This project requires proper supervision:
Yarn: Approximately 15 yards of worsted weight (the red kittinpin was made with a giveaway yarn sample, and had a roughly-measured 5 yards left).
Needles: US6 dpns, plus a cable needle if you use them.
Notions: 1” Grosgrain ribbon, 1.5” pin back, needle, thread, and assorted beads etc. for decorating the kitty face.
1: Cast on 6 stitches.
2: Knit 1, knit front-and-back to add one stitch (kfb), k2, kfb, k1 (8 stitches)
3: K2, kfb, k2, kfb, k2 (10 stitches)
4: Purl 1 row
5: Cable 4 back (c4b: put two stitches on cable needle and hold to back of work, knit next 2 stitches, knit stitches from cable needle), k2, cable 4 front: (c4f: put two stitches on cable needle and hold to front of work, knit next 2 stitches, knit stitches from cable needle)
6: Slip 1 stitch (sl1), p8, k1: reversing the final stitch in the row makes the edges curl nicely to the back of the work.
7: Sl1, k8, p1
8, 10: Repeat line 6
9: Repeat line 7
11: Sl1, k2, knit 2 stitches together (k2tog), k2tog, k2, p1 (8 stitches)
12: Sl1, p6, k1
13: C4b, c4f
14: Sl1, p6, k1
15: Sl1, k6, p1
16, 18, 20: Repeat line 14
17, 19: Repeat line 15
21: Cut yarn, leaving a generous tail. Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and put the tip of the needle through the first four stitches. Pull the yarn though and put the needle through the first four stitches again, starting with the first stitch, and repeat the loop.
22: Take a stitch or two in the back of the knitting to move the yarn closer to the second four stitches. To make the second ear, stitch the second four stitches in the same manner as the first.
23: Weave in all ends.
24: With a dpn, pick up 2 stitches at the side of the work. Knit about 2” of I-cord.
25: Cut yarn, leaving a generous tail, and thread tail through yarn needle. Pull the yarn through the two I-cord stitches and pull tight. Fold the tail across the body of cat and stitch into I-cord to tack down the tail. Weave in all ends.
23: With beads or buttons or ribbons or whatever you wish, decorate the cat.
24: Cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon slightly shorter than double the length of the cat. Fold the ribbon and pin it in place so that the cat will be backed by a doubled piece of ribbon with the ends tucked in. Sew the ribbon to the back of the cat.
25: Sew on the pin back: mine came from a major craft store, in the bead/jewelry findings section, in a bag of 10 for less than $2.
The knitting of this piece took me less than half an hour. The finishing was probably another half an hour.
This pattern is free for your personal use, or to make goods for sale to raise money for charity.
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absolutely adorable!!!
love it love it love it!!!!!! I see a litter of kittenpins in my immediate future! Thank you so much for sharing!
This is, quite simply, a brilliant little pattern! I had planned to make just one or two, but they seem to be multiplying on my needles (along with what seems like a quickly growing list of people to make/give them TO. Even my husband is getting involved, and keeps asking if, since I’m already making so many, could I make 2 for this coworker, 2 for this friend’s wife, etc. He even ran out and bought 2 large bags of pin backs for me!) with no end in sight. Thank you so very much for making this a free pattern and for making it such a well constructed one! It’s not much, but when I drop off a few of these as thank you gifts at our vets office tomorrow, I’m also donating $20 in your name to their cat rescue program as a bit of thanks for you publishing this online.
Oh, I’m blushing–thank you! Do you have pictures of your kittinpin herd?