Cats, Crocheting, and Reading… A Forever Calming Influence in My Life…
I shared with you on Wednesday some of the ways I like to disconnect from the world to give my mind a mental recharge – stepping away from technology, reading a book, and listening to soothing music were some of the things I mentioned. Another activity that I did not mention is one that has been a cherished favorite of mine that stems back to when I was a little girl – crocheting warm and cozy afghans.
Actually, all of it stems back to when I was a little girl because as long as I can remember, reading and crocheting have always been an integral part of my life. I think in many ways it is because while they are two distinctly different entities, they have a similar effect on my mind with one thing in common – my cats have always been an integral part of these activities and I think that is what makes them all the more special, enjoyable, and therapeutic to me.
Some of us relax while reading a book and some of us prefer to relax while sleeping on a book… Doesn’t our Jazmine look just like Dewey the Library Cat?
When I grab a book to read I do it with the full intention of enjoying the experience – I tuck myself on the couch and surround myself with comfortable pillows, one of my homemade afghans to keep me warm and a mug of freshly brewed coffee next to me. A cat or two is usually napping on my lap while I read and I tune the whole world out as I gently pet them and let whatever author I am reading treat me to a vivid journey of carefully crafted words.
I think I have all the bases covered… a good book, a comfy couch, lots of pillows, a cozy afghan, a couple of cats and a hot cup of coffee… Let the relaxing begin!
It is utterly fascinating to me that something that begins as nothing more than idea in someone’s head can transform to life as single words connect into strings of sentences, that turn into paragraphs, that turn into chapters, that turn into a book. A good book pulls you right into the story, making you one of the characters and I always completely immerse myself in the experience. I think the cats sense that my body transforms into a much more calm and contemplative place and that is why they enjoy my company so much. Purrfect zen…
I find the same to be true with crocheting – the only difference is that rather than creating a rich tapestry via words that turn into a book, I am able to create an idea that starts in my head into something that turns into a magnificent kaleidoscope of colors, patterns, and textures with yarn. I have created dozens of afghans in my life – each one of them with their own special meaning and significance and my cats have always helped me along the way. If they were a kitten at the time, the help would be a bit more complicated as much of the yarn ended up as a play toy, but as they grew older, they found when I would crochet that it would be a peaceful opportunity to snuggle next to me amidst the yarn to settle in for a lovely nap. Purrfect zen…
This afghan was something I worked on in 2009 when my helpers, Rolz, Peanut, and Mia were only about 5 months old. I was watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show with them while I was crocheting and it was at this time that I decided to write my first book about my family of cats!
This is the finished product and this afghan graces our guest bedroom that has a cozy, English cottage type of feel. This afghan represents so much of how my life has changed and there is even an entire chapter in The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey devoted to it! Seen here is Peanut, Rolz, Zee, and Mia.
I am especially drawn to crocheting when I am worn out mentally – even too worn out to read and I just want an opportunity to do nothing but feel a ball of yarn under my fingers as I create something from nothing. I think in some ways that maybe I have a love for yarn because it reminds me of the limitless uniqueness of a cat. For example, just as a cat can come in every color combination and texture imaginable, so can yarn.
And some yarns tangle up like the fur of a cat and some yarns are very easy to care for. Some yarn can be short piled and sleek like a gorgeous short-haired black cat or it can be extremely long-textured and soft like a beautiful Angora. Some yarns come in skeins of a solid color and some yarns are a wonderful combination of all sorts of color patterns, perhaps like a sweet calico or a captivating tortoiseshell.
Some yarns are expensive and hard to find like some purebred cats and some yarn is quite easy to find and inexpensive. Some yarn can even be handed down from family or friends and very creative people can even make their own yarn. The one thing they all have in common, is that once it becomes a part of your home and something is made from it, regardless of the lineage, it brings comfort, happiness, pride, and joy, just like the companionship of a cat.
This is Kizmet when he was just a tiny kitten. This afghan is one I made well over 20 years ago, back when I lived in Upstate New York and the color mauve was so popular for decorating with!
After I finished my “Ellen Afghan,” I moved on to the one that graces our couch now. This is Peanut and Mia who were about 10 months old here. There is not a day that goes by without at least one or two cats napping on this afghan.
One of my favorite pictures ever – Zoey, angel Harley, and Mia sharing some couch and afghan time together.
