The observant among you may have noticed I’ve not posted much of what I’ve been knitting recently-there’s a reason for that.  It’s not been going so well.

Thug and Mewsley have been having a tough time settling in to the new house and they haven’t been up to writing their usual contributions to the site or helping me with the knitting.

So. First the knitting update.

Before I moved…when I was hyper and frantic to, ‘just get on with it’,  I started Catrin, from Rowan Classic Heartland.  I chose a glorious choccie brown flecked Rowan Silky Tweed.

This pattern

From this book

Firstly, the choccie brown – I’m not sure the complicated cable pattern will be done justice with the dark colour and the flecks confusing it. My knitterly friend (whom I trust) said it’d be fine – I carried on.

Here’s a progress shot – I’m up to the armholes on the back…

Secondly, this pattern is charted needs good eyesight, to see the chart and to see the knitting! This is a problem – I’m at “that age” where I’ve suddenly started need my glasses. And I need to have my glasses upgraded.

Even my close up is blurry!

On top of this slight hiccup, I managed to bust my favourite lamp in the move. The new living room has poor ceiling lights so I’m knitting in the dark. With out of date glasses – if I remember to put them on  🙁

Can you understand yet why not much has happened???

I’ve now got a new lamp and bought some snazzy new stronger glasses

But in the mean time, while sorting out those little issue, I started another problematic project…but that’s for another post !

On to the kitty cats.
Several of you have enquired about the furry beasts and how they are doing “post move”…
On the day of the move, we had cleared one room completely and put all their favourite toys, blankets, cushions and food by a nice warm radiator for them. They also were treated to anti-anxiety drugs, on advice of the vet, as they are rather old and set in their ways (18 years old in April!!)

Mewsley was terrified and spaced out and hid in her “Migloo” like a good cat. (thats a fabric cat Igloo …. Mewsley + Igloo = Migloo) .

Thug went hyperactive and wrestled his way out of the bedroom (with much meowing) and tried to investigate what was going on. He chased several removal men around the flat. My heart went out to him – It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve seen him really frustrated with being blind and not being able to see what’s happening. Eventually he wore himself out and sprawled in the middle of the living room floor and went to sleep. Luckily my removal men were cat lovers and they tiptoed around him 🙂

In the new house…
Mewsley:
Mewsley was terrified. Mewsley crept into our bed, under the duvet and hid…for 2 days. At night she came out and slept on my pillow – or cuddled me in the bed. She hadn’t eaten so, worried, I bought food and water upstairs and put it just outside the bedroom door.

After a huge scoff and an hour’s sleep she was a new cat. Wanting cuddles, exploring, scampering up and down the stairs (that’s a novelty if you’ve been living in a flat).

She’s still happiest in the bedroom, but now it’s beside the radiator or on the bed. Downstairs is still rather scary….

Thug:

Thug was his usual brave, fearless self. He set about stomping around mapping every room. Unfortunately, his elderly, walnut sized, post brain tumour brain got a little confused by the scale of the change. He got lost and confused. I could see him trying to walk the same route he’s had in the flat. Heartbreaking 🙁

We’ve had a lot of sleepless nights with Thug too. There has been meowing. Lots of it. At 3am to 4am to 5am. And a bit more during the day.

I suddenly have sympathy for parents of teething toddlers!

First, he wanted to go out – I taught him the route through the utility room, out into the conservatory, out a second cat flap into the garden. Where he drinks some rainwater from a muddy puddle and comes back in again – I do change his water bowl daily but muddy rainwater is clearly superior.

Then he was meowy because he was lost and lonely, I taught him how to find us (half asleep) in bed.

Then he was cold overnight… again, he’s got the hang of cuddling up on the bed , usually around my feet (handy that – I get cold feet!)

Now we’re down to “I’ve just come in from the garden and I’m gonna meow-ow-ow to let everyone know I own this place” type meowing – 5 or 6 yowls then it stops – sometimes I can sleep through it!

I have been seriously sleep-deprived over the last month and was starting to have most uncharitable thoughts about my furry ginger companion.

He’s settling now and  has started to discover we have a big garden, and a pond, and fish – exploring is high on his agenda for the summer.

Right now he’s happy that his Mum is nearby on her computer and he’s found his basket, thoughtfully placed by the radiator next to his Mum’s desk so he’s available to for a 30 second head scratch at short notice.

Thug and Mewsley have promised they will help me sort Catrin out,…once they’ve had a little nap….

(Yes they are lounging on my denim blankie!)