Kitty Couch – Crochet at the Lodge

Our kitty, Little One, enjoying her new couch

I am so proud to report I finally finished this LONG, overdue WIP! Yay! I believe I mentioned in my last post I had started it in 2020. I had become so discouraged with the problems I was experiencing in following the pattern, I had given up. (See my last post for more information.) I’m so glad I drudged through and completed it, especially when I see how happy she is.

Our furry companions give so much to us and really are family members. They deserve to be treated well.

I am more aware than ever of the emotional ties we have to our four-legged friends since sadly, our other kitty, Pumpkin, passed on the 20th of May.

She had been a part of our family for 15 years and as you can imagine, we loved her very much. But, unfortunately, she was diagnosed last summer with thyroid and kidney problems. We pursued all the dietary and prescription resources suggested but there is no cure for kidney disease. Eventually, she became too weak to continue on and wasn’t eating.

Crocheting the Claigan Cowl by Claudia Dingle @sunbirdcrochet. Pumpkin on her last day

Towards the end, she mostly stayed on my lap and it was very rough seeing her so depleted and frail. I am very thankful to have a hobbie like crochet. It soothed my frazzled nerves and breaking heart. I could focus on just the next stitch and the next stitch….

But eventually it became obvious she was suffering. I contacted a mobile veterinarian and Pumpkin was able to pass in my lap at home. My children, who had grown up with her, were there. We buried her in a beautiful little spot, under a small tree in our yard. I plan to get a little cat statue to place over her grave. (My son’s very good idea!)

I still experience some amount of sadness every day, but mostly I can think about her now and not bawl my eyes out. Time does eventually take the deep sting away.

If you are experiencing pet bereavment, the following website is wonderful: The Pet Loss Support Page. It answers questions about grief, when is the right time to euthanize, and other subjects related to pet loss. Well, I think that is all for now as writing all this is making me a bit sad and tired.

If you would like to share craft projects you have made for your furry friend, I would love to see them. Or if you have stories of your own, please feel free to share those too!

This is the most adorable pattern and I was so excited to try it. Especially since one of our cats had been diagnosed with Diabetes and I wanted to do something nice for her. But unfortunately, until last weekend, I had abandoned the project and it sat in my yarn room since 2020. I had gotten so frustrated and intimidated due to the instructions, I couldn’t marshal the energy or confidence to go back to it. But lately, I’ve gotten some motivation from somewhere to tackle roadblocks. (Also, my cat went in my yarn room, sniffed the project, meowed, and looked at me in what seemed to be an accusing manner.) Hopefully, someone else will benefit from my newfound resolve as I’ve decided to provide some tips so maybe, others who have bought the pattern will have a better experience.

Tip #1—Check your gauge. If you don’t know how to do this, there’s a great tutorial here: Bella Coco (Her YouTube channel is great!) I know this is an extra step that is hard to do when you’re excited to start a pattern. But I have avoided a lot of heartache and extra work by doing this. For me, if I put in all the effort, I want to be reasonably happy with the finished product. Process is great, but it’s certainly not all for me. I always make a gauge swatch. However, for some reason, that didn’t work this time. I adjusted my hook size to make gauge, but the finished pieces didn’t fit the foam size listed in the pattern. This is where the process broke down for me. I tried twice to assemble it and it looked awful. I couldn’t bear to take it apart a 3^rd time.
Tip #2—After you finish crocheting the couch pieces, wet block them. This is left out of the pattern instructions. If you want the pieces to come out in neat rectangles that will hug the foam pieces in a tailored rather than tortured way, this is an important and so worthwhile step. Here is a good tutorial on blocking: Sewrella. (You don’t need to use the products she is recommending. Find ones that work for you. I use old yoga mats and non-rust T pins.)

Tip #3—Once blocked and dry, you know what size to cut the foam and can purchase accordingly. (I couldn’t follow the size recommendations in the directions, even though I technically made gauge. Foam can be expensive and I wound up spending more than I should have because I can’t use some of the pieces I cut.) You will need foam for the base/seat, the backrest and the arms.

For the couch base/seat, the instructions advise to purchase 1” tall pieces of foam and stack 4 of them on top of one another. This was unwieldy and hard to work with for me. I recommend purchasing foam that has a depth of 4”, (not the length or width) for the base/seat. The length and width will need to be sufficient to accommodate the blocked size of your finished pieces.

For the backrest and arms, you will need foam that has a depth of 1”. The foam’s width measurement will be the same as your finished crocheted piece, but the height should be double as the directions advise to fold in the piece in half lengthwise. For example, if my crocheted backrest is 21” wide and 14” tall, I would cut my foam piece 21” wide and 28” tall.

The same is true for the arms as the foam will be folded in half, lengthwise. For example, if the crocheted arm is 8” wide and 4.5” tall, I would cut the foam piece 8” wide and 9” tall.

I hope this is clear. But if not, pop a question in the comments section below or you are welcome to email me at crochetatthelodge@gmail.com . Which brings me to my last tip.

Tip #4—Consider buying a pattern that has support. This pattern says it does, but not really. On the last page of the pattern in a font size that’s about 3, you are directed to visit AnniesCustomerService.com to look for a pattern update if you need help. I went to the page, and received the message that there were no updates to the pattern.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to me when I’ve purchased a pattern from Annie’s. Although they have some very cute ones, it’s just not worth the frustration to me to buy something and get horribly stuck or waste money on supplies because the instructions weren’t clear or accurate. So, unfortunately, I won’t be buying any more from them, especially since there are so many great indie designers out there that do respond when you need to ask a question.

I don’t have a picture of the finished piece yet, but I plan to add it when I do. Stay tuned!