Victorian housecats to knit

Twenty cats in one house? Only if the home is a Victorian--and the felines are knitted. Animal needlework aficionado Kellner (Wild and Woolly Knitted Animals, 2022) presents the knitted creatures she has designed in a story-like format. "Cats residing in different rooms of a nineteenth-century home are fun to think about, but I couldn't write an entire book of cat knitting patterns without including a little bit about the people living alongside them, could I?" Every room in the fictional Morgan family's home claims a cat. And every family member, from young Emily to patriarch Mr. Morgan, is owned by a companion animal with whiskers. Each of Kellner's patterns is built on a similar structure but differs somewhat, with cats positioned curled up, standing up, swatting, washing paws, or crouching to catch a mouse. Patterns are all-inclusive, from whiskers to tails, but definitely not for beginners, especially with short rows and one-piece construction. Overall, a charming endeavor that seasoned knitters will appreciate.

Kellner (Wild and Wooly Knitted Animals) explains in this fetching manual how to knit life-size stuffed cats. The central conceit is that the cats belong to different members of the fictional Morgan family's Victorian-era household, and each project is accompanied by a vignette on the cat's owner. For instance, Kellner writes that Mr. Morgan's Aunt Pru brought her Persian cat when she moved in "to help Mrs. Morgan care for the twins," and that the cook shoos away the feline that hangs around the kitchen when the Morgans complain about it, only to discreetly leave out saucers of milk when the family isn't watching. The relatively realistic cats are uniformly cute. The "porch cat" is depicted mid-stretch, the "library cat" lazing idly on its back, and the "scullery cat" licking its paw. Though Kellner writes that a few of the patterns are "geared towards the beginner," they're realistically most appropriate for advanced knitters. There's no primer on basics, but Kellner does provide guidance on techniques specific to these projects, such as creating leg joints and tortoiseshell and marmalade fur patterns. The human backstories imbue what would otherwise be a fairly straightforward knitting guide with a healthy dose of personality, and photos of the plush cats amid Victorian decor help sell the vintage feel. This will make a worthy addition to any crafter's shelf. (Nov.)