And here is Peanut enjoying a moment on the afghan…
This was Mr. Jazz back in 2013 – this picture is especially touching because he looks so happy and healthy here… it was a few months after this that his health took a turn for the worse. His favorite time of the day was when I would sit on the couch at night and wrap myself in this afghan – he would then snuggle on my chest for the rest of the night….
And here is Rolz enjoying the afghan… He is politely asking that we don’t disturb him…
This was the next afghan I tackled and it sits on the couch in my office. It was made with vivid blues and yellows to represent the sunflower which is one of my favorite flowers. I always felt Harley was a sunflower and so of course that makes this afghan all the more special to me now. Seen here is Kizmet when we first got him – the office was his home for a week until we introduced him to the rest of the family.
And here is Kizmet all grown up… this is my most recent afghan and I finished it about a month ago. This also has fond memories for me because Jazz used to love and cuddle with me while I was crocheting it. I am currently without any afghan projects and will have to think about starting a new one…
To me, all yarn is beautiful, just like all cats are beautiful. What about you all? What special hobbies or activities do you do to find your inner peace? Have you been doing them your whole life or are they new ways for you to relax? Do they involve your cats or do you prefer your solitude to be a bit more private? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!
And hmmm… all this talk about yarn has got me to thinking… perhaps I need to figure out a way to spin my own cats hair into yarn… that sure would be interesting and we have mountains of it all over the house! My own leopard patterned yarn!
Editors Note : For those of you that might be new to the blog who are interested in learning more about the Zee/Zoey kitties and the history of the “Ellen Afghan” chapter and so much more, please be sure to visit www.zeezoey.com for details on how you can purchase a copy of The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary for yourself or for a gift for that special cat lover in your life!
I always enjoy your blog so much. I love your photography of your beautiful cats and reading about their antics. you write so well.I especially enjoyed today’s post because the photography of your cats with your afghans are amazing and they inspire me to start crocheting again. Years ago I started a shell pattern afghan and I held it up one day and realized it was crooked. Which happened all the time when I use to crochet. Any way I became so frustrated because it was way too much to rip out and start again that I put it and all the yarn in a basket and haven’t picked up a crochet hook since in 10 or more years. Have you seen all the cute little flower patterns that you can add to wreaths or other projects? I thought this could be away for me to start crocheting again because like you I also found it very relaxing I just could never make a straight afghan to save my life!!
Carla – thank you for starting my day with a smile! I am so happy to hear you enjoy Zee & Zoey’s blog and I am thrilled you will be taking up crocheting again! I can well understand your frustration too – my “Ellen Afghan” was a disaster at first and far from relaxing! I had started it back when I lived in New York and then we moved to Florida – I had not picked it up in 10 years and had lost the directions… naturally it was an unbelievably complicated pattern and I had to rip several squares apart to figure it out! Eventually I just made up the directions and as time went by, with the help of Ellen and my kitties, I began to love the afghan and it means the world to me!
Good Morning Deb! Recently I have been thinking of doing something different on my lunch hour than sitting at my desk web surfing. I have an afghan I started years ago, and never finished because I decided to incorporate other gauge’s of yarn and life happens. I think I will look it up and see if I can resurrect it. Your sentence structure and wordsmithing are beautiful… .
Oh my goodness Kathy!! This is so fun – I feel like we need to start a club for all of us crocheters who have abandoned our projects, only to feel renewed to start them again!! I think what you are planning to do is a marvelous idea – I rarely leave my desk at work – even for lunch – and I need to learn from your example. Thank you also for your kind comment regarding my writing – I truly appreciate it!
As always, your pictures and blog are one of the highlights of my day!
Thank you Rosemary – All of us at Zee and Zoey’s enjoy your comments and company!
That was a fun post and all of us kitties hear are big fans of yarn too!
Thanks Brian – kitties are always fans of yarn and crocheting!
You’ve created some gorgeous pieces! I used to knit, but stopped when I started having cats – I just never had one that would leave the yarn alone, even as they got older. Maybe it’s time to try again – although with two torties, I think the odds might be against me.
Thank you Ingrid – you may as well give it a shot and try it again. It would be interesting to see how your girls react! I used to knit but gave it up – it was so much harder for me to learn than crocheting and so it always frustrated me! Plus, it’s so much easier to rip out a mistake and try again in crocheting than it is for knitting… at least for me anyhow!
