Saturday 25 April 2009

Crochet Kitten Pattern

I knitted this kitty from this pattern but then decided I'd like to try and crochet one. The pattern below is made by me. It's the first pattern I've ever made. It's much simpler that it looks. Honestly! My crochet pattern is free for you to make but remains the intellectual property of Fiona Gill and is for personal use. Please do not copy this pattern or sell this pattern or kitties made from it unless they are for charity and then...make hundreds!

I've used 4ply cotton yarn and a 3mm crochet hook and UK crochet terms.
For anyone in the USA(double crochet, dc. in the UK is equivelent to a single crochet, sc in US terms.)



Body
ch 25.
Row1 - dc in 2nd ch from hook, dc to end. (24sts).
Row2 - ch1, dc to end.
Continue in dc for a further 32 rows (34 rows in all). Fasten off leaving a tail for sewing up.



Head
ch 16.
Row1 - dc in 2nd ch from hook, dc to end.
Row2 - ch1, dc to end (15sts)
Continue in dc for a further 7 rows.
Row10 - dc2tog at each end of row (13sts) (you're decreasing one stitch at each end of the row)
Row11 - dc2tog at each end of row (11sts)
Row12 - dc2tog at each end of row (9sts)
Row13 - dc2tog at each end of row (7sts)
Row14 - dc2 in first st, dc to end of row dc2 in last st.(you're increasing one stitch at each end of the row)
Row15 - dc2 in first st, dc to end of row dc2 in last st.(11sts)
Row16 - dc2 in first st, dc to end of row dc2 in last st.(13sts)
Row17 - dc2 in first st, dc to end of row dc2 in last st.(15sts)
Continue in dc for a further 9 rows. Fasten off leaving a tail for sewing up.


On the left is the body, on the right is the head.



Fold the body piece like this and stitch up the legs leaving about an inch open at his tummy for stuffing.

Fold the head piece in half and stitch up the sides. Stuff and stitch closed the top. Stitch across corners to create ears.

Tail.
ch2.
In 2nd ch from hook, dc 6.
Continue to dc these 6sts in a spiral until tail measures about 1inch.
dc twice into next st, continue crocheting in a spiral until tail is desired length (2inches) Fasten off leaving a sewing length.



In these pictures you can see the little tubey tail.


Stitch your tail on your kitty and you're done.
I embroidered a face using a strand of black wool.
I hope you like it.
love Fi x

89 comments:

Simone said...

The crochet kitty's are adorable! I think they are achievable to make even for a novice as the shapes look quite simple to create. Thank you for your interpretation of the kitty. I would love to have a go at making one some time.

tintocktap said...

Well done - that's a cute kitty!

Anonymous said...

Very cute. Thanks for the pattern - I must make one of these for my daughter - she loves cats.

Pussycats and Angels said...

Love the Kitten. Thanks for sharing pattern.
Love your blog by the way. Came across it through Henhouse.
Look forward to your next post.
Warm Wishes
Julie

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Now that is one cute kitty!

I will definitely have to make some of these!

thank you for sharing,

Cheers Alex

X

Mandy said...

Oh they are so cute.

Anonymous said...

How clever. I like it even better than the knitted one.

Thanks for being so generous - though I can't follow a crochet pattern, but one day, who knows :-)

Carol said...

That is very clever...but I still love your crochet blanker more.
Carol x

Shabby Chick said...

They look so sweet! Well done you for making something so great.

Mel xxx

Tillybud said...

Too hard for me but they look soooo cute. I love your felted things in the side-bar too!

silverpebble said...

So clever! I still have a little to learn about crochet but I love the simplicity of the shapes needed - I feel as though I could attempt this! Many thanks x

Serenata said...

Thanks Fi :-) I've already made a start so should hopefully be able to show you a picture soon.
Lorraine

Tinyholder said...

That looks lovely, I'll have to have a go! :-)

Serenata said...

Kitten made! Pictures on my blog - thanks Fi :-)

Anonymous said...

They are so cute =^.^=
I am very new to crochet and not sure I can manage that one, but I shall have a go. I will try the sweet knitted one first. what a lovely little project for the holiday weekend
Thank you x
Sumea

Greedy Nan said...

Don't think I've been over before but I definitely will be again. What lovely, lovely things you have/do.

Anonymous said...

found my way here whilst blogging this is so cute thought I might have a play tomorrow thanks for sharing

Val

Clotilde M. said...

