Made and counted by Wren —

Amigurumi cat pattern: head shaping and knit shirt notes

4mm hook, plush worsted yarn: crochet an amigurumi cat with a knit button-front shirt.

IntermediateLevel

4-6 hoursTime

4 mmHook

WorstedYarn

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About this pattern

An amigurumi cat with a plush single crochet head and body worked as one piece, finished with plastic eyes, sewn-on ears and tail, and a knit shirt closed with 2 small buttons. The head takes 22 rounds, peaking at 49 stitches before decreases at rounds 12-15 shape the crown. Requires a 4mm hook, a 3.5mm knitting needle, and fiberfill for stuffing.

This amigurumi cat combines a single crocheted head-and-body piece with a separately knit shirt, so the toy holds its shape as one continuous spiral rather than sewn halves. The head runs 22 rounds, holding at 49 single crochet through rounds 7-11 before four decrease rounds (12-15) pull the count down to 14, closing the crown. Ears, tail, and arms are worked apart and sewn on afterward. The shirt uses a 3.5mm knitting needle alongside the 4mm crochet hook and closes with 2 small buttons.

The pattern

Written out round by round

Materials

color A – plush yarn of Himalaya Dolphin baby (№80333) 1 skein (120m (131yd) –
100g)
plastic eyes (2 pieces)
fiberfill for filling toys (100g)
color B – yarn for knitting the shirt Gazzal Baby Cotton (brown color №117) (160m
(175 yd) – 50g)
2 small button
4 mm crochet hook
knitting needle 3.5 mm
large needle for sewing the parts of the toy

Abbreviations

st = stitch
sts = stitches
sc = single crochet
inc = increase
dec = decrease
yo = yarn over
R = round

HEAD

Rounds 7–1149 sc (5 rounds)

Round 12(5sc, dec)7 (42)

Round 13(4sc,dec)7 (35)

Round 14(3sc, dec)7 (28)

Round 15(dec)14 (14)Continue to crochet the body

Round 16(1sc, inc)7 (21)

Round 17sc (21)

Round 18(2sc, inc)7 (28)

Round 19sc (28)

Round 20(3sc, inc)7 (35)

Round 21sc (35)

Round 22(4sc, inc)7 (42)

Round 23sc (42)

Round 24(5sc, inc)*7 (49)

Rounds 25–2949 sc (5 rounds)

Round 30dec, 3sc, dec, 2sc, dec, 14sc, dec, 6sc, dec, 14sc (44)

Round 31sc (44)

Round 32dec, 4sc, dec, 14sc, dec, 4sc, dec, 14sc (40)

Round 33sc (40)

Round 34dec, 2sc, dec, 14sc, dec, 2sc, dec, 14sc (36)

Round 35sc (36)

Round 36dec, dec, 14sc, dec, dec, 14sc (32)

Іnsert safe plastic eyes.

Keep your eyes symmetrical to markers as the picture.

Eyes are fixed between 7 and 8 rounds from the upper point of the head. The distance between the eyes 4-5 sc.

Ready to Learn More? Open the next page for Further Guidance!

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For shirt

Tools • 4 mm crochet hook • knitting needle 3.5 mm • large needle for sewing the parts of the toy • knitting markers (to mark the beginning of a row)

Round 1Abbreviations Crochet: R – row (don’t use a round, work in a continuous spiral without slip stitches, unless otherwise stated) sc – single crochet inc – single crochet increase, 2 single crochets in one stitch dec – single crochet decrease, single crochet 2 stitches together(2)

Round 2Knitting edge st – edge stitch magic ring – amigurumi ring sts – stitches p – purl stitch k – knit stitch YO – yarn overYOkYO – yarn over, 1 knit stitch, yarn over K2tog – knit next 2 stitches together Using the yarn of color A, crochet hook 4 mm. The head with the body are crocheting as one piece. After that to sew the arms, ears and tail.

Tester's notes

4mm hook works the plush yarn throughout the head and body; swap only if stitches gap or the fiberfill shows through the fabric.

22 rounds shape the head-body piece as one continuous spiral - no slip stitches or turning, per the pattern's own definition of R.

49 sc is the widest point of the head, held for 5 rounds (7-11) before shaping starts; recount here before moving into the decreases.

100g of fiberfill fills one head-body piece; pack the crown firmly before the final decrease rounds close it, since access shrinks fast after round 15.

2 small buttons close the knit shirt - place a knitting marker at the start of each row to keep the button band even on both sides.

At a glance

Rounds	24
Parts	2
Level	Intermediate
Time	4-6 hours
Hook	4 mm
Yarn	Worsted

Gauge check

After round 11, count stitches around the head - the pattern holds steady at 49 sc through rounds 7-11, so a mismatch there signals a missed or extra increase earlier in the crown.

If the fabric gaps or the hook slides loosely through stitches, drop to a smaller hook; if stitches feel tight and hard to pull through, go up a size before starting the decrease rounds.

Stitch-count checkpoints

HEAD · Round 17: 21 sts
HEAD · Round 23: 42 sts
HEAD · Round 34: 36 sts
HEAD · Round 36: 32 sts
For shirt · Round 1: 2 sts

If something looks wrong

The crown puckers or won't close evenly at the top of the head.: Rounds 12-15 remove 35 stitches in four steps (49 down to 14); a skipped decrease anywhere in that run leaves extra bulk on one side - recount after each round before continuing.
The head-body piece looks lumpy instead of round through rounds 7-11.: Those five rounds hold flat at 49 sc with no shaping; an accidental increase or decrease in a plain round is the usual cause - check the stitch count before starting round 12.
Plastic eyes sit crooked once the head is stuffed.: Eyes go in before the head closes around round 15, and uneven fiberfill shifts their placement afterward - pack the crown symmetrically on both sides and check from the front before finishing the last rounds.
The knit shirt won't stretch over the stuffed body.: The shirt is worked on a 3.5mm needle to a smaller gauge than the 4mm crocheted body; stuff the head-body piece slightly less firm, or knit the shirt a touch looser, so it eases over the 100g of fill.

Yarn substitutions

Acrylic chenille or velvet, worsted weight	Closest match to the plush color A yarn; keep the same 4mm hook and 100g fiberfill amount, stitch definition stays soft and rounded.
Mercerized cotton, DK weight	Substitute for color B in the shirt; sharper stitch definition than the original baby cotton, and the shirt may finish under the 50g used here.
Standard acrylic, worsted weight (non-plush)	Works for the head-body piece but loses the velvet texture; check the hook against the 49 sc count at round 11 and size down if the fabric gaps.

Original pattern: https://onrecip.com/free-crochet-patterns-and-tutorials-amigurumi-cat-english/

FAQs

Questions

Can the head and body be crocheted as two separate pieces instead of one?

The pattern specifies the head and body as one continuous piece, worked in a spiral with color A yarn. Splitting them into two pieces changes the shaping rounds and is not covered by the counts given here.

Does 'R' mean row or round in this pattern?

The pattern uses R for row but works in a continuous spiral without slip stitches unless a step says otherwise, so R functions as a round for the crocheted pieces. The knit shirt uses R for its knitting rows instead, marked with a knitting marker at the start of each one.

Is 50g of color B enough to finish the shirt with the 2 buttons?

The materials list gives 50g (160m/175yd) of color B yarn for the full shirt including the button band. No extra allowance is listed, so weigh remaining yarn before the last rows if substituting a different put-up.