Kitty Afghan

I made this awesome guy on commission. The customer chose the colors to represent her three kitties. I love how it turned out! Took almost 30 hours of work over 9 weeks to complete. Finished dimensions of the throw were 54.5" high x 61.5" wide. Definitely the biggest crochet project I've completed to date!

The kitty pattern is available for free in many places online, with some variations between each website. The border I used on the side was my own variation on one I found here, and the border on the ends were something I just kinda made up at the time. I've been asked for a pattern for this blanket, so since I just cobbled together a bunch of different things, I thought it might be easiest to follow if I just type up how I made this particular blanket. Tweak the recipe to your heart's content!

Use at least two colors, as the contrast is what makes the kitties appear. You can certainly use more than two, if you prefer, though. If using either 2 or 3 colors, you can carry your yarn up the sides of the afghan without having to cut it & weave it in later. The border will hide the messiness. If you're using more than 3 colors, though, you'll need to cut your yarn at the color changes, then hide your ends later.

Note: I wrote up this pattern after the original afghan had been shipped off. If you find any blatant errors as you work it up, please let me know! :)

Kitty Afghan

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn in 3 colors: (A) Black, (B) Gray, (C) Orange
6mm crochet hook

Puff stitch: * YO. Insert hook into indicated stitch 2 rows below your current row. Pull up a loop to match height of your current row. Repeat from * for total of 4 long loops pulled up. YO & pull through all but last loop on hook (2 loops remain on hook). YO & pull through last 2 loops to finish stitch. (Video)

Shell: (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in ch sp of previous row.

Row 1: With A, fsc 163 (or any multiple of 5, + 3). Turn.

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc, here & throughout). Skip 2 sts. 2 dc in next st. Ch 1. 2 dc in next st. * Skip 3 sts. 2 dc in next st. Ch 1. 2 dc in next st. Repeat from * across, until 3 fsc remain. Skip 2 sts. Dc in last st. Switch to B. Turn.

Row 3 (Paws & bottom of face): Ch 3. Work puff st in 1st skipped fsc of row 1. * Work shell in next ch 1 sp. Work puff st in 2nd fsc of the next group of skipped fsc. Repeat from * to end of row. Dc in top of turning chain of previous row. Turn.

Row 4 (Top of face & ears): Ch 3. * Work shell in next ch 1 sp. Repeat from * across. Dc in top of turning chain of previous row. Switch to color C. Turn.

Row 5 (Paws & bottom of face): Ch 3. * Work puff st in top of next puff stitch 2 rows below your current row. Work shell in next ch 1 sp. Repeat from * across, ending with a puff stitch. Dc in top of turning chain of previous row. Turn.

Row 6 (Top of face & ears): Repeat row 4. Switch to next color at end of row. Turn.

Repeat rows 5 & 6 for total of 36 kitties high, or until desired height of blanket is reached.

Final Pattern Row: With A, repeat row 5. Turn.

Last Row (To even out the top of the afghan): Ch 4 (counts as 1st dc & ch 1). Skip puff st & next dc. Sc in next dc. 2 sc in ch 1 sp. Sc in next dc. * Skip next dc, puff st, & next dc.  Ch 1. Sc in next dc. 2 sc in ch 1 sp. Sc in next dc. Repeat from * across. Dc in top of turning ch. Do not turn. Do not finish off.

Border Row 1: Ch 1. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in same st. Working along the side of the afghan, work 2 sc in the side of each row. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in 1st fsc. Sc in each fsc across. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in last fsc. Working along the side of the afghan, work 2 sc in the side of each row. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in top 3rd ch of turning chain of Last Row. Sc in each sc & ch sp across. Join to 1st sc with sl st. Switch to B. Do not turn.

Border Row 2: Ch 1. Sc in each sc around afghan, working (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner. Join to 1st sc with sl st. Sl st until you reach ch 2 sp. Turn.

Border Top: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc). Dc in each st across, ending with 1 dc in last ch 2 sp of top of afghan. FO.

Border Bottom: With B, join to first ch 2 sp of bottom of afghan with a dc. Dc in each st across, ending with 1 dc in last ch 2 sp of bottom of afghan. Turn. Do not finish off.

Border Row 3: Ch 1. Sc in each dc & sc around afghan, working (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner. Join to 1st sc with sl st.

Border Row 4: Ch 1. Sc in same st. { Skip 2 sc. 6 dc in next st. Skip 2 sc. * Sc in next 2 sts. Skip 2 sc. 6 dc in next st. Skip 2 sc. Repeat from * across. Sc in last sc of this edge of afghan. ** Sc in ch 2 sp. Ch 1. (Sl st, ch 2, hdc) in next sc. Skip 2 sc. Sl st in next sc. Repeat from ** across. Ch 1. } Sc in ch 2 sp. Sc in next sc. Repeat from { to }. Join to 1st sc with sl st. Finish off.