That kitty is absolutely gorgeous! As a cat lover I am definitely won over. I'll try to make time to make some for an orphanage we help. They would be wonderful for the children for Christmas. Thanks for sharing.

Isadora said...

Simply adorable!
I gotta give it a try!
I'll let you know as soon as I do. Thanks for your tutorial.
Dora

Anonymous said...

Hi, the pattern in lovely and the kitty is so cute. I do have a question however, is the DC stitch the American DC (english TR) or is it an UK DC?

Thank you so much for this lovely pattern.

Louise said...

this is such a good pattern!! it has been a god send recently, helping while away the hours while i was recovering from a tonsilectomy- i've made 3 so far, a cream one, a black one a a ginger one. so fun!

Unknown said...

I love this pattern and had to try it out. You say to double crochet yet your photos all look like single. I had a bit of an adventure making it. I have my adventure and pictures on my blog; http://knot.krisp.com/2010/04/herding-cats/

Stacey said...

Just stumbled upon your blog via a linking site for free crochet patterns. What adorable kitties! Thanks for the pattern!

And everything else you've made really caught my attention. Some of these crafts (like the embroidery on hand-made felt) are totally new to me. Everything's so beautifully done.

jmk said...

Just found your kitty pattern. They're lovely! Can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing. :-)

tina522 said...

Your kitten pattern was so cute that I had to make one. It turned out very nice and was not difficult at all to make. We have four cats, so now I have to make three more for my daughter. lol. Thank you so much.

Anonymous said...

Wouah ! Thank you very much for this pattern. Sory i don't speak english

Anonymous said...

Hi, I came across your pattern from a free crochet pattern sight. I'm a new crocheter and tried this pattern. I'm having a bit of trouble. I have ripped the body 4 times now. I keep getting a rectangle not a square. It's 24 across and 34 up right? Why does mine come out like a long skinny rectangle each time? The picture shows a nice easy square. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

SPEAK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Thanks for the pattern, I just made one and posted it on Ravelry (name: TricotinTricota)

click2embiggen said...

I love this pattern, and the kitten is soooo adorable. This is just the kind of cat pattern I've been looking for -- it looks kind of like one of those traditional Halloween cats!

I'd like to clear some things up though for any Americans reading the pattern. This is written in British crochet terms, and a British double crochet translates to an American single crochet. If anyone is coming up with a long skinny swatch for the body, that's probably why.

coffee 'n' crochet said...

They are so cute, this pattern is going on my to do list,I have set myself the challenge of making all my christmas gifts this year and showing my results on my blog which I started yesterday, I will let you know how I got on with the kitty.

rockiet said...

I love this :3 Haha, I looked at this, and I thought "This can't possibly be dc!" >.< I read in your cmnts and others seemed to think so too. Luckily, a commenter cleared it up for me. I live in the US lol. Anyway, you're so generous for sharing this for free. Thank you!

Unknown said...

Great pattern! I used hdc [USA] to get the correct dimensions. I also needle felted the ears a bit to give them more shape. I'm going to make little orange and black ones to give out for Halloween. Thanks!

marble rose said...

I don't get it why did mine turn out MASSIVE????? Am I doing a bizarre dc stitch - cos 34 took it to the floor?

I am utter rubbish at crochet. I give up.

Bella said...

This is most likely something that most crocheters already know but I'm a self taught yarner and I've looked up how to decrease at the beginning of a line but the same thing doesn't seem to be working at the end of the line like it did at the beginning. The directions I found was to go through loop, YO, go through again, YO again and then pull through all three loops. Is there a different way to do it at the end?
Sorry if this is a silly question but I've searched on line and can't find the answer.
Quick note though... I LOVE the pattern!

Bella

Anonymous said...

hey i LOVE your kitten! all my friends want me to make them one!
just one thing though, in your instructions it says to use dc, but it looks to me in the pictures that you used sc. maybe it's just me, but that's how i saw it. sorry to criticize. its really cute!

Anonymous said...

@marble rose,

you may be using the wrong stitch,or you may be using too big a hook, or both. dont give up!!!! mabe you just need better hooks. like click2embiggen said, it's in British terms. dc means American sc

Anonymous said...

Cute cute cute! I love the knitted version and have plans to make one but I adore your crochet version. I love the way their backs arch, like they are staring each other down. Must make one NOW!

Julie said...

So adorable! And so easy, you made a great pattern.

Unknown said...