Deb, I love the analogies you draw between storytelling and crocheting, and between yarn and cats.
And I fully agree of the comfort of crocheting, as you know! I have always said I think best when my hands are busy. I spent my late childhood and teenage years making afghans for family members with my first cat tucked into them, then later baby blankets for friends with my growing rescue family testing them for comfort, and as my parents needed care and many doctor visits, a crochet project, often complicated doilies and decorative items, was my calming activity and I almost looked forward to the interminable waits, and the dire diagnoses with my crochet projects keeping my hands busy. I have always enjoyed following the stitch instructions to watch the marvelous lacy patterns that emerge like magic. The moment I begin to stitch it transforms me like no other of my relaxation activities–bicycling, exploring nature, not even my painting. Even now, when I need to take a break from daily challenges, the first thing I picture is my crochet bag and my cats, and my hands can feel the hook and yarn. And a good book either in print or recorded is the purrr-fect accompaniment for all of us.
I hope you enjoy your Saturday, and all you other days!
I am a lot like you Bernadette – it is hard to keep my hands idle and you are right, keeping them busy is a way of inspiring deeper thinking! Just like you, I have made baby blankets – for my own kids as well as friends and family and I have also made afghans as housewarming gifts. Prior to 9-11, I would travel on an airplane with whatever crochet project was pending and anytime we went anywhere in the car, I would bring my crocheting as well. Somehow the activity kept me completely centered, like I was bringing a little bit of home with me no matter where I was!
The great thing about crocheting is that no matter how long between projects (sometimes it can be years) I never forget how to crochet and it is like welcoming a dear old friend when I pick up my crochet hook again! And the yarn that you can choose from today… oh my gosh… some of it will take your breath away it is so beautiful! I can already feel myself yearning for a new project and I will have to think about what colors and textures I feel a need for in my life!
Deborah-you and I have a lot in common- the love of cats, crochet , coffee and reading. You are much more talented at crocheting- all I make is cat toys 🙂
Don’t sell yourself short, Ellen! I imagine if you make cat toys, that you use a very tiny crochet hook and that takes a lot of talent!!
Hi, Deb.
I love that you weave stories of your life into your cat blog. I guess that is because your cats are a part of everything you do! (It’s also because you are a great writer!) I enjoyed this post. It was very relaxing. 🙂
You’ve created great pieces ! Mum usually knits socks in winter, and sewed in summer (when she doesn’t do some gardening). And she loves to read on evening with a nice cup of tea and one of us or both with her on the couch ! Purrs
Oh Deb….just looking at your photos relaxes me. I can absolutely feel the love and contentment!! Thanks for sharing…I needed that!
My mother used to crochet. She tried to teach me, but she was a lefty and I was a righty. The result was probably something that could have been an episode of Seinfeld, but I have fond memories of seeing her crochet in front of the TV as you apparently do. And I love the photo of you crocheting with Rolz, Peanut, and Mia alongside you. They’re so small and peaceful in the picture!
I also love the analogies that you created and OMG are the afghans ever beautiful! I am sooo jealous! I have always wanted to learn to crochet, but I just don’t have the patience. I once had an instructor tell me that I was the only person she couldn’t teach to macrame lol. Your photos are gorgeous and the entire post is superb! I would LOVE to see your cat’s fur in an afghan!
I used to be a voracious sketcher….I was going to be an Art major in college but moved away from it. Drawing was something that I did for over 20 years and in High School instead of traditional college prep, I had that with a heavy art class focus. I imagine maybe I should pick up a sketch pad and graphite pencil again!
Thank goodness I scrutinized my SPAM folder, Caren. Somehow your comment was in there and so I am sorry that I did not see this earlier! I have to say that crocheting can actually be very easy – sure, there are definitely complicated patterns that require a lot of patience and concentration out there, but there are also some super, duper easy projects that can be done quite quickly, but still making you look like a pro when you are done! The bigger the crochet hook, the easier it is to learn – I’ll have to teach you the next time we meet up at a BlogPaws conference!!
