![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-SzjVF6FgLc76iro7i0xWCkcHBQdbqOJVtaXNQ03xuBh_aWkVz2Y7gVWp2bey1ZOu5WSfRSh2uawEUAxPJey8imWba2ERxBO4LtHVsf2KbVf9NYBwa9lc4Cz5c1HUZnQGjAU1A/s400/finalbirdonblogrug.jpg)
I'm having a lot of fun working on the December 2008 Rug Hooking Magazine free pattern with Gene Shepherd's Blog Hook-In (
http://www.geneshepherd.com ). The original pattern is a basket full of Christmas greens and a Noel ribbon, which is not really my kind of pattern, so I started out by following Gene's alternative tweaked pattern. I hooked a bluebird, and then thought that a basket of flowers, even with a bluebird was not really my kind of pattern, so I added a cat slinking in from the opposite side. The cat really didn't look like a cat, so I asked Vicki of fanXstitch if she would draw a sort of evil cat for me.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhfZUF3KvVNhehNFlg7Qu-b0ntkKuC3FDOQQC8VUGyoRfpC1gm7WUI7EMMamGBcqQY7N2t5OYqGBKlx3OXCyHIRwj7wf0rOY_FXh3qAteR8EMW-pAXzqBTKsyMnCzXBwZIj8jzw/s400/catonblogrug.jpg)
She drew a wonderful sly looking cat, but when I copied the drawing and translated it into hooking with size 8 strips, it didn't look evil and really didn't look much like a cat. Also, although it doesn't show much in the picture, the greenish/yellow tweed wool was definitely the wrong color. I shaped the cat face a little to give it some dimension and added some whiskers that were cut from a plastic bag I was saving for onion dyeing.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2ik5lIMH21-69tYxBUQyjJ4YD_h8XpYyCFoljeJqLFxDmTPqc30ub9T4hvL-IuYHwsxRwmd3pmaw_exKq_-veuubDaWnd1yqzcGMe5646yiKWFvtK3I50es9H8KqmfeHDH-E_g/s400/100_0755.jpg)
Then I added some flowers, doing sort of freestyle mini-prodding, mostly with size 8 strips, although I tore wider strips for the bigger yellow padulas.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhoV5PAK-0zi708ILEhZ4V6lZ5YLPgYOVFudF6XkRPXJTs-U-2byuuje_dMNxI_-exC-GwsgW6f8ZDNwqyDEkFXjcy9eG4274zRpyVw12NBm1v6WyHpkTrij1_7vpuA90z3qXlw/s400/browncat_edited.jpg)
I changed the cat to brown, kind of lost the face that I liked even though it was not sly, and kind of lost the whole point of having the cat. Today, I am either going to redraw the cat so he is facing in the opposite direction or eliminate him all together. I like the basket, the handle, and the flowers, but the bird seems pretty dull and kind of extraneous - and will be especially if I delete the cat. Plus, if I delete the cat, I'll have to hook in the left side of the basket and I really like it exactly like it is.
Well, I'll see. I think I have to go out to the barn and find some plain gray wool for the new cat. No more tweeds.
2 comments:
Your kitty looks great and I love your flowers.
Thanks, I didn't catch your comment until today (2/19) -maybe if I had I wouldn't have let the dog chase the cat away!
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