Small Bobble Hat Millefiori Cat (b.31 October 2009)

Thanks so much to Sharon (aka Blissknits - creator of all gorgeous things knitted, crocheted and stitched - have a look at her blog for more info) for commissioning this Small Millefiori Cat complete with hat and scarf!

I spent a blissful day yesterday working with canes - I haven't returned to them for a while now, and I wanted to experiment with some different techniques - will post more about that later.

The cane for this wee cat is a basic flower shape, with a pink centre, fuschia pink petals, and a deep violet background. The petals and centre were formed with clay logs, and the petals were finished off with a white border to add definition. Small wedges of the violet clay between the petals makes sure they keep their shape, and the cane was finished off with a thin sheet of violet wrapped round the entire design.

Having made the basic cane (which measured about 3cm across), I then reduced this down by rolling it out and made a number of different sizes of cane. I cut one section of a long, thin cane into seven lengths and then arranged the flowers into another flower pattern (see photo). I then reduced this cane down further, so the resultant flowers measure on average 2-3mm.

Once happy with the size of cane, I then covered a clay core with thin slices from the cane, blending and smoothing the edges as I went. It is painstaking work, as it's important to make sure the pattern makes sense and the flowers remain intact. Once the body was complete, the cat chose a vibrant green hat and scarf combo, so he'll be nice and cozy for Christmas!

He stands 5cm tall to the top of his bobble, and 3cm wide.

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