I can't believe I fell into the English/American double crochet trap!! ARG! I ended up with a big long rectangle, too. Oh well - I can make that into something else. :)

Now I have a nice little square made with single crochet and I'm going to get going on the head. Thanks so much for this cute project. My 2yo niece is going to love it!!

Snowcatcher said...

Too precious! Just adorable!

Lelê Barros Ateliê said...

Amei o gatinho, vou fazer um com certeza.
Beijos
Lelê
http://jlartesanatos.blogspot.com/

Linda Wanders said...

I love this simpel approach.

I am a dutch textile teacher and i've translated your tutorial for my students, so they can learn to crochet as well.

^^

zozoenjaja said...

Oh, I love your to visit your blog.
My compliments!
Greetz ;)

Aly said...

me encantó este gatito, tanto que lo hice y me quedó adorable, puse un enlace en mi blog , nuevamente felicitaciones y un enorme enorme abrazo, Aly

felix said...

i think you can sell the finished product... just not the pattern

super_awesome_advocate said...

My only complaint is that you didn't put anything in the pictures to show how large they are. A quartner or dollar bill would've been nice, so I could compare sizes :)

Wendy said...

So clever, Well done. This is something I like to do. Trying to convert Knitting into Crochet. Love your Blog.
Wendy. xx

Jane said...

I came across your pattern a few days ago in Crochet Pattern Central, and LOVE it. I've made 2 black cats so far for Halloween. The only facial embellishments I used was bright orange Cats Eye beads for the eyes. They look awesome! Thank you for sharing it. As for the knitted version, that pattern was originally printed in a book called The Children's Hour back in 1996.

AdaKnits said...

Super cute! My daughter loves kitties but, of course, can't have live kittites in her dorm room, so I am going to make this for her to hold her over until she graduates. :)
Thanks for sharing the pattern. It's really adorable!

Stitchabilities said...

Thank you for sharing, I hope to make some of these for charity

noelani said...

Thanks so much for sharing the pattern! I made a ginger kitty for my 4 Yo granddaughter, who adores stuffed animals. I am starting a smaller one for my 8 month old grandson.

I goofed on the body, though. When I finished the 34 rows, I realized that it was too narrow, and that I had only started with 16 chains, like for the head. Chalk that up to attention deficit disorder! So, I just added four rows along each side, and that worked pretty well. Thanks, also, for including the information that dc over there is the same as sc over here, because I didn't know that!

I really enjoy your site!

Noelani

Anonymous said...

the pattern reading is in dc,and from ur picture it looks like you used single crochet.I love it anyways.

Anonymous said...

the pattern reading is in dc,and from ur picture it looks like you used single crochet.I love it anyways.

Anonymous said...

I have made the cat which is great, but as a newbie to crochet I am struggling with the tail. I am going to try googling it to see if I can find a video tutorial.Thanks again

Anonymous said...

i've tried it, but it turns out as a long rectangle.
I appreciate the comment above clearing it up. i was starting to wonder if the author had gotten the pattern wrong.

Anonymous said...

so, this has to be single crochet or hdc? I also did it double crochet and ended up with a rectangle! thanks for the pattern

Sandhya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sandhya said...

thank you so much for the wonderful pattern. i followed your instructions and the cat turned out so perfect! the interesting thing was the wool i used was very much like the one you've used. thanks again. you can see my cat here - http://knitspurlsandhooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/crochet-snake.html

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much! Such a great and lovely pattern :) The problem of a birthday gift to my niece is solved, she is getting her own somewhat Hello-Kitty-styled crocheted furry friend :) Just awesome! So simple yet so much style. Love it! Might wanna make one for myself, lol. Thank you :)

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

What an adorable kitty and a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing it.

I followed a pin from Pinterest to your blog and am now a new follower! :o)

mamouna-san said...

they are sweet ! i'm taking the pattern with me and i'm gonna make 7 of them in rainbow collors ! they will look fantastic on top of my white fireplace...

thanks for making it :)

greetz mamouna

Unknown said...

Sorry for my English, I use google translator ^ _ ^
Thanks to your tutorial I have a kitten too! You can see it here ^ _ ^
See you soon and complimeti for your blog and your work, fantastic!

Unknown said...

Thank you for the pattern. Can't wait to try it, as my crochet skills are limited and this looks like something that I can do! Hugs!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh he is too adorable =) Thanks so much for sharing!

Julie-ACCROchet

accrochet.wordpress.com
facebook.com/accrochet

Carey said...

Love these! Hoping to make some for my sisters who love kitties. Thank you for sharing! So cute!

