she does this.
My favorite cat that passed away 2 years ago loved to sit with me. The two new cats really don’t come up at all. One will for about a minute but that is it.
I have two cats who like to sit on my lap while I knit (though generally not at the same time, because they Can’t Touch Each Other). I’ve had an iPhone for a year and a half now and have accumulated a fair number of cats-and-knitting pictures, so I put together a picspam over at http://thetexturedknitter.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/picspam/. Caturday has come early this week!
Great story! Looking at the 1st photo, I wasn’t sure if the chickens were real. No doubt they are real & they know what they like for entertainment.
Right now I have runaway yarn … Timber the Golden puppy thinks they are for playtime as does his older Golden brother Teddy Bear. So, no knitting when they are around. And, when they aren’t I usually have a lapful of Lily the Calico kitty. So, there is always knitting company…whether I want it or not.
I am so happy everyone is enjoying the chicken pictures! There are 3 roosters and 3 hens, and they all, at one time or another, hop up to see what I am doing.
The Crocs are self-defense; the roosters think my bare toes are tasty!
Glad everyone likes them.
And THANK YOU, Sheri!
My Icelandic Sheepdog, Viva, usually just snuggles next to me while I knit, but every so often has to climb into the middle of my lap. Generally this happens on days when I’ve been gone from home too long. In terms of knitting productivity, this is an improvement over our kitty, Zip, who was a total sweetie pie but stole every ball of yarn that she possibly could whenever she could in order to redecorate the house in ultra-creative ways. In 2004, Zip left this life for the Great Stash of Yarn Balls in the Sky. We miss her sorely, but her absence does allow me to keep yarn in baskets that don’t have covers on them. Whenever we see a particularly zany sunset, I figure it’s Zip wreaking havoc with God’s yarn stash.
Do kids count? Mine like to hold the yarn while I knit, play with my needles, and my eldest always asks ” Is it for me??????” when I start something new. Its pretty cute.
I have two cats, Ivy and Sammie who are littermates. The moment I sit down to knit, one at a time each jumps up in my lap, not just to sit, but to bug me for attention like pets and scratches. Then one will settle down for about 5 minutes, until the other arrives and chases the first one off, jumps up, and it starts all over again.
Even worse, I often knit reclining in bed and the male, Sammie, has to get on my chest with his face half an inch from mine, then proceed to pat my cheek with his paw so I will pet him! They are brats, but I wouldn’t trade for them!!!
I have no pets, just kids. My three year old loves to be in my lap while I knit and my three month old insists on it.