Every household has a ruler, and in this home, the king wore a coat of midnight black fur. He preferred not to sit on cushions or rugs, but rather to pour himself over the narrow ledge of the staircase railing like spilled ink.
He had a signature look. He would drape his body across the beige trim, staring forward with intense, golden eyes. But the true masterpiece of his posture was The Dangle that one right paw hanging effortlessly into the void, a pendulum of pure relaxation. He looked down past the guitars and the clutter, perfectly content in his high up perch.
His companion observed this daily ritual with amusement. This specific pose the serious face combined with that lazily hanging limb was too iconic to be forgotten. It deserved a tribute that lasted longer than a memory. It needed to be immortalized in something warm and tangible.
And so, the knitting needles began to click.
Yarn in shades of sky blue formed the canvas, while thick, black wool began to take shape in the center. Slowly, the silhouette emerged. The knitter worked carefully to capture every detail of their muse, the perked ears, the bright yellow gaze, and the cream colored stripe representing the ledge.
The result was a perfect mirror of reality. On the front of the chunky sweater, the cat appeared again, but this time in stitches. The woolen double featured the exact same posture, with that long, black arm stretching down the wearer’s torso, mimicking the real limb that hung from the stair rail.
Now, the two exist in parallel. One stays on the ledge, guarding the house with lazy elegance, while the other travels the world on a sweater, a cozy declaration of how much this particular feline is adored.
Shannon Willis can usually be found in the company of furry friends. A passionate animal enthusiast, her work is often inspired by her deep love for cats, dogs, and the animal kingdom as a whole.