Sandhya said...

i have made more than 6 of these for people in the age range of one month to 56 years and they're all equally thrilled. thank you so much for sharing this lovely pattern. i've also been making very cute elephants, caterpillars and snakes thanks to the success of my/your kittens.

Elli said...

Ein Kompliment fuer deinen Blog ... ich habe viele wunderschoene Arbeiten gesehen ... und deine Kaetzchen nachgearbeitet.Wenn du mich besuchen moechtest ... ich wurde mich freuen ... bei der Gelegenheit koenntest du auch "deine" Kaetzchen sehen. :-)
Bye, bye Elli

Unknown said...

It looks really cute and seems easy :) Exactly what I can make for my friend who loves kitties, thanks a lot :D

collins said...

bravo ! c'est très mignon et facile !Merci !
Françoise

de Limoges ( France)

Anonymous said...

This is such an adorable pattern for little kitten softies! And I read I'm allowed to sell too? Just asking for confirmation, because I'd love to sell a bunch of these to raise money for the local animal shelter. :) I volunteer there and I thought it would be great way to collect money!

And maybe the cats love them too if I fill it up with catnip. :D They can always use new toys there.

Anyway, currently working on the first one for myself in bright pink. I'm betting more will follow soon!

Juaney said...

Here's a link to my version. I love the pattern, simple but effective!

http://embrethil.deviantart.com/art/James-the-Crochet-Kitty-350699858

patries said...

I really like your kitten. I finished my first one in grey and there will be some more made! Thanks for charing your creativity..

Greetings from Patricia (Holland)

Anonymous said...

Hi I want to say thank you! Just crochet the kitten and love it.

Anonymous said...

This is a really gr8 little kitty, i started making it as soon as i found it. But i must point out a mistake u made in the pattern... You wrote the pattern using ''DC''(DOUBLE CROCHET) i started crocheting before i noticed something was not quite right on closer inspection of your pictures i realized you were using Single Crochet's.... So To Everyone Trying This Pattern Where It Says 'DC' Dont Do It Use 'SC'(Single Crochet)or it will not come out right. Thank you for the pattern though.

Inge 英奇 said...

Very cute. Looks easy and fun to do. Thanks for sharing. No mistake in the pattern. We live in global space and I often forget to check whether the crochet pattern is American or UK based. Makes a big difference in what your stitches end up looking like!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your free crochet kitty pattern. I saved it to a Word document and just had Word replace all the dc's to sc in one step so I won't get confused. Too easy! This will be a delight to crochet. -Helen

Emily - Cotton Cat UK said...

Hi, thanks so much for this great pattern!
I gave it a go last night, i didnt follow it word for word but more by the pictures that you put up as a guide. unfortunatly my cats head ended up abit like bagpuss! a little on the large size :) but i will tweak it if i do another.
I am going to use this idea and try to make one from fabric! I hope you make it across to my facebook page to have a look at the pictures once i've done it (crochet one is already up)
Thanks again :)

Unknown said...

Thank you for translating this pattern from the knitted version - great fun and only took a couple of hours. Posted photo on Ravelry under user name 'bybecks'. Love the blog to!

Kara @ Petals to Picots Crochet said...

I love these little kitties!

Mrs H.H said...

Wow - I bought one of this type of little cats at a tiny village fair in France two years ago, and ever since I have been looking for the pattern, but I haven't found one. Now I have found this, Thank you

Amy said...

Thank you! I've just found my next project.

Unknown said...

I just made one for my daughter and it came out just lovely. Instructions were very easy to follow even though I haven't done a project in about half a year. Love it :) thank you!!

Unknown said...

Hi - this is a lovely pattern - I've just made a bride & groom pair - with a black top hat for the groom and a flower for the bride - sorry, I can't work out how to post a picture. Thanks for sharing the pattern

Unknown said...

Hi I think you mean sc instead of dc. I ended up with a rectangle too. im trying it again in sc to see if it works out. Ill update you. Oh and thanks so much such a cute kitty

Unknown said...

Hello, I just tried this pattern in single crochet instead of double and it worked perfect. She accidentally made a mistake and said double, which actually gives you a really long rectangle and cant be sewn right.

Texchanchan said...

Dear friends in the US, she SAID she was using UK terminology!
UK dc = US sc

That said, 34 rows of sc (US)/dc(UK) made a longer, thinner rectangle than shows in the picture. I will go by that image next. Still working.
--Texchanchan

Unknown said...

i really appreciate your work, you are doing a great job here, just loving it Lost and found