4.19

5

Oct 29, 2011

i have been sick in bed with some kind of dickensian wasting disease for the past FIVE DAYS., so i am way behind on everything i need to do. but just before i contracted the virus that will probably end the world, i made this list, so i attach it to this old review, for enjoyment and holiday helpering:

http://www.rifflebooks.com/list/24865...

are you kidding me?

AAAAARRRRRE YOOOOOU KIDDDDING MEEEE???

this is the best book ever. and i know i say shit like that a lot, because i am excitable as all i have been sick in bed with some kind of dickensian wasting disease for the past FIVE DAYS., so i am way behind on everything i need to do. but just before i contracted the virus that will probably end the world, i made this list, so i attach it to this old review, for enjoyment and holiday helpering:

http://www.rifflebooks.com/list/24865...

are you kidding me?

AAAAARRRRRE YOOOOOU KIDDDDING MEEEE???

this is the best book ever. and i know i say shit like that a lot, because i am excitable as all hell, but seriously - what would ever be able to top this? this is a book that teaches you how to make crafts using cat hair. CAT HAIR! which is FREE! and which i already have in abundance! it is almost too easy! because i am mad poor right now, after paying my way through grad school. and relatively cheap grad school, to show you how poorly off i am. but i can make christmas presents out of cat hair for all of you! now if only i could find a book that magically grew time. there is a book on growing thyme, but it is pretty useless. unless you want to grow thyme, in which case it is perfect.

but back to cat hair!

now all i need is a book that tells me how to make crafts out of cat vomit, and i am totally set! I LOVE YOU JAPAN!!!

DADDY, DON'T READ THIS REVIEW, OR YOU WILL RUIN CHRISTMAS!!
OH NO, TOO LATE???
that caveat should probably gone at the beginning of the review. ...more

5

Oct 02, 2017

Talk about 'think outside the (cat) box'! Now I know what to do with cat hair. Adorableness! ...

4

May 01, 2013

Why do I bother? nobody reads these but i soldier on...I THINK this book was written in all seriousness. After all the author IS Japanese and they are an incredibly crafty folk....no I am not being judgmental or racist! So shut up! I happen to love Origami. Anyway..... I've always wondered WHAT THE HELL,I could do with the kilos of cat hair that I collect off my kitties every month besides knit myself a "car-cozy".
Now I know! I can make the cutest little cat puppets in the world, or felt little Why do I bother? nobody reads these but i soldier on...I THINK this book was written in all seriousness. After all the author IS Japanese and they are an incredibly crafty folk....no I am not being judgmental or racist! So shut up! I happen to love Origami. Anyway..... I've always wondered WHAT THE HELL,I could do with the kilos of cat hair that I collect off my kitties every month besides knit myself a "car-cozy".
Now I know! I can make the cutest little cat puppets in the world, or felt little kitties onto book covers, tote bags, coin purses, knick-knack boxes, pincushions or even make frame able "pussy portraits"( get your minds outta there! You evil people)
This is a step by step felting book for cat fur! Who Knew? ...more

2

Mar 31, 2012

This book was once suggested jokingly for our next read at an Interrobang Book Club meetup, and it's made some occasional subsequent appearances on the ballot, though it's never won the vote. It would definitely meet the "unique and unusual" criteria! Anyway, today I saw it in the Sunnyvale Public Library, and I figured I had to at least skim through it, even though I don't own a cat or even know anybody in close proximity who does. It's perhaps not quite as crazy as you'd think; the basic This book was once suggested jokingly for our next read at an Interrobang Book Club meetup, and it's made some occasional subsequent appearances on the ballot, though it's never won the vote. It would definitely meet the "unique and unusual" criteria! Anyway, today I saw it in the Sunnyvale Public Library, and I figured I had to at least skim through it, even though I don't own a cat or even know anybody in close proximity who does. It's perhaps not quite as crazy as you'd think; the basic premise is to save your cat's hair when you brush it, make felt out of the cat hair, and use the cat hair felt to make little ornaments, mostly to use as decorations on larger projects made mostly out of regular storebought felt. So the idea is workable, though definitely odd. There are also quirky tidbits scattered through the book, such as admonitions not to shave your cat and a bar chart showing monthly cat hair shedding levels. In the end, this book reminded me that there are a whole lot of unusual people in this world. And you know, humanity is probably the better for it - how else would we have innovation, if everybody just accepted things the way they were and never tried something a little bit out there? Sometimes, when that happens, you get something revolutionary, like airplanes or iPods. And sometimes, you get crafting with cat hair. ...more

