January Cat
January Cat is the first large square pattern in the 2022: A Year of Cats series.
Crochet Colorwork
Every design in this year’s series can be done using your choice of colorwork technique: interlocking crochet or overlay mosaic crochet.
You’ll receive the fully written pattern and charts for both techniques. The mosaic crochet option uses an adjusted chart that is solid in the solid areas (so you don’t see any of the interlocking mesh dots when you use the mosaic technique).
Learn more about these techniques at https://ashleeslint.com/tutorials/interlocking-and-mosaic-crochet/.
Promotion
My current Year End Sale takes an automatic 30% off (valid on Etsy and Ravelry); sale ends 11:59 pm CST January 1, 2022.
The orange cat is “Flippers” (named by my ocean-obsessed four-year-old son) and the black cat is “Tiger” (named by my six-year-old daughter; this kitten was supposed to be orange as well but when we went to pick up the cats it turned out the other orange kitten had met its demise so we substituted for this black one).
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You’ll also have access to my Doctor Who blanket pattern!
Happy New Year!
We made it to 2022. We don’t know what the future holds but many people are really focused on making this year better than last year. I have never done well with “new year’s resolutions”. If I want to do something, I do it now. If I don’t want to do it then there’s no point in writing it on a fancy paper to declare that in the new year I’ll do it.
My pretend new year’s resolution is to stay a bit more balanced than the last few year’s have been. Less extremes, less craziness. More “slow and steady” instead of “race, race, race!”.
My advice to myself and to all of you: everything works out in the end. If things haven’t worked out, then it’s not the end. Things are always changing, let it flow.
Now, let’s get back to the crochet, which is the real reason you’re here!
Are you crocheting one of my designs? I’d love to see it. Tag me on social media or join one of my groups!
The first Facebook icon takes you to my public page, the second Facebook icon goes to my private group.
Year of Cats eBook
I have created an eBook (even though it currently has ONLY January Cat) and if you know you’re going to want all 12 cats then this is the best deal for you. Each month I will add the new cat square and you will receive an email letting you know the eBook has been updated.
You can also purchase each square individually as they come out.
Compare to Last Year’s Gnomes
Please note, unlike the Gnomes there are differences in the charts for the interlocking version and the overlay mosaic version.
This time I have decided to removed the interlocking mesh dots and extra border lines from the mosaic version of the square. All 12 mosaic cat squares will be the same size (77 x 77) and all 12 interlocking squares will be the same size (81 x 81; 40- window square).
The original cover for this Year of Cats eBook is shown here on a background of purple with a photo of my finished blanket.
Important Details for January Cat
This design comes with the fully written pattern and charts for two colorwork techniques: interlocking crochet and overlay mosaic crochet.
Click here to go to my tutorials for these crochet techniques.
Interlocking Crochet
These cat squares have a chart size of 81 x 81. This means they begin with 40 windows in the foundation row and will finish to about 20″ square.
Interlocking crochet / LFM crochet file includes:
- line-by-line written pattern (view key)
- (view instructions on reading a chart)
- a one-page chart
Interlocking Crochet Details
- Chart is 81 x 81
- Gauge: 8 (dc, ch) x 8 rows = 4”
- 20″ x 20″ / 51cm x 51cm
- 4.5 mm hook (US7)
- Worsted weight yarn (460 – 485 yards total)
- Main color (MC) darker color – 230 yards plus 25 for optional border
- Accent color (AC) – 230 yards
CynCityCrochet’s interlocking crochet sample of January Cat.
My interlocking crochet sample of January Cat. Unfortunately, these colors don’t contrast well enough.
Overlay Mosaic Crochet
I’ve removed the interlocking mesh dots and unneccessary border lines from the mosaic version of each month’s cat square. Read more about the differences at https://ashleeslint.com/tutorials/interlocking-and-mosaic-crochet/.
Click here to learn more about the options for dealing with the cut ends at the end of each row when doing overlay mosaic crochet.
Overlay Mosaic Crochet file includes:
- line-by-line written pattern (view key)
- instructions for optional envelope border (view)
- instructions on reading a chart (view)
- a two-page chart marked with X’s
Bottom-Up Mosaic Crochet Details
- Chart is 77 x 77
- Gauge: 14 sc blo stitches x 15 rows = 4”
- 22″ x 20″ / 56cm x 52cm
- 5 mm hook (H-8)
- Worsted weight yarn (500 – 800 yards)
- Main color (MC) dark suggested – 300 yards
- Contrasting color (CC) – 250 yards
- Optional envelope border – 250 yards
Overlay mosaic crochet sample of January Dog crocheted by CrochetCarob. Black used as MC.
Videos and Pictures
Update, March 2022: I redid my square to use the same yarn as my other squares (Premier Home Cotton). I picked black and orange because we have two cats: one black and one orange.
