#725 Litten

Hey all!

Sorry for being slow! I have had quite a few patterns that I've been sitting on while I worked on new projects so I'm slowly going to post them all over the following weeks starting with this black fire cat!

Litten length nose to tail end: 30.5cm (12 inches) and height going from tip of the ear down to feet: 26cm (10 inches) tall.
Made from DK weight yarn and a little bit of felting materials for the eyes. Or you can just felt down yarn or even just embroider on the eyes.
I also used the felting tools to flatten down the forehead markings and the eyes.

Head

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2: 2SCx6 (12)

Round 3: [2SC, SC]x6 (18)

Round 4: [2SC, SCx2]x6 (24)

Round 5: [2SC, SCx3]x6 (30)

Round 6: [2SC, SCx4]x6 (36)

Round 7: [2SC, SCx5]x6 (42)

Round 8: [2SC, SCx6]x6 (48)

Round 9: [2SC, SCx7]x6 (54)

Round 10: [2SC, SCx8]x6 (60)

Round 11 - 16: Scx60 (60, 6 rounds)

Round 17 - 18: SCx10, change to red/orange SCx8, change to black, SCx4 change to red/orange, SCX8, change back to black SCx30 (60, 2 rounds)

Round 19: SCx10, change to red/orange, SCx7, change to black, SCx6, change to red/orange, SCx7, change to black SCx30 (6)

Round 20: SCx10, change to red/orange, SCx9, 2SCx2, SCx9, change to black, SCx30 (62)

Round 21: SC2tog, SCx8, change to red/orange, SC2tog, SCx18 , SC2tog change to black, [SC2tog, SCx8]x3 (56)

Round 22: SC2tog, SCx7 change to red/orange, SC2tog, SCx6, SC2togx2, SCx6, SC2tog, [SC2tog, SCx7]x3 (48)

Round 23: [SC2tog, SCx6], change to red/orange  [SC2tog, SCx6]x2, change to black [SC2tog, SCx6]x3(42)

Round 24: [SC2tog, SCx5], change to red/orange [SC2tog, SCx5]x2, change to black [SC2tog, SCx5]x3 (36)

Round 25: [SC2tog, SCx4], change to red/orange [SC2tog, SCx4]x2, change to black [SC2tog, SCx4]x3 (30)

Round 26: [SC2tog, SCx3] change to red/orange [SC2tog, SCx3]x2, change to black [SC2tog, SCx3]x3 (24)

Row 1: SCx 14 chain and turn

Row 2: SCx11 chain and turn

Row 3: SCx10 chain and turn

Row 4: SCx9 chain and turn

Row 5: SCx9, SC into the next stitch on the row down and then back into the main round, SCx11

Round 27 - 28: SCx 24 (24, 2 rounds)

For round 27, pick up the stitches on the steps up of the short rows.

Stuff firmly and ensure there’s extra stuffing poked into the increase stitches of the orange. This will fill out the little nose.

Embroider or needlefelt on the nose onto the tip of the increases on the orange/red part of the face. Then add a little tiny mouth just under that.

Ears

Black

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2: SCx6 (6)

Round 3: 2SCx6 (12)

Round 4 - 5: SCx12 (12, 2 rounds)

Round 6: [2SC, SC]x6 (18)

Round 7: SCx18 (18)

Round 8: [2SC, SCx2]x6 (24)

Round 9: SCx24 (24)

Round 10: [2SC, SCx3]x6 (30)

Row 1: SCx15, chain and turn

Row 2: SCx14, chain and turn

Row 3: SCx13, chain and turn

Row 4: SCx12, chain and turn

Round 11: Disregarding where the original start of the round was, SCx31.  This will complete a full round  plus one stitch and pick up all the short row stitches to make it easier to join to the head.

White or off-white

Chainx11

Row 1: From the 2nd chain from the hook, SCx10, chain and turn (10)

Row 2: SCx10, chain and turn (10)

Row 3: SC2tog, SCx6, SC2tog, chain and turn (8)

Row 4: SC2tog, SCx4, SC2tog, chain and turn (6)

Row 5: SCx6, chain and turn (6)

Row 6: SC2tog, SCx2, SC2tog, chain and turn (4)

Row 7: SCx4, chain and turn (4)

Row 8: SC2togx2, chain and turn (2)

Row 9: SC2tog

Fold the black piece in half so that the short rows are halved. This will mean that one side of the ear is longer. Sew the longer side of the ear on the outside of the head. This wil make the ear stand upright. Then sew the white piece to the black piece for the inner ear.

Eyes

Row 1: CH2, SCx4 in the 2nd stitch from the hook, chain and turn (4)

Row 2: 2SCx4, chain and turn (8)

Row 3: SC, DC, TCx4, DC, SC (8)

Sew the eyes onto the head. Then felt or embroider on the black and orange for the pupils.