4

Oct 11, 2011

I know a lot of people -- even fiber enthusiasts -- who are squicked by the idea of using cat or dog fur in projects. I've never really understood why -- what makes fur from a cat or a dog so fundamentally different than hair from a sheep (wool) or from a goat (cashmere) or from a rabbit (angora)? Certainly cat and dog fur isn't as well-suited to most crafting endeavors as these other fibers, but I've never heard an objection due to the utility of the fiber -- it's always emotional in nature. I know a lot of people -- even fiber enthusiasts -- who are squicked by the idea of using cat or dog fur in projects. I've never really understood why -- what makes fur from a cat or a dog so fundamentally different than hair from a sheep (wool) or from a goat (cashmere) or from a rabbit (angora)? Certainly cat and dog fur isn't as well-suited to most crafting endeavors as these other fibers, but I've never heard an objection due to the utility of the fiber -- it's always emotional in nature. Strange.

Crafting With Cat Hair obviously seeks to persuade people that cat fur is, indeed, a perfectly legitimate material to craft with. Cat hair cannot be spun into yarn (at least not easily, and at least not so far as I am aware) due to its short staple length, so the book's projects are all based on felting. Wet felting is used to create adorable cat-hair finger puppets; other projects are things such as book covers, trinket boxes made of recycled milk cartons, and coin purses, all of which are made of other materials (generally manufactured wool felt, or recycled/repurposed sweaters in one case) while the cat hair is used to create a decorative embellishment via needle felting. In these cases, the cat hair is really almost an afterthought to the "main" project -- one could easily make the base project and them embellish it with beads, sequins, or other crafty doodads rather than with cat hair.

The projects are alternated in the book with two-page spreads on cat-related topics: how to best brush your cat; how much do cats shed; how cat hair is nearly odorless; how to care for your cat-hair projects; and so on. There are also ever-so-vaguely LOLcat-ish pictures throughout and, at the end, bios of the cats who "donated" their fur for the pictured projects.

The book seems to assume a knowledge of basic crafting skills. For example, in the pincushion project, the instructions call for sewing the pieces of the pincushion together inside out, turning it right-side out, stuffing it, and then sewing the hole closed, but there is no specific direction given as to how to do this. Still, though, there are no projects in the book that are difficult, and while absolute beginners may need to consult other sources for tips on how to do some of these things, everything here is still well within their reach. One thing that surprised me, however, was that there was only one brief mention of how sharp felting needles are, and that one mention was towards the end of the book. While "don't poke yourself with the needle" is a safety tip that should (one hopes) go without saying, it is extraordinarily painful to get poked with a barbed felting needle (speaking from experience here!) and I have never seen a felting book that didn't mention this upfront.

I would have known that Crafting With Cat Hair was Japanese in origin even if I hadn't known that it was. It just feels Japanese, between the voice, the subject matter, and the almost unbearable (in a good way!) cuteness. There are some things that were not fully adapted for an American audience -- several of the recommended cat brushes are Japanese products (or, at least, Japanese websites were given as sources), and at one point, the author suggests storing brushed cat hair in a seaweed tin until ready for use. I wouldn't know where to find a seaweed tin if my life depended on it.

All in all, this is a cute book that would appeal to crafters (if only for the novelty) and lovers of the quirky -- and, of course, cat people. And I must admit, I have a sudden hankering to make little tiny finger-puppet doppelgangers of my two cats. I've often joked that I could knit an entire new cat out of the amount of cat hair I sweep up, and perhaps this is the first step towards that.

