Crochet Pattern: Sleeping Kitty Lovey

Free crochet pattern: Sleeping Kitty Lovey in Loops & Threads Impeccable Yarn by Underground Crafter | This sleeping kitty provides comfort and naptime companionship. This project was inspired by Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that provides a caring community for families with children being treated in hospitals. #CrochetCharityDrive #MadeWithMichaelsHave you ever noticed that cats have the magic ability to relax you? MC and I are always discussing the “sleep sauce” that our cats seem to produce when they lay at our feet.

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For this reason, I thought that a cat would be the perfect critter to attach to this month’s charity spotlight pattern for a lovey. (Each month I highlight a charity that accepts crochet and other handmade donations and share a free crochet pattern designed with that charity in mind.)

Free crochet pattern: Sleeping Kitty Lovey in Loops & Threads Impeccable Yarn by Underground Crafter | This sleeping kitty provides comfort and naptime companionship. This project was inspired by Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that provides a caring community for families with children being treated in hospitals. #CrochetCharityDrive #MadeWithMichaelsThis little lovey provides a touch of comfort and a bit of warmth in a portable package. Just fold your lovey up and it fits into a bag for cuddling on the go.

March’s Featured Charity: Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) helps families stay close to their children who are seriously ill and receiving treatment in the hospital through a worldwide network of local Chapters. Founded in 1974, RMHC has over 350 Ronald McDonald Houses, where families can stay close to the hospital for little or no cost; over 200 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, family respite areas near pediatric or intensive care units in partner hospitals; and nearly 50 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, mobile health care units that provide pediatric services all over the world. In addition, RMHC provides grants and scholarship programs around the world. (And, yes, while the organization continues to receive funding from local McDonald’s owners and operators, most of the funding comes from donations from others. You can read more about the history of RMHC here on the website of the first Ronald McDonald House.)

Each Ronald McDonald House is independently operated, and not all accept handmade donations. Please contact your local Chapter to determine if donations are accepted. Because Ronald McDonald Houses are places for families experiencing a stressful situation, I thought a lovey would be the perfect project. A lovey can provide comfort to a sibling and is portable enough to travel from the House to the hospital with ease.

Tips for Making Great Loveys (or Lovies)

Before designing this pattern, I reached out to several moms and grandmothers for advice. All agreed that while a baby blanket or child’s sized blanket is great to have, those sizes are too large for a lovey that will be used on the go. For that reason, I opted for a small size for this project.

This small lovey is easy to fold up and drop into a carry along, day bag. I used Loops & Threads Impeccable, an easy care yarn that can easily be laundered using washing and drying machines after a long day spent sitting in a waiting area or visiting a sibling at the hospital. Also, I made a flat, unstuffed head for the cat. These options make this project more portable and allow a child to lay down on the lovey, using the cat head like a flat pillow.

Free crochet pattern: Sleeping Kitty Lovey in Loops & Threads Impeccable Yarn by Underground Crafter | This sleeping kitty provides comfort and naptime companionship. This project was inspired by Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that provides a caring community for families with children being treated in hospitals. #CrochetCharityDrive #MadeWithMichaels

If you make your own Sleeping Kitty Lovey, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter, Instragram as @ucrafter, or Twitter as @ucrafter. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and other subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!

Add Sleeping Kitty Lovey to your Ravelry favorites or queue.

Underground Crafter on RavelryIf you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.

Underground Crafter on Craftsy

This pattern is part of the Crochet Charity Drive’s Toy Drive. Join the Facebook group to get links to other great patterns that are perfect for charity.

Crochet Toy Drive via Underground Crafter
Michaels Knitting & Crochet

Sleeping Kitty Lovey

Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter

This sleeping kitty provides comfort and nap time companionship. This project was inspired by Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that provides a caring community for families with children being treated in hospitals. This pattern is one of many great projects shared by designers as part of the Crochet Charity Drive on Facebook.

Finished Size

  • Lovey: 17” (43 cm) wide x 18.5” (47 cm) long blanket; 17” (43 cm) wide x 26” (66 cm) long with cat head attached.

Materials

  • Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn (100% acrylic, 4.5 oz/128 g/268 yd/245 m) – 1 skein ea in 01222 Fern (CA), 01221 Soft Fern (CB), 01425 Soft Rose (CC), and 01044 True Grey (CD), or approximately 155 yd (142 m) ea in CA and CB, and 75 yd (68.5 m) ea in CC and CD in any medium weight yarn.
  • Small amount of medium weight yarn in black, approximately 5 yd (4.5 m).
  • US Size I-9/5.5 mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
  • Yarn needle.

Gauge

  • 12 sts x 8 rows = 4” (10 cm) in blanket pattern. Exact gauge is not critical for this project.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

  • CA – Color A
  • CB – Color B
  • CC – Color C
  • CD – Color D
  • ch – chain
  • cl – cluster – (Yo, insert hook in same st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops) 3 times, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook.
  • dc – double crochet
  • ea – each
  • hdc – half double crochet
  • rep – repeat
  • sc – single crochet
  • sk – skip
  • sl st – slip stitch
  • sp – space
  • st(s) – stitch(es)
  • *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.

