The feral farm cat is a handy pest control expert. Farm cats live outdoors in farmyards, eating rats and small animals before the rodents can eat grain stocks. It’s a dangerous life – they are often eaten as prey by other animals, so for protection some farm cats sleep indoors, hopefully by an Aga in a farmer’s kitchen.
Our farm cat is quite porky, but you can make him sleeker with less stuffing.
Length: 16cm (6¼in)
Height to top of head: 10cm (4in)
• Pair of 2¾mm (US 2) knitting needles
• Double-pointed 2¾mm (US 2) knitting needles (for tail and for holding stitches)
• 20g (¾oz) of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 (bl)
• 5g (⅛oz) of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Snow 412 (sn)
• Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Gerbera 454 (ge) for eyes
• 3 pipecleaners for legs and tail
• Black thread for whiskers
See here.
See for Wrap and Turn Method.
With sn, cast on 7 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 2 rows st st.
Row 3: Inc, k2tog, k1, k2tog, inc. (7 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Cont in bl.
Row 5: Inc, k2tog, k1, k2tog, inc.* (7 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 9: K2, inc, k1, inc, k2. (9 sts)
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: K3, inc, k1, inc, k3. (11 sts)
Row 12: P2tog, p2, inc, p1, inc, p2, p2tog. (11 sts)
Row 13: K2tog, inc, k1, inc, k1, inc, k1, inc, k2tog. (13 sts)
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: K5, inc, k1, inc, k5. (15 sts)
Row 16: Purl.
Row 17: K6, inc, k1, inc, k6. (17 sts)
Row 18: Purl.
Row 19: K7, inc, k1, inc, k7. (19 sts)
Row 20: Purl.**
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 9 sts, k to end (hold 10 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to **.
Row 21: K10, cast (bind) off 9 sts (hold 10 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Work as for Right Back Leg to *.
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 11: Inc, k5, inc. (9 sts)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K3, inc, k1, inc, k3. (11 sts)
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: K4, inc, k1, inc, k4. (13 sts)
Row 16: Purl.
Row 17: K5, inc, k1, inc, k5. (15 sts)
Row 18: Purl.***
Row 19: Cast (bind) off 7 sts, k to end (hold 8 sts on spare needle for Right Side of Body).
As Right Front Leg to ***.
Row 19: K8, cast (bind) off 7 sts (hold 8 sts on spare needle for Left Side of Body).
Front Legs
When sewing tummy to body, make sure that the front legs are level at the chest.
Row 1: With bl, cast on 1 st, with RS facing k8 from spare needle of Right Front Leg, cast on 7 sts. (16 sts)
Row 3: Inc, k15, cast on 8 sts. (25 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K25, with RS facing k10 from spare needle of Right Back Leg, cast on 1 st. (36 sts)
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Inc, k35. (37 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 13: K2tog, k35. (36 sts; place contrast marker at neck end)
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: K2tog, k34. (35 sts)
Row 16: Purl.
Row 17: K2tog, k33. (34 sts)
Row 18: P32, p2tog. (33 sts)
Row 19: K2tog, k29, k2tog. (31 sts)
Row 20: P2tog, p29. (30 sts)
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 10 sts, k18 icos, k2tog. (19 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
Row 1: With bl, cast on 1 st, with WS facing p8 from spare needle of Left Front Leg, cast on 7 sts. (16 sts)
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: Inc, p15, cast on 8 sts. (25 sts)
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: P25, with WS facing p10 from spare needle of Left Back Leg, cast on 1 st. (36 sts)
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Inc, p35. (37 sts)
Work 5 rows st st.
Row 13: P2tog, p35. (36 sts; place contrast marker at neck end)
Row 14: Knit.
Row 15: P2tog, p34. (35 sts)
Row 16: Knit.
Row 17: P2tog, p33. (34 sts)
Row 18: K32, k2tog. (33 sts)
Row 19: P2tog, p29, p2tog. (31 sts)
Row 20: K2tog, k29. (30 sts)
Row 21: Cast (bind) off 10 sts, p18 icos, p2tog. (19 sts)
Cast (bind) off.