Copy sent to me for review by Quirk Books. ...more

4

Sep 04, 2013

Wait, there's a book about crafting with your cat hair? Awesome.
The book was originally in Japanese, and it has retained the cuteness present in Japanese thru the translation, and of course the pictures and illustrations are cute too (ever seen a book in Japanese that wasn't cute? Me neither).
Most of the projects are with felting techniques. These are presented well with details, so they suit people who've never tried any kind of felting before.
Good techniques - now if only I got my kittehs to Wait, there's a book about crafting with your cat hair? Awesome.
The book was originally in Japanese, and it has retained the cuteness present in Japanese thru the translation, and of course the pictures and illustrations are cute too (ever seen a book in Japanese that wasn't cute? Me neither).
Most of the projects are with felting techniques. These are presented well with details, so they suit people who've never tried any kind of felting before.
Good techniques - now if only I got my kittehs to love some Furminator time so I could get more fur from them (other than the about half a cat worth of loose fur the Dyson collects every time I vacuum)... and a small confession: I had done some felting before, and only with cat fur. My previous felting items were some balls (about an inch in diameter), all from cat fur. Because I love seeing how I can build something from unusual materials, and a necklace with a few kitty fur "pearls" is just such a perfect thing to wear for someone totally owned by their kittehs... I will be definitely collecting more fur for more kittycrafts. ...more

5

May 15, 2012

This book is a delight for crafters and cat lovers. It's unique slant of using your cat hair to craft might strike some as odd but the books is so well put together, clean, neat and tidy that you love it at once.

It is a delicate combination of graceful advice and fun simple crafts that are accessible and achievable by most people There are brushing and cat care tips as well as inventive and cute little projects like necklaces, brooches and little bags all well laid out and easy to understand. This book is a delight for crafters and cat lovers. It's unique slant of using your cat hair to craft might strike some as odd but the books is so well put together, clean, neat and tidy that you love it at once.

It is a delicate combination of graceful advice and fun simple crafts that are accessible and achievable by most people There are brushing and cat care tips as well as inventive and cute little projects like necklaces, brooches and little bags all well laid out and easy to understand. If you want to preserve some of your kitty fur as a unique treasure then this is a good place to start. ...more

5

Jul 10, 2012

Adorkable! I found this book at my library's bookshop for 50 cents. Like new! Obviously its previous owner did not appreciate it as much as I do. Brush your cat and make a finger puppet today!

0

Oct 28, 2011

Too funny. I need about a dozen of these, so I can give them to all my cat loving friends.

4

Jun 25, 2011

Loooove it! Come on, how is cat hair any weirder than sheep hair? Yeah, my parents haven't been able to answer that any better than with a nervous laugh when I've said it, either. Anyway. It's really more about embellishing felt crafts with felted cat hair, less of making physical things with the hair. It's fairly fragile. But I love the idea, I love the Japanese, and I was positively delighted that my library bought this. And yes, I have a box full of harvested cat hair going.

3

Jan 22, 2012

I was hoping that I could make my fortune with cat hair crafting, as I have two cats, one of whom is long-haired. But I don't think so. It is a cute little book, though, especially for cat-lovers. This book is unintentionally funny with many admonitions that end with the phrase "is not how a good owner should behave." I would have to be much more dedicated to the craft of felting to pursue this activity. I'll stick with wool.

3

May 20, 2012

I found this book at one of our local libraries and HAD to get it. Was this book for real? Yes. It was indeed. The author instructs you how to gather cat hair from your cat, keep it free from pests and odors and turn it into "cute" handicrafts. I am a cat lover. Currently I live in a home with five cats (two are mine) so a supply of cat hair would certainly not be an issue for me. Still, I can't bring myself to make any of these handicrafts. Mostly this book was amusing and I had a lot of fun I found this book at one of our local libraries and HAD to get it. Was this book for real? Yes. It was indeed. The author instructs you how to gather cat hair from your cat, keep it free from pests and odors and turn it into "cute" handicrafts. I am a cat lover. Currently I live in a home with five cats (two are mine) so a supply of cat hair would certainly not be an issue for me. Still, I can't bring myself to make any of these handicrafts. Mostly this book was amusing and I had a lot of fun shocking people with it. ...more

4

Jun 07, 2014

Got this for my mom, since she (at least at one point) collects brushed-out cat hair in a large zip lock bag. It contains detailed instructions and the list of supplies you'll need (including cat) to create cat fur crafts, such as Kindle covers. The book is serious about its cat crafts, and it looks like they all should work as described. That doesn't keep it from being funny: "When crafting with your cat, it is important to remove hair only by gentle brushing. Do not shave your cat."

