Right up there with knitting a stove using steel wool comes this tidbit from the land of Hello Kitty. Kaori Tsutaya is a Japanese writer obsessed with cats. Tsutaya exhibits her crafty results and also runs little kitty craft workshops to inspire other cat owners. As cats seem to work better as paper weights or roving tripping hazards I became pretty interested in this article.

Not just another craft book Tsutaya gives you plenty of pictures of her cats, humour, and tips on caring for your feline, from proper brushing techniques to "fleas r us".

This book actually tells you how to clip your cat at certain times of the year to get the best fur for crafts and I must remind you it's a big no-no to shave your  house cat. I’ve also heard that announcing that you’ve shaved your 'cat' in public will actually make you quite popular in certain male circles so beware of what you share on Facebook.

There are two basic techniques for making miniature cats in her book "Crafting With Cat Hair". Tsutaya shows us how to make felt with the hair, beginning with the methods of how you brush it from the cat. Apparently by wrapping layers and then shaping the material with soap and wetting it will give you a solid piece of cat hair fabric to work with.
 
Actually I am more interested in seat covers for my car in a lovely zebra pattern and I wonder how many black and white cats it would take to complete that project.The other technique she mentions involves needle felting with cat hair, and making tiny little creatures for a  possible cover for your new Cranky Cuss book or Kindle. Would you like the abbreviated version? Set a book on a table in front of you and try and read that book. Watch as your cat tries to sit on it and covers it in hair. Presto chango, instant book cover!

Kitty bloggers around the country saved plastic bags of their cat’s hair just for the book’s release last year, and say the book is like catnip for them. I just don’t understand it myself, as I am afraid cats might eat the completed craft and then deliver the deconstructed version right where you might step on it in the middle of the night.
According to Huffington Post words from the wise think it's all fun and games.

“I think it’s interesting because it’s something quirky and different,” says Stephanie Harwin, 29, who writes the cat blog Catsparella, (all cats, all the time.) “It’s a kind of way to keep your cat around when they are not. Looking to the future that is. People have cat hair everywhere and it’s something to do with it.”
 
Harwin says she herself tackled a pet project from the book — she made a finger puppet out of her cat Priscilla’s hair. “Yes, it’s kind of weird and different and quirky,” she says. “It's a little controversial, some people think it’s kind of gross. But to me, how is this different from using wool?”

Let me explain this to you very carefully Ms. Harwin. Cats always seem to munch on wayward hair that turns into food which usually gives the end result of poop.  So, most certainly cat-owners always have the raw materials to give this "a go" before expulsion, and yes it's darn controversial!
 
Honestly, why don't all of  you crazy crafters just throw the cat hair in the yard and watch the birds make a nest if you are so desperate for creation.
 
My final word on this 'purring' subject is this:
 
This is just another perfect example of: "Just because we can, does not mean we should."

 Linda Seccaspina 2012  Zoomers Canada