This pattern is deceptively simple! It’s a beautiful design of basic crochet stitches, with a drop stitch that covers part of the row below shaping the “ears” of the cat, and creating the “paws” sitting on top of each other.
The pattern is called Cat in Stitches Sweater by Jennifer Elenbaas, CroJennifer on Ravelry.
A striped pattern provides the separation between the cat motifs, so that you can appreciate them properly. I chose a 3 colour stripe using white, dark grey, and a light grey with sparkle. The pattern includes a red cat over the heart to symbolise love for all things feline!
The construction of the sweater is very simple, the front and the back are the same size and shape, the only difference being the red cat placement on the front. I did not use the exact yarn as described in the pattern, so my jumper/sweater has come out quite bulky and just about fits! I do have very chunky shoulders compared to most women! If you crochet a swatch of the pattern repeats and measure the gauge then you will be able to calculate how many “cats” you will need to make the width and height required for yourself.
The sleeves are created as a straight piece, with no shaping, so they sit quite wide at the cuff edge.
To sew the pieces together I used a single crochet stitch (US terminology) on the inside to bind all of the edges together, which was quite a quick method.
All in all, this is a very FUN crochet pattern that a beginner could use to create a really impactful garment.
Now I need to have a think about creating my own repeating pattern, and make more of my own patterns to sell on Ravelry! It’s a great community for us crafty people.
Crown Jules Presents 