Here's a Got this for my mom, since she (at least at one point) collects brushed-out cat hair in a large zip lock bag. It contains detailed instructions and the list of supplies you'll need (including cat) to create cat fur crafts, such as Kindle covers. The book is serious about its cat crafts, and it looks like they all should work as described. That doesn't keep it from being funny: "When crafting with your cat, it is important to remove hair only by gentle brushing. Do not shave your cat."

Here's a sample page:

...more

5

Dec 08, 2011

Crafting With Cat Hair : Cute Handicrafts to With Your Cat by Kaori Tsutaya and translated by Amy Hirschman is written by the author of a popular site, and is Japanese craft style in a very feline way. Using the soft hair you brush from your cat as well as store bought wool felt, you create projects for your home and as accessories for yourself.

Just so you know, I'm a cat lover since I was a kid. My very first pet in fact was a parakeet. I named my 'keet Pretty Kitty just to make sure my mom Crafting With Cat Hair : Cute Handicrafts to With Your Cat by Kaori Tsutaya and translated by Amy Hirschman is written by the author of a popular site, and is Japanese craft style in a very feline way. Using the soft hair you brush from your cat as well as store bought wool felt, you create projects for your home and as accessories for yourself.

Just so you know, I'm a cat lover since I was a kid. My very first pet in fact was a parakeet. I named my 'keet Pretty Kitty just to make sure my mom knew that a parakeet wasn't a cat and I still wanted a cat. People owned by cats can be a bit dotty about them. This review is for those people. The cat people who understand why we needed a book on crafting with cat hair.

The author loves cats, and gives lots of tips on proper brushing, using just the hair that sheds naturally and taking good care of your cat.

The projects are felted using the soft, fluffy undercoat that cats have in the winter and that brushes off in what seems like incredible amounts in the spring. The top hair, the hair you see and feel when you pet a cat and that seems to wind up everywhere tends to tangle and doesn't felt as well.

It starts with a cute wet felted finger puppet which is the image on the cover. Her instructions are clear on how to make the template and how to felt the puppet and she gives advice on making little collars. After that project, the rest are needle felted on a backing fabric. Wool felt is recommended. These is a great technique for lightly felted thrift store sweaters.

She gives instructions on how to sew, glue and make the projects in the book. There are adorable badges, trinket boxes, little zipper pouches that can be handsewn, pin cushions, purses and ideas for needle felting on clothing and accessories.A lot of the projects have their own little stencils you can trace from the pages. They are incredibly charming and sweet silhouette poses.

She also explains how to wash and care for your cat felted items since cat fur doesn't bond as strongly as wool does when felted.

With all the information, the projects and the love for cats that the author clearly has, this is a just a wonderful and inspiring book. Some of the projects as written repurpose things for crafty use. A lot of the rest can be done using thrifted sweaters lightly felted.

The full color photos of cats and the projects are well done. The instructions are clear, the technique is simple and the book is just charming.

[I received a complimentary copy of the book to review on my craft blog- Don't Eat the Paste. My reviews are always my honest opinion] ...more

4

Nov 16, 2019

I’m not gonna lie, I’m very intrigued. I may try my hand at some of these.

5

Sep 23, 2017

Initally this is hilarious
And I didn't think I can collect that much fur to make anything. Trying during shefding season.

5

Feb 09, 2013

You might be tempted to say "eeuuw" when you see the title of this book, but don't! It's a fabulous, hands-on crafting book with well explained, various projects of little items you can make from hair from your beloved (or otherwise) kitty. You won't have to shave it bare - the projects only require small amounts that you can obtain from brushing or a little judicious snipping if you have a long-haired cat. They're felting projects and could be carried out using other animal hair or wool rovings You might be tempted to say "eeuuw" when you see the title of this book, but don't! It's a fabulous, hands-on crafting book with well explained, various projects of little items you can make from hair from your beloved (or otherwise) kitty. You won't have to shave it bare - the projects only require small amounts that you can obtain from brushing or a little judicious snipping if you have a long-haired cat. They're felting projects and could be carried out using other animal hair or wool rovings (sheep, alpaca etc) if cat-based supplies are short.
The crafts are finger puppets, book covers portraits, tote bags, coin purses, knick knack boxes, pin cushions, badges, mittens and hats. In all cases apart from the finger puppets, the other projects consist of adding felted cat motifs to the larger objects. This is a very sensible approach since the amount of cat hair available is going to be limited, unless you have hundreds of cats! The results are very sweet.
A very unique and clever book which any crafty cat owner will love.
...more

4

Feb 18, 2012

This book shows you how to felt items with cat hair. Some cute ideas but no "real" crafts - except for the cat finger puppets, it's just embellishments. Especially not useful for me, since someone I live with is full of cat allergies.
The REAL reason to read this book is for all the adorable Japanese cats. And when I say adorable, I mean ADORABLE. This whole book is adorable, as is the writing.