Pattern Instructions

Blanket

  • With CA, ch 58 (or any multiple of 2 sts, + 4).
  • Row 1: Turn, sk 1 ch, sc in next ch and ea ch across. (57 sts)
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 3 (counts as dc, here and throughout), cl in next, *ch 1, sk 1 st, cl in next st; rep from * across to last st, dc in last st.
  • Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, *sc in ch-1 sp, sc in next st; rep from * across to last st, sc in last st, changing to CB with last yarn over of final sc.
  • Row 4: Rep Row 2.
  • Row 5: Rep Row 3, changing to CC with last yarn over of final sc.
  • Row 6: Rep Row 2.
  • Row 7: Rep Row 3, changing to CB with last yarn over of final sc.
  • Row 8: Rep Row 2.
  • Row 9: Rep Row 3, changing to CA with last yarn over of final sc.
  • Row 10: Rep Row 2.
  • Row 11: Rep Row 3, do not change color.
  • Rows 12-41: Rep Rows 2-11, 3 times. Fasten off. Continue on to Cat Face.

Cat Face (Make 2)

  • With CD, start with magic adjustable ring. (Oombawka Design has a magic ring tutorial here.)
  • Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as hdc, here and throughout), 7 hdc in ring, pull yarn tightly to close ring, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (8 sts)
  • Round 2: Ch 2, hdc in same st, *2 hdc in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (16 sts)
  • Round 3: Ch 2, hdc in same st and next st, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (24 sts)
  • Round 4: Ch 2, hdc in same st and next 2 sts, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (32 sts)
  • Round 5: Ch 2, hdc in same st and next 3 sts, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (40 sts)
  • Round 6: Ch 2, hdc in same st and next 4 sts, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (48 sts)
  • Round 7: Ch 2, hdc in same st and next 5 sts, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 5 sts; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (56 sts)
  • Round 8: Ch 2, hdc in same st and next 6 sts, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 6 sts; rep from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (64 sts)
  • Fasten off first Cat Face.
  • Do not fasten off second Cat Face. Set aside second Cat Face with yarn attached for seaming. Continue on to Nose.

Baby's Buddy Amigurumi

Nose

  • With CC, ch 2.
  • Row 1: Turn, sk 1 ch, sc in next ch. (1 st)
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in next st. (2 sts)
  • Row 3: Turn, ch 1, sc in first st and ea st across to last st, 2 sc in last st. (Increases 1 st)
  • Rep Row 3 until Nose reaches desired size. Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 8”/ 20.5 cm) for seaming. Continue on to Face Embellishment.

Face Embellishment

  • Embellish first (fastened off) Cat Face piece.
  • Thread yarn needle with yarn tail from Nose. Sew Nose to center of front side of Cat Face.
  • Thread yarn needle with black yarn. Use the backstitch to create eyelids and mouth on front side of Cat Face. (Fiber Flux has a backstitch tutorial here.)
  • With yarn needle, weave in ends on wrong (back) side of Cat Face.
  • Continue on to Assembly.

Assembly

  • Hold both Cat Face pieces together with wrong (back) sides facing each other. With your crochet hook and holding the unembellished Cat Face piece towards you, choose the top center st on the embellished Cat Face piece.
  • Starting at top center st, join pieces together with sc seam. (You can find my tutorial for the single crochet join here.) At end of Round, join with sl st to first sc to join.
  • Do not fasten off. Continue on to First Ear.

First Ear

  • Row 1: Turn so embellished side of Cat Face is facing you, ch 1, sk current st, sl st in ea of next 3 sts, sc in next 7 sts. (7 sts)
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 1, sk first st, sc in next 6 sts. (6 sts)
  • Row 3: Turn, ch 1, sk first st, sc in next 5 sts. (5 sts)
  • Row 4: Turn, ch 1, sk first st, sc in next 4 sts. (4 sts)
  • Row 5: Turn, ch 1, sk first st, sc in next 3 sts. (3 sts)
  • Row 6: Turn, ch 1, sk first st, sc in next 2 sts. (2 sts)
  • Row 7: Turn, ch 1, sk first st, sc in next st. (1 st)
  • Fasten off. Continue on to Second Ear.

Second Ear

  • With unembellished side of Cat Face facing you, join CD with sl st to fourth st to left of top center st (if right-handed) or to right of center st (if left-handed).
  • Row 1: Ch 1, sc in same st and next 6 sts. (7 sts)
  • Rep Rows 2-7 as for First Ear.
  • Fasten off. Continue on to Neck.

Neck

  • With embellished side of Cat Face facing you, join CD with sl st to fourth st to right of bottom center st (if right-handed) or to left of center st (if left-handed).
  • Row 1: Ch 1, sc in same st and next 6 sts. (7 sts)
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in ea st across to last st, 2 sc in last st. (Increases 2 sts)
  • Rows 3-5: Rep Row 2, 3 times. (15 sts)
  • Do not fasten off.
  • To join Neck to Blanket, sk 21 sts along short top edge of Blanket. Starting in next st, join Neck with sl st join to edge of blanket. (You can find my tutorial for the slip stitch crochet join here.)

Finishing

  • With yarn needle, weave in ends.
© 2017 by Marie Segares (Underground Crafter). This pattern is for personal use only. You may use the pattern to make unlimited items for yourself, for charity, or to give as gifts. You may sell items you personally make by hand from this pattern. Do not violate Marie’s copyright by distributing this pattern or the photos in any form, including but not limited to scanning, photocopying, emailing, or posting on a website or internet discussion group. If you want to share the pattern, point your friends to this link: http://undergroundcrafter.com/2017/03/10/free-pattern-sleeping-kitty-lovey/. Thanks for supporting indie designers!

If you make your own Sleeping Kitty Lovey, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter, Instragram as @ucrafter, or Twitter as @ucrafter. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and other subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!

Add Sleeping Kitty Lovey to your Ravelry favorites or queue.

Underground Crafter on RavelryIf you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.

Underground Crafter on Craftsy

 

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