Thursday, September 8, 2011

Greta Van Dyke

When I was a little girl my favorite toy - my comfort toy - was a stuffed animal named Blue Cat.  I didn't realize that there was actually a Blue Cat I and Blue Cat II until I was in my teens when my parents told me that BCI had to be tossed after a childhood hospitalization.  Very Velveteen Rabbit-esque. 

Blue Cat II is still with me - she lives on my bureau. And sure, now she is grey, she has no face, and all her fuzz has been loved off, but I still have a thing for that stuffed cat. She still smells like my childhood and brings back memories of eyelet cotton sheets and a blue gingham coverlet.

Dulce-cat is not impressed with you.
As it happens, one of my nephews is totally obsessed with cats. He won't be able to have one because of family allergies, but he has met my cat, Dulce.  And I am told that he talks about her frequently.  Since Dulce is a tortie I thought it would be nice to knit Lucas a tortie cat of his own.


The only thing is, I don't know if I can give Greta I to my nephew. I have kinda fallen in love with her. Would a four-year old treasure her forever and ever? (Possibly.) Would she be loved as much as I love her? (Doubtfully.)  So, I think there will have to be a Greta II that can go live down in Virginia. Greta I is going to hang out with Blue Cat II.

Pattern: Greta the Captivating Cat, a Dangercrafts Pattern
Yarn: Madelinetosh DK, Van Dyke Brown, 1/2 skein. Purchased at Woven Art
Needles: US 4
Mods: Vintage buttons for eyes from my extremely large button collection, and a dusty peach embroidered nose (too subtle for my camera to really capture).


Yup, Blue Cat and Greta are going to be fast friends.
Posted by meg at Thursday, September 08, 2011
Labels: review ,

3 comments:

  1. JennySeptember 8, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    I LOVE her! What a great rendition. And I love your story.

    Julia is completely obsessed with Scooter right now- I've ordered the yarn and pattern for this, and am eagerly awaiting its arrival...
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/c-is-for-cat

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  2. KristinaSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    Greta Van Dyke makes her sound like a glamorous socialite! She's even more adorable in person :)

    How did you find out that Blue Cat was in fact two cats? I think even now if I found out something like that I'd FLIP. I've considered sending in my American Girl doll to have her head replaced (her hair is now a bob instead of shiny, long brown waves), but knowing that it would be a different doll head deters me! (Ok, and the nuttiness that would be someone in her twenties sending in her childhood toy to the doll hospital...)

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  3. megSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:22 PM

    @Kristina
    I found a picture of me holding a very different looking blue cat - and I asked my parents about the toy. It was one of those big GULP moments. And I tried not to think about my poor beloved abandoned toy rotting in a landfill somewhere. I felt horrible for forgetting about this treasured toy. I am *convinced* that toys have feelings.

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