UPDATE: Just got this again to flip through because I couldn't remember if I'd actually read it or not. This book shows you how to felt items with cat hair. Some cute ideas but no "real" crafts - except for the cat finger puppets, it's just embellishments. Especially not useful for me, since someone I live with is full of cat allergies.
The REAL reason to read this book is for all the adorable Japanese cats. And when I say adorable, I mean ADORABLE. This whole book is adorable, as is the writing.

UPDATE: Just got this again to flip through because I couldn't remember if I'd actually read it or not. One thought: one of the projects is little cat portraits using the felted hair from said cat. They're not large, and would be easy to display... maybe it's morose, but boy, it'd sure be nice to have a little reminder like that to display after the cat eventually passes away. ...more

5

Dec 13, 2014

This book is really cute, and greatly exceeded my expectations! (Yes, it is written in seriousness, though the tone is lighthearted--I get that a lot of people find the subject too strange, but I'm pretty strange myself. ^_^) I expected to learn patterns and techniques, but I also learned new-to-me information about cats, felting, and Japan. . . three subjects I thought I knew a lot about already! The crafts are really adorable (to me), and the author obviously really cares about and advocates This book is really cute, and greatly exceeded my expectations! (Yes, it is written in seriousness, though the tone is lighthearted--I get that a lot of people find the subject too strange, but I'm pretty strange myself. ^_^) I expected to learn patterns and techniques, but I also learned new-to-me information about cats, felting, and Japan. . . three subjects I thought I knew a lot about already! The crafts are really adorable (to me), and the author obviously really cares about and advocates for cats. It's all just very sweet, in that kind of indescribable way that Japanese craft books tend to be. . . and many cute pictures of cats are included, so all the better! ...more

5

Oct 03, 2011

Do you love your cat? Well Quirk Books has another great how to book out that tells you step by step how to make some great little projects with a little help from your cat! I know, how clever is that! This book will walk you through step by step to make Book Covers, Portraits, finger puppets, cat toys and even tote bags all with a little fur from your cat. These crafts will surely be one of a kind treasures. Just think, all of these projects are eco~friendly!

4

Nov 14, 2016

I'm not sure I'll ever make any of these crafts, but it was fun to see all the ideas the author had for using cat hair! I found this book to be very humorous, but I'm still not sure if that was intentional or unintentional. The common-sense cat care tips sprinkled throughout the book added to my enjoyment--don't shave your cat! Don't brush your cat too much! Watch out for fleas!

Okay, maybe I'll try making a cat hair finger puppet one of these days.

5

Dec 26, 2013

Ok, I admit it, I rented this ironically, fully intending to read it and make fun of it... but it was actually really cute and not nearly as ridiculous as the title might imply. For the most part, the suggested crafts are all small cat shapes made from one typical bundle of discarded hair during brushing/grooming. It seemed really reasonable, if not recycle-y, and the results were more than adorable -- no different than felted wool, truly.

3

Jan 15, 2013

I have to that this is a different crafting idea than I had ever read about. After thinking about it I decided cat hair is no different than using any other animal hair. There are some cute ideas for crafting as well as some good information on taking care of your cat. If you are looking for something a bit different in crafting this book may be just what you are looking for.

5

Jul 04, 2013

I got a newsletter from bookdepository recommending some books on quicky crafts - and this title popped up. Well, now all my christmas shopping is over and done with. Neighbourhood cats beware my shaving equipment...

Thank you Karen for a great review of this book, it is a long time since I laughed so hard..

3

Mar 11, 2012

Yep, buying this made me a crazy cat woman. The little crafts are so cute though! I am currently saving up some kitty fur to make some stuff. I'm thinking all of my cats could use a good bath and brush ;) May as well use the fur that gets all over the house...