Knit a Stack of Nesting Cats

I know I just shared a bunch of cat knitting patterns not all that long ago, but I saw these the other day and, in the spirit of whimsy, just had to share them.

The Matryoshkats pattern from Mochimochi Land is an adorable set of nesting cats. The smallest cat is worked in one piece, while the other three are worked as a top half and bottom half that are kept separate to allow the kitties to nest. The ears on the larger cats and tail on the big cat are stitched separately from picked up stitches.

The models are worked in worsted weight yarn but you can size up or down as you like. I think these would be cute in a jumbo version worked in blanket yarn, too!

Anna Hrachovec originally designed these cats to use in the illustrations for her children’s book, Catside Up, Catside Down, but has released the pattern so we can all have a little bit of feline fun.

The smallest cat is 1.25 inches, or 3 cm, tall, while the biggest one is 4.25 inches, or 11 cm, when using worsted weight yarn. The whole set only takes about 30-60 yards (27-55 m) and of course it’s extra cute if each cat is a different color so you can use up little odd balls from other projects here.

It is noted in the pattern but if you’re making these for little ones, the smallest cats in the set are a potential choking hazard. All the more reason to experiment with using larger yarn if giving to a kiddo is the plan.

I would totally keep these on my desk to play with, though, no kids needed. They’d be great to gift to a cat-loving friend of any age. (One project on Ravelry shows them posing with a live cat, but I don’t think they’d make good cat toys.)

You can find this pattern at Mochimochi Land or on Ravelry.

Christmas Gifts For Knitters

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Leave a Reply