Little Oombawkas

Mini Meow CAL Part 1

make your own little toy amigurumi cat

Part 1

If you are joining us for the first time, please read the Introduction Post.

Resources and Things You Can Do To Get Ready

• Add this CAL to your Ravelry Queue and join the Crochet with Us Ravelry Group
• Pick your yarn color(s) and safety eyes and get ready for our first post
• Creat a Project Page on Ravelry
• Share your progress on Instagram using #MiniMeowCAL2015
• Join the Crochet With Us Group on Facebook for assistance with the CAL – it is a lovely group filled with helpful and caring Crocheters who are happy to help each other.

Supplies

Hook: 5.5 mm (I)

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky (Super Bulky 6) 108 yards for 1 cat (you can use multiple colors if you wish!)

Eyes: 12 mm safety eyes

• Stuffing (Polyfil/Fiberfil)
• Dog, or Cat, Wire Brush
• stitch marker – I use locking stitch markers (safety pin will work) – you do not want the stitch marker to fall out when you are brushing the cat!
• scissors, yarn needle and embroidery thread for the nose (or lighter weight yarn)

Abbreviations

U.S. Terminology Used

Ch – chain
R- round
rem – remaining
rep – repeat
sc – single crochet
sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together (this is worked over 2 stitches to decrease from 2 stitches to 1 stitch)
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st(s) – stitch(es)
* – Repeat the instructions between the asterisks the number of times indicated. This repeat will contain multiple instructions.
( ) – Repeat the instructions between the parentheses the number of times indicated.
[ ] – The total number of stitches in the round.

Special Stitches

sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together. This is worked over 2 stitches. Insert your hook into the next st, yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop. Insert your hook into the next st, yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop. You now have 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over the hook and pull through all three loops on the hook to complete the stitch.

The Introductory Post includes photos to show you how to make the sc2tog stitch.

Helpful Tutorials

sc2tog scroll to Special Stitches in the Introductory Post for the tutorial for sc2tog

Notes

• Gauge is not important just be sure to make tight stitches so very little space is showing between them. If there are holes in your work you need to drop a hook size to make your stitches even tighter. Otherwise, the polyfil will show through the finished toy.

Pattern Instructions

R1: Ch 4. Sl st to the 1st ch to form a ring. Work 6 sc into the center of the ring. Pull the intial yarn end to tighten the ring closed. [6]

R2: 2 sc in each st around [12]

R3: *1 sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st**. Rep from * to ** around [18]

R4: 1 sc in each st around [18]

R5: 1 sc in each st around [18]

Note: You will be working around the outside of the toy. 

R6: *1 sc in the next st, sc2tog over the next 2 sts**. Rep from * to ** around [12]

Get ready to brush your cat!

Step 1: First you need to grab the loop on your hook with the stitch marker to lock it into place. This way when you brush your cat, your stitches won’t come undone!

Step 2: I work 10-strong brush strokes in each of 4 different directions. This breaks up the fibers of the yarn and is a good way to get started so you do not over-brush a certain section accidentally. I hold the cat from the inside and the outer edge while I brush. Do not be afraid of brushing hard!

Remember when you brush your cat you do not want to touch the last round of stitches worked because you will need to work into these for R7. You will have a chance to brush them later so only brush up to the R5 of the cat.

So brush 10 times: right, left, up and down (or North, South, East and West).

This is what it will look like so far:

Step 3: Find the center, the initial ring you worked into. This will become the nose for your cat. You can brush gently to move the fur into position. We are getting ready to position the eyes and add the nose – you need to make the face hair go the way you want it to go now because once you add the eyes and nose you cannot brush the center portion again. The brush will pull out the nose stitches and scratch the eyes.

Step 4: Next you need to decide where you want to put the eyes; in relation to the center (where the nose is going to go). One way to do this is to stuff the head with polyfil (stuffing) so you can see what it is going to look like when you are done. How you position the eyes and nose will give your kitty it’s character – you can take a look at some real cats to get an idea. This is how I have positioned mine:

Once you are sure you have them where you want them, place the metal back piece (washer) over the post and push it securely onto the backside of the eye. When you push it toward the eye be sure to keep the metal level (I push with two hands – my thumbs on the eyeball on the face of the cat and my two middle fingers pushing on opposite sides of the metal backing on the inside of the cat – this seems to make the washer slide smoothly and evenly into place) or else one side of the washer will meet the back of the eye first and it is often hard to correct this.

I have heard of some people using superglue to keep the backings on – I do not do this but if you are worried you could give it a try. I have also heard some snip the back of the eye post off – I do not do this because to me it would be better to have the long post there as ‘wiggle room’ in case the eye does come loose so you have time to notice and then push it back into place.

I have never had one of these eyes come off a toy – but that is not to say it won’t happen to someone, somewhere – so I do not recommend these toys for little ones; animals or little children, (even though I do give them to my children and nieces and nephews without fear) due to the possible safety issues involved with curious fingers and teeth.

If you do choose to use safety eyes for your mini meow – you do so at your own risk and Oombawka Design is not liable for any consequential losses due to the use of safety eyes. Any consequential losses and/or liability incurred due to the use of safety eyes, for any Oombawka Design Project, is your sole responsibility.

Step 5: Add the nose. You can purchase safety noses now online – feel free to try one – I bet they will be super cute! Or you can hand stitch a nose for your Little Oombawka. I used Cotton Thread but you can use yarn, twine, string or even sewing thread. Another option is to glue some felt on but because the fur is brushed out it tends not to work very well on this type of project unless you leave the center unbrushed.

Things you need to watch out for when you are stitching your nose! The yarn end and the stitch marker!! Be careful when you are sewing not to get tangled up because it can make quite a mess to untangle.

Once you are happy with the nose finish off and weave in the ends on the inside of the head.

R7: *1 sc in the next st, sc2tog over the next 2 sts**. Rep from * to ** around [8]

R8: 1 sc in each st around [8]

Stuff the head firmly. You may need to use the end of your crochet hook (or a pencil) to stuff the polyfil inside.

R9: 2 sc in each st around [16]

R10-12: 1 sc in each st around [16]

to be continued…

Please go to Part 2