FREE PATTERN: Stripy 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, when crocheted with fingering weight cotton yarn and a 1,75 mm crochet hook.

Skills required

Crocheting in spiral
Crocheting in rounds (optional, see below)
Magic ring
Single crochet stitch (double crochet stitch in UK and Australia)
Increasing
Decreasing
Finishing an open piece
Finishing a closed piece
Sewing an open piece to a closed piece
Sewing a flat piece to a closed piece

You will need

Yarn. I used Madame Tricote Paris 'Camilla', a 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 fiberfill 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.
[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.
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.
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.

Body

1: mr, sc 6 = [6]
2: inc x 6 = [12]
3: (sc, inc) x 6 = [18]
4: (inc, sc 2) x 6 = [24]
5: (sc 5, inc) x 4 = [28]
6-7: sc in each stitch = [28]

Insert the rattle inside the body and make sure it is a snug fit. You may need to increase or decrease the number of increases on round 5. Make the same number of decreases on round 16.

Add a thin layer of polyester fiberfill inside the body. Turn the body so the end of the round is at the bottom and embroider the eyes and nose. Knot the yarn ends together inside the body.

Change yarn, leaving both yarns attached to the body - this way you can just pick up the new yarn without having it knot it again. Crochet rounds 8, 11, 14 and 16 with contrasting yarn. After finishing the last stripe, knot the yarns together.

8-15: sc in each stitch = [28]

Insert the plastic egg inside the body and make sure it fits perfectly. You may need to add or skip a round of single crochet stitches.

16: (sc 5, dec) x 4 = [24]
17: (dec, sc 2) x 6 = [18]
18: (sc, dec) x 6 = [12]
19: dec x 6 = [6]

Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and fasten off. Pick up all the remaining stitches and close the opening.

Legs (make 4)

1: mr, sc 6 = [6]
2: (inc, sc) x 3 = [9]
3-4: sc in each stitch = [9]

Sl st in next stitch. 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]
2: (inc, sc) x 2 = [6]
3: (inc, sc) x 3 = [9]

Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Do not stuff the ears.

Tail

1: mr, sc 6 = [6]
2: (inc, sc 2) x 2 = [8]
3-4: sc in each stitch = [8]

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]

Sl st in next stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a long yarn tail for sewing, and fasten off. Stuff the tail firmly.

Sew the tail, legs and ears to the body.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me or leave a comment below, I am always happy to help.

I would love to see how your little cats turn out, so do post a photo to my Facebook page or tag me in your social media posts, I'm @kristitullus on Instagram and Facebook.

Please do not post this pattern to your website or blog, instead post a link to https://kristitullus.com/blogs/blog/free-pattern-stripy-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://kristitullus.com).

Feel free to sell items made with this pattern.

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