Autumn Labby

Don’t mind if I do!

Project Details

PATTERN: The Angry Cat Labby by Ngoc Vu (links to Ravelry and Instagram)

NEEDLES: 2.25mm KnitPro Zing, KnitPro Karbonz, and Addi Colibri DPNs (I was experimenting with new needles)
GAUGE: 36st x 48r per 10cm
SIZE: 20cm

MATERIALS:

15g (60m) Drops Fabel (200 Grey)
Mulled Spice Wine (Mothy and the Squid)
Embroidery thread
Safety eyes

STARTED: 28th October, 2020
FINISHED: 24th November, 2020

28th October, 2020:

I don’t want to say I’m obsessed with this pattern, but I might be obsessed with this pattern…

I had leftover Mulled Spice Wine after making two pairs of autumn slippers. I did initially think I’d make a sweater/cardigan for Mowbray, but then I was eye-balling the grey Fabel and thought: “You know what, they would go together really well. That MSW would make a glorious vest for a Labby.”

And the rest is history.

Hopefully, there’ll be enough for a cap, too, but that might be pushing it. He may have to go cap-less. In which case, I really need to figure out how the bloody ears work in this pattern, because Labby wouldn’t be Labby without ears. (Let’s not tell Labby the Second that, though.)

I’m using DPNs to knit flat because I’m just so smart. /sarcasm

Really, though, it’s because I don’t have circulars smaller than 3mm and I don’t want to double up the Fabel because then there definitely won’t be enough of the MSW. (Both are 4-ply/fingering weight yarns but I’ve been doubling them up for DK/aran weight in previous projects.)

It’s not actually that hard to use DPNs to knit flat, assuming the project is small enough. I’m using three needles instead of two, just because my Zings are 6-inchers and the middle of Labby’s body gets a mite too wide to safely stay on slick metal needles, but the rest only really needs two.

He’s knitting up faster this time. Maybe because he’s smaller, although Labette still took her sweet time and he has the same number of stitches as Labby the Second, or maybe just because I know what I’m doing this time? *laughs in hyena*

13th November, 2020:

I knitted up to Labby’s knees a while back and then switched over to the clothing because the MSW was getting tangled with the other yarn in a big bag and I wanted to get it out of the way*.

I finished the hat yesterday (having knitted the jacket first to make sure there’d be enough) and switched back to finish his legs today.

*There’s still plenty. I’ll use some for the hat’s pompom and then I think there’ll still be enough to make another ~~sweater for Mowbray~~ Labby.

15th November, 2020:

I cast off Labby’s feet on Friday and sewed him up yesterday. He looks sufficiently grumpy, but alongside his vest and cap, the grey doesn’t look as wonderful as I’d imagined.

I also knitted an arm but haven’t sewn it up yet (a good thing, really, as I kept forgetting to collect my gauge, which I need if I’m going to use up the rest of the MSW on a sweater for Mowbray).

Half-stuffed grey Labby with autumn-themed jacket and cap — Half-stuffed Labby in grey, eyeballing his autumn-themed jacket and cap with distaste.

17th November, 2020:

I just finished knitting the ears. I couldn’t figure out how they worked before, but it helps if you knit four (instead of just two) like the pattern asks!

20th November, 2020:

Labby is sewn up and has his hat and vest on. I forgot to attach the pompom to the cap before I sewed it on, so I’m not looking forward to fixing that lol. And I’m wondering how my pink pens will fare on his dark grey cheeks…

I think his vest needs some buttons or something to fancy it up a bit.

22nd November, 2020:

Be-ribbon’d cap and vest attached!

24th November, 2020:

I couldn’t decide if I should bother with the ears or not. I had knitted them (and it turns out the reason I had trouble with the original Labby is because you need to knit four of them and not just two) but I was having an off day and felt like I couldn’t be bothered, which was influencing my crafting decision. (Would he look better with or without ears? Did he really need them or would they be overkill? etc etc)

So I asked the intended recipient, while trying to remain secretive. The latter failed because I suck at being subtle, but the decision was taken out of my hands: when I rifled through my project bag to show her what the ears might look like once attached, it turned out the bloody things had slid off the needles.

“I’m not fixing that,” I said. I already struggle with motivation, courtesy of my depression, and this week has been particularly bad. “He can go earless.”

Thus, Labby the Autumn Kitty (AKA Labby the Fourth) is complete.

Thoughts

While I was knitting Labby the Autumn Kitty (who I have decided shall be a second gift for the carer I crocheted the autumn slippers for), I decided the sparkly blue/purple MAD Batch from MAD Scientist Yarns would make for a gorgeous Galaxy Cat, so I’ll probably be making yet another Labby at some point in the near future… I’m going to have to start selling these guys at this rate!