The Quilted Cat

This will be Phillips the Cat’s second winter here. No longer a shy cat reclaimed from a Brooklyn street, he’s claimed our couch, two chairs, the bath tub, and the foot of our bed... and he’s also brazenly claimed my bulky raglan sweater. I think it’s time to make him a cat quilt to ease up on his apartment expeditions.

The yarn is a gift from my friends Dan and Caroline from their trip to Morocco. It’s has a very rustic character — twigs, straw, and all. I love the natural color of the wool with flecks of gray and brown. This yarn is quite durable, it’s spun for the rug making trade.

This fractal-based knit is inspired by Nora Gaughan’s book, “Knitting Nature.” Much like an actual quilt, it’s made with modular units that are picked up from adjacent edges. It’s an excellent use of left-over yarns of the same weight.

Ms. Gaughan might cast a raised eyebrow on this sort of feline finery, but I need my sweater back. Winter is fast on it’s way. So far Phillip seems to appreciate woolen fractals.