It's what you make of it plus Guest Post

This isn't our cat, it's known to Angelika, one of the readers of this blog. We've had quite a few emails back and forth about the crocheted triangular granny. My 3 rounds made quite an acceptable triangle for my odd shapes blanket but once extended became less and less like the isosceles triangle it was supposed to be. Angelika wanted more than 3 rounds on her triangle as she was making a hammock for her friend's cats out of a T-shirt strip. Here's one of the cats on her crocheted Cat Cave ) - what a wonderfully cosy creation. The hammocks are to be used somewhere else.

Angelika gave me permission to reproduce some of her email which may be of help to others who wish to make a Cat Hammock.

"Hi Mum,

… here are 2 cat hammocks (as well as a sleepy cat, two mice).  As a bonus, there is also a cat cave : one of the 3 cat recipients has already taken possession of it.  Note that the roof also acts as a hammock... with holes in it so that they can bug each other inside&out.

I still had to pull the sides to maintain the right angle.  I also increased as I went along: when ever it would get too tight, I would increase, either from 3 to 4 clusters, or from 1&3 to 2&4 in between.  Changes are about every 3 rows.  Keep in mind that I am working with t-shirts which are very bulky and unyielding, compared to yarn.  When changing row, I would always go to the corner hole before adding the new color, so a few scs.  Then 3 scs up (=1st dc) and the rest.  for the last corners, I used 3 plastic rings to reinforce and just sc'd around it till I got back to the beginning.

The one to the right is made with all the leftover yarn, so colors and rows do not exactly match!  To finish it off, I made a finger crochet cord and attached an empty film canister: great for a cat to bat around!  After the picture was taken, I unraveled the white on the hypotenuse and redid it with 2stog in the holes, instead of 3sc.  That pulls it back together and created a hammock rather than the 3rd side hanging out like a pouting lip.

Well, that is it for my experiment with t-shirt yarn.  I had fun. but it will be a while - if ever - that I'll use that again.  Ah, the bliss of real yarn!  Thank you so much for your instructions.  That first row is crucial!  It might look funny, but it sure does the trick as nothing else does!

Angelika

PS: ...The instructions for the other things also come from the internet.  I just adapted them (reinforcing the sides of the cat cave is my creation but I am not giving my secret away!)"

Thank you Angelika, I've had great fun chatting with you and now I'm going to look up - crocheted cat caves. I feel a new project coming on!

PS from me - did you spot the 2 mice?

PPS - just received another email from my virtual bloggy friend - 

No, the cat cave is separate.  It is meant for the cat to be cozy inside, but cats have a mind of their own...
The hammocks will be hanging in the corner of a room, hence the requirement that they be a right angle.  My friend will put a hook in the corner and 2 hooks on the adjoining wall - for each.  ... The end product is 18"x18" or maybe slightly more, in 7 rows.  The t-shirt yarn was cut at 3/4" and is a mix: mainly cotton but with a bit of other stuffs.  With an 8mm = L hook. 

PS from me - Live Bloggy Action here! Great stuff.

xx