Esperanza is a tall, slim cotton cat with a big round head, long thin arms and a ruffled collar. She is about 24 cm tall with a 3 mm hook, and the whole cat except the collar and the ears is one piece: the head runs into the body, and the body splits into two legs at round 37.
That split is the interesting part. Instead of making two legs and joining them, you divide the 36 stitches of the body into 18 and 18, and crochet each leg down from there. No seam, no gap to close, and the legs hang exactly where they should.
Every round is written out below, from the 8-stitch magic ring to the 6-stitch leg tip.
What you need
- Yarn: cotton 8/6 in your choice of colours
- Hook: 3 mm
- Safety eyes: 6 mm
- Notions: fibrefill, tapestry needle, stitch markers, scissors
Abbreviations
- MR magic ring, sc single crochet, inc increase, dec decrease
- ch chain, slst slip stitch, sl st slip stitch
- Rnd round, and the number in brackets is the stitch count
Head
- Rnd 1: 8 sc in MR (8)
- Rnd 2: inc in all 8 st (16)
- Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x8 (24)
- Rnd 4: sc in all 24 st (24)
- Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) x8 (32)
- Rnd 6: sc in all 32 st (32)
- Rnd 7: (3 sc, inc) x8 (40)
- Rnd 8: sc in all 40 st (40)
- Rnd 9: (4 sc, inc) x8 (48)
- Rnd 10–16: sc in all 48 st (48) — 7 rounds
- Rnd 17: (4 sc, dec) x8 (40)
- Rnd 18: (3 sc, dec) x8 (32)
- Rnd 19: (2 sc, dec) x8 (24)
Insert the safety eye between Rnd 12 and Rnd 13, with 14 stitches between, and embroider the nose. Stuff the head firmly with fibrefill. If you want the two-tone cat in the photo, change to your second colour here — the head stays in the first colour and everything from the neck down is the second.
Body
- Rnd 20–22: sc in all 24 st (24) — 3 rounds
- Rnd 23: (5 sc, inc) x4 (28)
- Rnd 24–25: sc in all 28 st (28) — 2 rounds
- Rnd 26: (6 sc, inc) x4 (32)
- Rnd 27–28: sc in all 32 st (32) — 2 rounds
- Rnd 29: (7 sc, inc) x4 (36)
- Rnd 30–36: sc in all 36 st (36) — 7 rounds
Now divide the 36 stitches into two groups of 18 and work each leg separately. Fill as you go.
- Rnd 37–38: sc in all 18 st (18) — 2 rounds
- Rnd 39: (4 sc, dec) x3 (15)
- Rnd 40–41: sc in all 15 st (15) — 2 rounds
- Rnd 42: (3 sc, dec) x3 (12)
- Rnd 43–46: sc in all 12 st (12) — 4 rounds
- Rnd 47: dec x6 (6)
Close with the tapestry needle, then work the second leg into the other 18 stitches the same way.
Ears (make 2)
In a contrasting colour.
- Rnd 1: 6 sc in MR (6)
- Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x3 (9)
- Rnd 3: (2 sc, inc) x3 (12)
- Rnd 4: (3 sc, inc) x3 (15)
- Rnd 5: (4 sc, inc) x3 (18)
- Rnd 6: sc in all 18 st (18)
Flatten each ear and sew it to the head at Rnd 3–Rnd 8.
Arms (make 2)
- Rnd 1: 5 sc in MR (5)
- Rnd 2: inc in all 5 st (10)
- Rnd 3–17: sc in all 10 st (10) — 15 rounds
Stuff lightly and sew the arms at the sides, just under the head.
Tail
- Rnd 1: 7 sc in MR (7)
- Rnd 2–30: sc in all 7 st (7) — 29 rounds
A long thin tube: stuff it as you go, a little at a time, or it will never fill evenly. Sew it low on the back.
Collar
- Rnd 1: ch 26
- Rnd 2: 3 ch in each stitch (72)
- Rnd 3: 3 ch in each stitch (216)
The collar is a chain worked back and forth into itself: three chains per stitch, twice, gives a ruff that stands up. Sew the ends together and slip it over the neck.
Notes
Cotton 8/6 at 3 mm gives a firm, matte fabric that shows the shape of the head clearly. If you work it in acrylic, the cat comes out slightly larger and softer, and the collar needs an extra round to stand up.
For other cats, Cream and Brown Kitty uses a jointed construction, Lilac Cat is a flat-faced dressed cat, and Little Miki Cat is the pocket version. Everything is on the patterns page.
Pattern source: Esperanza cat amigurumi, as shared by the original designer on the amigurumi pattern blogs.
The autumn project in the collection is Sculpted Pumpkin with a Bent Stem: 24 rows of hdc, gathered and wired.
The doll with wired hands in the collection is Doll Boo, 2 mm cotton and a pink dress.