I would love to see some of your sketches and do hope that you take it up again – it feels wonderful to break away from the computer and I imagine you would enjoy it immensely.
xoxox
Deb, I forgot you makes these gorgeous afghans! The act of making them is therapeutic and there’s something beautiful in the end. Been thinking of you and send purrs and hugs.
Deb…gardening, reading, puzzle books and watching old b/w movies//tv shows
on DVD…. helps me unwind …and Tuna helps out with everything except gardening as
he’s not allowed outside ….though he does yell from the window a LOT that I missed
some weeds or that shrub needs trimmed more !! ♥♥ Laura
What a great post highlighting the importance of having activities that allow us to unwind and accept peace. 🙂
I’m with you about crocheting, though I sometimes find my self getting a bit “addicted” to it. I’ll work what I’ve decided is the last row or the last toy and then think, “Oh, I can do one more,” and then one more and so on…..:)
I tend to self-teach when it comes to crafts so my crochet projects don’t really measure up to those I see in the State Fair competitions but still….One year I figured out how to crochet sock-booties so that was what everyone got for Christmas. Another year I attempted to do a vest for my sister but it was a disaster. It was so long it nearly reached her knees and the “rosettes” on it were so poorly-spaced that it looked holey. I’m at my best when I stick to crocheting cat toys. I’ve done zillions of them to donate to our local cat shows.
The other craft I really love to do and just now realized that I need to get back to is beading on a loom. I’ve made several necklaces and have even won prizes in the Iowa State Fair! It usually helps when I need to clear my troubled mind — and heart. Great post, Deb.
Andrea – I know what you mean about being addicted to crocheting… right now I am pining for another afghan and I can’t stop thinking about going to the craft store to buy some yarn!! I am thinking I would like to make a lovely blanket inspired by Jazmine – beautiful peach tones with a touch of white and sage green. I am also self taught and have numerous projects that don’t quite measure up to what I had originally envisioned! Oh well…
I used to do beading too.. so much fun. When I was younger we lived in a very rural area and attended a lot of craft fairs – I would make beaded jewelry, pompom toys, macrame, painted rocks, driftwood designs, stuffed animals, and Christmas ornaments. I miss all that, but truthfully, for the time it takes to make a project, you can’t possibly charge what it is worth in man hours!
Yes, yes, yes! So many times people will ask me if I sell my beaded necklaces but I have to tell them that no one would ever pay what it would take to cover my materials and time. Just not worth it. Besides they are all so personal to me, I couldn’t give them up.
I was just at the bead store on Saturday because they were having an anniversary sale and the seed beads were 1/2 half. I spent over $60 even with that discount! Now I have to sit down and make this beauty. It will be a tribute to Mewdy Blue. I only hope it measures up.
I love the photos of all the kitties on your various knitting projects! And, the Ellen quilt photo has always been one of my favorites 🙂
The best way for me to unwind is to go for a run–something I have done very little of in the last year and a half. Many signs are pointing me back to the path–and it’s there that I “spin my own yarn” if you will, I relax and am able to disconnect from technology and experience some peace.
I love your running analogy as your way to spin a yarn, Laura! I am not prone to running, but I do love to garden – that is my outdoor way of unplugging and getting away from technology. Some of my best writing comes when I garden as my mind tends to just wander from one ponderous thought to another… Sadly, I usually forget my ever so brilliant thoughts…
Such a beautiful page! Endearing pics of the felines. I’m cat mad and have been all my life (am in my fifties now). My sister – 5 yrs older – remembers that I said as a four-year old that I would never get married but live in a house full of cats. I did not remember that resolution. 😉 I took up tapestry crochet a few years ago and love to play with the colours while making bags which I give away. I intend to copy a Ralph Lauren bag with tapestry crochet and have just received 34 brand new cotton balls – Phildar 3. I’ve just ordered a book with 26 Afghan crochet patterns. Never made one before. I usually crochet with a movie going in the background which lends itself to listening to for the most part. Cats may or may not be sleeping near me – they can come and go as they please and are often out in the evenings when I crochet. I love your comparison yarn-cat. I also have a dog and share my life with her and three cats. It was actually crocheting little Amigurumi animals that got me back into crocheting, which I did often when I was younger. Thanks for the beautiful pics and read!
Thank you for stopping by Nicola! I’m glad you enjoy the blog and it is always great to meet fellow cat lovers and crocheters! Good luck with your bag – it sounds lovely!