Kitty candy

I know this post is only going to interest the nichest of an already niche audience (our readership), but I don't feel too bad about it somehow.

I've got a fun new crochet project! Thanks to Crochet Me, I not only have found a great way to get rid of small bits of cotton yarn leftover from other projects, but I've also learned a new crochet technique (how to crochet a ring without leaving a hole in the middle), AND I'm making great little toys for my friends' pets as well. And as if it couldn't get any better, each one of these suckers takes only about an hour to make.

Some tips to make this pattern better:
1. I've learned that it's too tough to switch yarn colors between the first two rows, so I make the first two rows the same color.
2. The ring technique, while awesome, requires you to REALLY pull the yarn hard. Which, more often than not, breaks the yarn. So I've learned that it's OK to leave just a little bitty loop and then pull it to the inside of the ball with your crochet hook.
3. Use 100% cotton yarn; cats apparently don't like acrylic.
4. Use two colors that contrast each other for maximum cat-happiness.
5. The monk's cord description in the pattern is a bit confusing; check a standard crochet book or other websites for a better explanation.

My awesome friend Emily was the recipient of the first toy I made, and she said she had "never seen her cat so hyper" and called the toy "the best thing ever." Apparently the cat was so crazed over this thing that when she batted it under the bed, she ran at top speed INTO the bed and gave herself a mild concussion. (Poor thing.)