Pandora's Litter Box: Catnip Yarn?

I finished knitting a shawl tonight and pinned it down, folded in half lengthwise¹ on an old sheet on the floor to steam block² it. I slowly passed the hot iron over (but not on) the whole thing, made sure the steam had passed through to the bottom layer, and then went to put away needles I had used.

When I looked back, Spoon

was rolling his chubby belly

all over my new shawl.

I swear the yarn label said nothing about catnip content.

Scale reference (standard 36" yardstick):


I'm not sure if I should feel pro-actively clever or if I was getting my just desserts, but I had just groomed Spoon with a snazzy new thingie which actually worked out a lot of fur, so he didn't have much left loose to shed on my new shawl! Maybe that's why he had to stick at it so long!

Once again, Spoon ruined the light level on the pictures, making the shawl look much darker than it is. For reference, this photograph shows the actual colors better.

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¹ The shawl is approximately 73" x 21" (185cm x 53cm).
² Blocking is process of "setting" your knitted or crocheted fabric to the shape and dimensions you want (or as close as possible, if you get way off gauge like I sometimes do). The specifics of the process vary by fiber used, but generally you dampen it and pin it into the shape you want, although not necessarily in that order. I pinned this shawl down while dry and steamed it with an iron.