At the end of July, legendary knitter Cat Bordhi announced that she was dying. People have been encouraged to share their memories of Cat while she can still read them, so we put together our thoughts which we share with you today.

Cat Bordhi is among the most influential knitters of the new millennium. She burst onto the knitting scene with her first publication, Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles, setting off a new craze. Many knitters tossed their double points aside, and began exploring alternate methods for sock making.

Her next publication was nothing short of phenomenal. A Treasury of Magical Knitting introduced the world to her möbius cast on, now regarded as one of the most brilliant contributions to the knitting technique. Cat set off another huge craze! At one point we were selling more 47” and 60” Addi Turbos than commonly used lengths, just for Cat’s möbius designs. Even today, eighteen years later, I still find myself in a state of awe and amazement every time I use her möbius cast on.

Many more books followed, including A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting, New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One, and Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters, just to name a few. Each book contains Cat’s unique perspective and incredibly clever construction.

As I write this, I find myself wishing I had Cat’s expansive vocabulary – like “insouciant.” Who uses the word insouciant in a craft book title? CAT DID!

We had the pleasure of hosting Cat Bordhi at our annual Knit Out retreat in the spring of 2006. She was such a delight! Her enthusiasm was contagious, and Cat truly was among the most talented of knitting instructors.

The knitting world is about to lose one of its brightest and most innovative stars. We will always remember Cat for her legendary wit, immense creativity, and fun-loving quirky personality. Cat is truly in a league of her own!