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Material List Yarn: Medium weight (DK weight / suitable for Amigurumi) cotton yarn. 1 skein of White 1 skein of Mustard Yellow A small amount of Pink and Mustard Yellow embroidery floss for facial features. Hook: 2.5 mm or 3.0 mm crochet hook (depending on your yarn tension). Other Materials: Stitch marker, fiberfill stuffing (optional, if you want to lightly stuff the ears and the back of the head), tapestry needle, and scissors. ???? Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions Abbreviations (US Terms) MR: Magic Ring sc: Single crochet inc: Increase (2 single crochet in the same stitch) dc: Double crochet dc-inc: Double crochet increase (2 double crochet in the same stitch) hdc: Half double crochet tr: Treble crochet sl st: Slip stitch ch: Chain BLO: Back loop only 1. Cat's Head (White Yarn) The head is crocheted as a flat circle (similar to the logic of an amigurumi head but flattened). Round 1: 6 sc into MR, sl st, ch 1 (6) Round 2: inc in each stitch around -> 6 inc, sl st, ch 1 (12) Round 3: (1 sc, 1 inc) * 6 times, sl st, ch 1 (18) Round 4: (2 sc, 1 inc) * 6 times, sl st, ch 1 (24) Round 5: (3 sc, 1 inc) * 6 times, sl st, ch 1 (30) Round 6: (4 sc, 1 inc) * 6 times, sl st, ch 1 (36) Round 7: (5 sc, 1 inc) * 6 times, sl st, ch 1 (42). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
2. Cat's Body & Tail (White Yarn) In the image, the cat forms a crescent shape, as if it is curled up asleep. To achieve this, we will use a semi-circle/oval logic. Row 1: Ch 15. Turn, starting from the 2nd chain from hook: 13 sc, 3 sc in the last chain (to turn the corner). Continue on the other side of the chain: 13 sc, ch 1, turn (29) Row 2: 13 sc, 3 inc in the next 3 stitches (double crochet in each), 13 sc, ch 2, turn. Row 3 (Switching to DC): 13 dc, (1 dc, 1 dc-inc) * 3 times, 13 dc. For the Tail Extension: At the end of the row, without fastening off, ch 12. Working back down the chain: 2 sl st, 3 sc, 5 dc. Join to the main body piece with a sl st to give it a curled tail shape. Fasten off. 3. Mesh Background and Mustard Scalloped Border We are creating the base circle where we will place the cat motif. Round 1 (White): 12 dc into MR, join with sl st, ch 3. Round 2: dc-inc in each stitch around (24 dc), join with sl st, ch 3. Round 3: (1 dc, 1 dc-inc) * 12 times (36 dc), join with sl st, ch 3. Round 4: (2 dc, 1 dc-inc) * 12 times (48 dc), join with sl st, ch 4 (Starting the mesh pattern). Round 5 (Mesh/Grid Round): (1 dc, ch 2, skip 1 stitch, dc in the next stitch) -> Repeat until the end of the round. You should have a total of 24 mesh squares. Round 6 (Last round in White): Make 3 sc inside each ch-2 space. Complete the circle and switch to Mustard Yellow yarn. Mustard Yellow Scalloped Border (Creating 8 Shells): Round 1: Join Mustard Yellow yarn with a slip knot. (1 sc, skip 3 stitches, 7 dc in the 4th stitch, skip 3 stitches) -> Repeat this sequence until the end of the round to create 8 shell/fan shapes. Join with a sl st. Round 2 (Shell Contour): Work sc (or BLO sc) on top of each double crochet around the edges. When you reach the valleys between the shells, make a long single crochet by inserting your hook into the row below (deeper) to make the scalloped definition pop.
4. Ears (White Yarn - Make 2) These can be crocheted directly by attaching yarn to the top of the head, or crocheted separately and sewn on. Instructions: Ch 5. Starting from the 2nd chain from hook: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr. You will get a triangular ear shape. 5. Four-Leaf Flower (Mustard Yellow) Create a MR. (Ch 3, 3 dc into the ring, ch 3, sl st into the ring) -> Repeat this process a total of 4 times to create 4 petals. Pull the magic ring tight to close. Assembly and Facial Embroidery (Details) Tip: The secret to making this design look as beautiful as the original lies in the quality of the sewing and embroidery. Follow these steps in order: Embroidering the Face: Before sewing the head to the base, delicately embroider the sleeping eyes and mouth with mustard yellow/brown embroidery floss in a gentle curve. Fill in the nose with pink floss to form a small triangle. Add the whiskers as straight lines. Placing the Head and Body: Pin the body onto the solid center of the white mesh base, curling it slightly. Place the head right in front of the body. Using white sewing thread, sew them onto the base with hidden stitches, catching only the back loops. Pro Tip: If you want it to look 3D (dimensional) like in the photo, you can add a tiny bit of amigurumi fiberfill stuffing inside the head and body just before closing up your stitches. Adding the Flower: Sew the mustard yellow flower right below the cat's neck, where it connects to the body. And that's it! When you carefully follow these steps, you will have handcrafted that warm, aesthetic cat design yourself. Enjoy your crocheting, and happy crafting!