Red Forehead Crossing

Top line

Chainx10

Row1: From the 2nd chain from the hook, SCx9

Sew to the upper forehead.

Bottom Line

Chainx21

Row1: From the 2nd chain from the hook, SCx20

Sew to the forehead just above the eyes.

Crossover Line

Chainx13

Row1: From the 2nd chain from the hook, SCx12

Sew onto the forehead crossing over the other two lines.

After I sewed on the lines, I flattened them down slightly with the felting needles.

Forehead Spikes

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2 - 5:SCx6 (6, 4 rounds)

Whiskers

Leave a tail at the start as this will be used to sew the whiskers to the face.

Chain 4

Row 1: From the 2nd chain from the hook, SCx3, chain and turn (3)

Row 2: SCx3, chain and turn (3)

Row 3: 2SC, SC, 2SC, chain and turn (5)

Round 4 - 6: SCx5, chain and turn (5, 3 rows)

Row 7:  2SC, SCx3, 2SC, chain and turn (7)

Row 8 - 10: SCx7, chain and turn (7, 3 rows)

Row 11: *Chain 4, (then from the 2nd chain from the hook) SC, HDC, DC, (back onto the row) skip a stitch*, SCx2, Repeat from * to *, SC,  SSx2

Row 12: (this isn’t a full row, it’s just to add the final point on the other side) Chain 4, (then from the 2nd chain from the hook) SC, HDC, DC, (back onto the row) SS.

I use this tail to sew any gaps where the skipped stitches are and then weave in.

Use the tail left at the start to sew onto the face.

Body

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2: 2SCx6 (12)

Round 3: [2SC, SC]x6 (18)

Round 4: [2SC, SCx2]x6 (24)

Round 5: [2SC, SCx3]x6 (30)

Round 6: [2SC, SCx4]x6 (36)

Round 7 - 31: SCx36 (36, 25 rounds)

Stuff up to where you’ve crocheted so far.

Round 32: [SC2tog, SCx4]x6 (30)

Round 33[SC2tog, SCx3]x6 (24)

Round 34: [SC2tog, SCx2]x6 (18)

Finish stuffing firmly.

Round 35: [SC2tog, SC]x6 (12)

Round 36: SC2togx6 (6)

Finish off. Sew the head onto the front.

Tail

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2: 2SCx6 (12)

Then keep crocheting in the round until the tail is long enough. I didn’t count the rounds for this. I stuff every 10 rounds to keep it manageable. Then sew tail onto the back of the litten.

Tips

Chainx13

Row 1: SCx12 (12)

Row 2: *Chainx5, then down the 2nd chain from the hook, SC, HDC, DCx2, (then back onto the main row) Skip 1 stitch, SC* then repeat * to * 4 more times for a total of 5 points.

Leave a long tail and sew onto the tail tip. Also take care to sew down any of the gaps left with the skipped stitches.To make it easier to sew on and evenly spaced, I used the tail left at the start of the chain to sew the row into a round.

Legs

Make 2

Left legs

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2: 2SCx6 (12)

Round 3: 2SCx3, SCx3, 2SCx3, SCx3 (18)

Round 4: [2SC, SC]x3, SCx12 (21)

Round 5: SCx21 (21)

Round 6: [SC2tog, SC]x3, SCx12 (18)

Round 7: SC2togx3, SCx12 (15)

Round 8 - 15: SCx15 (15, 8 rounds) = 1234567

SCx2. The hook should now be in the stitch that lines up with the left most decrease (toes) of the foot. Chain and turn.

Row 1: SCx7, chain and turn

Row 2: SCx6, chain and turn

Row 3: SCx5, chain and turn

Row 4: SCx4

Leave a tail. Stuff firmly and then sew onto the body.

Make 2

Right legs

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Round 2: 2SCx6 (12)

Round 3: 2SCx3, SCx3, 2SCx3, SCx3 (18)

Round 4: [2SC, SC]x3, SCx12 (21)

Round 5: SCx21 (21)

Round 6: [SC2tog, SC]x3, SCx12 (18)

Round 7: SC2togx3, SCx12 (15)

Round 8 - 15: SCx15 (15, 8 rounds)

SCx10. The hook should now be in the stitch that lines up with the back right side of the heel. Chain and turn.

Row 1: SCx7, chain and turn

Row 2: SCx6, chain and turn

Row 3: SCx5, chain and turn

Row 4: SCx4

Leave a tail. Stuff firmly and then sew onto the body.

Orange Stripes

Make 8

Chainx17

Row 1: From the 2nd chain from the hook, SCx16 chain and turn (16)

Row 2: SCx16 (16)

Sew two around each leg.

Paw Pad

With orange

Round 1: CH2, SCx6 in the 2nd stitch from the hook (6)

Sew onto the bottom of each foot.

And kitty outtake with my fluffy Luna.