Free Pattern: Cat Rattle
This small stripy cat is crocheted around a rattle made of a plastic egg from a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg filled with small glass beads. But you can always use fiberfill to stuff the body.
Size
About 5,5 cm (2 1/5") long and 11 cm (4 1/3") tall, with fingering weight cotton yarn and a 1,75 mm crochet hook (US thread hook size 4).
Difficulty
2. Beginner - suitable for novice crocheters, includes small details and may require a bit of customization.
Skills required
Crocheting in spiral, single crochet stitch, increasing and decreasing, changing yarns, joining rounds.
You will need
• Yarn. I used fingering weight cotton yarn, 50g = 125m (50g = 135yd) / 4 ply / 14 wpi. You will need about 15 g of yarn - 10 g for the body and 5 g for the stripes.
• 1,75 mm crochet hook (US thread hook size 4) or according to the yarn.
• Polyester wadding for stuffing.
• Cotton embroidery floss.
• Plastic egg from a Kinder surprise chocolate egg and small glass or plastic beads.
• Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker.
Abbreviations
mr, sc n = magic ring – crochet n single crochet stitches into the adjustable loop.
sc = single crochet stitch (double crochet stitch in UK and Australia).
sc n = crochet n single crochet stitches, one in each stitch.
inc = increase – crochet two single crochet stitches in the same stitch.
dec = decrease – crochet two stitches together using the invisible decrease method.
(sc 4, inc) x n = repeat the pattern between parentheses n times.
(sc 4, inc) x 6 [36] = number of stitches in a round after finishing round.
Notes
• Work in a continuous spiral, do not join rounds or turn, unless instructed otherwise in the pattern.
• Use a stitch marker or a piece of yarn to mark the end or the beginning of a round. Move the marker up after completing each round.
• All stitches are worked into both loops, unless instructed otherwise in the pattern.
Stripes
a ) If you are using a Kinder Surprise egg for the rattle, crochet the body in spiral - joining rounds would leave a row of knots, which would show through the fabric.
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| 1. The body is crocheted tightly around the plastic egg, without adding stuffing between the fabric and rattle. |
2. Crocheting in spiral means the stripes will |
b ) If you plan to stuff the body with fiberfill, join all rounds using the invisible join method for perfect stripes. Do the same with the tail.
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Body 1: mr, sc 6 [6] Insert the rattle inside the body and make Change yarn, leaving both yarns attached 8-15: sc in each stitch [28] Insert the plastic egg inside the body and 16: (sc 5, dec) x 4 [24] Make the last stripe on round 16, cut the 17: (dec, sc 2) x 6 [18] Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and draw
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Legs (make 4) 1: mr, sc 6 [6] Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Stuff the legs firmly.
Ears (make 2) 1: mr, sc 4 [4] Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Do not stuff the ears.
Tail 1: mr, sc 6 [6] Start stuffing the tail. Keep adding a bit of stuffing after every few rounds, stuffing the tail lightly. Crochet rounds 5, 8, 11 and 14 with contrasting yarn. 5-16: sc in each stitch [8] Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Finish stuffing. |
Body
a ) You may need to make small adjustments to make sure the body will fit snugly around the rattle.
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| 1. Make sure the body fits snugly around the rattle. You may need to increase or decrease the number of inc on round 5. Make the same number of dec on round 16. |
2. If the body is too short or too long, add |
b ) Finish the first seven rounds and embroider the face.
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| 1. Add a thin layer of wadding inside the body. |
2. Turn the body so the end of the round is |
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| 3. Knot the yarn ends together inside the body. |
c ) Change yarn after finishing round 7. Crochet rounds 8, 11, 14 and 16 with contrasting yarn.
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| 1. Change yarn after finishing round 7. Leave both yarns attached to the body. Whenever you need to change yarns, you can just pick it up without knotting it again. |
2. After you finish the last stripe, cut the yarn |
d ) Finish the body and close the opening.
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| 1. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and draw the end through the loop. Thread the yarn tail on to a yarn needle. |
2. Pick up all the stitches. Insert the needle |
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| 3. Grab the yarn and pull until the hole is tightly closed. |
4. Insert the needle into the center and bring |
Assembling the Cat
d ) Finish all the pieces and stuff them. Sew the legs, ears and tail to the body.
Tip! You can weave in any loose yarn ends or fasten them more securely with a knot and hide inside the legs and tail.
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| 1. Sew the tail to the body. |
2. Push the ears flat and sew them to the head. Insert the needle through both stitches. |
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| 3. Sew the legs to the body. |
4. Finish sewing, fasten all yarn tails and hide |
Have any questions? Do not hesitate to contact me!
Copyright © 2013 TÜ Spire. Please do not post the pattern to your website or blog, instead post a link to http://engsidrun.spire.ee/blogs/blog1.php/cat-rattle. You MAY use this pattern as a teaching aid in any free class or e-course, or as part of a free crochet pattern, provided you credit me as the designer (Kristi Tullus, http://sidrun.spire.ee).
Feel free to sell items made with this pattern.
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3 comments
surprise eggs?? Is this like some eggs in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJ3C8pENfQ