Body
For that sleek cat look, stroke the cat’s body to smooth it out after stuffing.
Row 1: With bl and RS facing, cast on 1 st, pick up and k8 sts from row ends at neck from marker of Right Side of Body, then pick up and k8 sts from row ends of neck from marker of Left Side of Body, inc into last of these 8 sts. (18 sts)
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: K5, inc, k6, inc, k5. (20 sts)
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K16, w&t (leave 4 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 6: Working top of head on centre 12 sts only, p12, w&t.
Row 7: K12, w&t.
Rep last 2 rows once more.
Row 10: P12, w&t.
Row 11: K16. (20 sts on right-hand needle)
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K17, w&t (leave 3 sts on left-hand needle unworked).
Row 14: Working top of head on centre 14 sts only, p14, w&t.
Row 15: K14, w&t.
Rep last 2 rows once more.
Row 18: P14, w&t.
Row 19: K17. (20 sts in total)
Row 20: P2tog, p3, [p2tog, p2] twice, p2tog, p3, p2tog. (15 sts)
Row 21: K1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1. (11 sts)
Row 22: P2, p2tog, p3, p2tog, p2. (9 sts)
Row 23: Knit.
Row 24: P2, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p2. (7 sts) Cast (bind) off.
With bl, cast on 3 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 12 rows st st.
Row 13: Inc, k1, inc. (5 sts)
Work 31 rows st st.
Join in sn.
Row 45: K2bl, k1sn, k2bl.
Row 46: P1bl, p3sn, p1bl.
Cont in sn.
Work 20 rows st st.
Row 67: K2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 71: K3tog and fasten off.
With double-pointed needles and bl, cast on 6 sts.
Work in i-cord as folls:
Knit 20 rows.
Row 21: K2tog, k2, k2tog. (4 sts)
Knit 6 rows.
Row 28: [K2tog] twice. (2 sts)
Row 29: K2tog and fasten off.
(make 2 the same)
With bl, cast on 5 sts.
Beg with a k row, work 3 rows st st.
Row 4: K2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts)
Work 3 rows st st.
Row 8: K3tog and fasten off.
Whiskers
To secure the whiskers, add a spot of glue on either side of the cat’s muzzle if you wish.
SEWING IN ENDS Sew in ends, leaving ends from cast on and cast (bound) off rows for sewing up.
LEGS With WS together and whip stitch, fold each leg in half and sew up legs on RS, starting at paws.
HEAD Fold cast (bound) off row of head in half and sew from nose to chin.
BODY Sew along back of cat and around bottom.
TUMMY Sew cast on row of tummy to base of cat’s bottom (where legs begin), and sew cast (bound) off row to nose. Ease and sew tummy to fit body. Leave a 2.5cm (1in) gap between front and back legs on one side.
STUFFING Pipecleaners are used to stiffen the legs and help bend them into shape. Fold a pipecleaner into a U-shape and measure against front two legs. Cut to fit approximately, leaving an extra 2.5cm (1in) at both ends. Fold these ends over to stop the pipecleaner poking out of the paws. Roll a little stuffing around pipecleaner and slip into body, one end down each front leg. Repeat with second pipecleaner and back legs. Starting at the head, stuff the cat firmly, then sew up the gap. Mould body into shape.
TAIL Cut a pipecleaner to length of tail, plus a small amount in order to turn over the ends. Insert pipecleaner into tail, then attach cast on row of tail to start of bottom and bend tail into shape.
EARS With purl side facing forwards, sew cast on row of each ear to top of head, with 4 sts between ears.
EYES With ge, sew elongated 5-loop French knots, working each knot over 2 sts at a slight angle towards the nose. With bl, make a stitch over centre of French knots.
WHISKERS Cut six 5cm (2in) lengths of black thread. Thread these through cheeks, then trim.
