Tunisian Crochet Cat Neck Cozy with Pumpkin Free Pattern
Introduction
This little neck cozy is made for your favorite feline friend, and it is a perfect first Tunisian crochet project if you have been curious about the technique. Worked in soft, bulky wool, the butter yellow tube slips comfortably around the neck and adds a touch of cottagecore charm for Halloween. The star of the show is a tiny white stuffed pumpkin appliqué, complete with embroidered indentations, sewn right onto the front. It looks sweet and handmade, feels soft and warm, and works up in an evening or two.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Bulky (weight 5) wool, approximately 50 yards butter yellow (Color A) and 10 yards white (Color B)
- Hook: 6.5 mm (K) Tunisian crochet hook with cable
- Notions: Tapestry needle, small amount of fiberfill, scissors, stitch marker (optional)
- Finished size: Circumference 10 inches, height 2.5 inches
Abbreviations
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- yo – yarn over
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- Tss – Tunisian simple stitch (insert hook under the front vertical bar of the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop)
- Forward pass – the pass where you pick up loops onto the hook
- Return pass – the pass where you work the loops off the hook
Gauge
12 stitches and 10 rows = 4 inches in Tunisian simple stitch. To check your gauge, work a small flat swatch in Tss and measure the middle of the fabric; adjust your hook size if needed.
Tips Before You Start
- When joining the starting chain into a ring, double-check that it is not twisted before you slip stitch, or the whole tube will spiral.
- Tunisian simple stitch curls at the edges, so do not worry if the cozy looks a little wavy before blocking; it settles nicely.
- Keep your forward-pass loops loose enough to slide easily, but not so loose that the fabric looks holey.
- Stuff the pumpkin only lightly so it stays small and rounded, and pull the embroidery lines gently to shape the indentations.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Neck Cozy (Color A)
Worked in Tunisian simple stitch in the round.
Setup: Ch 30, join with sl st to first ch to form a ring, being careful not to twist.
R1: Forward pass: insert hook in each ch, yo, pull up loop (30 loops on hook). Return pass: yo, pull through 1 loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] across (30 sts).
R2: Tss in each st around (30 sts).
R3: Tss in each st around (30 sts).
R4: Tss in each st around (30 sts).
R5: Tss in each st around (30 sts).
R6: Tss in each st around (30 sts).
Bind off: [sl st in next st, ch 1] around. Fasten off.
Pumpkin Appliqué (Color B)
Worked flat in Tunisian simple stitch.
Setup: Ch 6.
R1: Forward pass: insert hook in each ch, yo, pull up loop (6 loops on hook). Return pass: yo, pull through 1 loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] across (6 sts).
R2: Tss in each st (6 sts).
R3: Tss in each st (6 sts).
R4: Tss in each st (6 sts).
R5: Tss in each st (6 sts).
Bind off. Fasten off, leaving a long tail.
Assembly and Finishing
With Color B, sew the short ends of the pumpkin together to form a tube. Gather one open end and pull it tight to close. Stuff lightly with fiberfill, then gather the remaining open end and pull it tight to close, forming a pumpkin shape. With Color B, embroider vertical lines from the center top to the center bottom, pulling slightly to create indentations. Sew the pumpkin to the front of the neck cozy. Weave in all ends. Block the neck cozy lightly to smooth the edges and settle the fabric.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the butter yellow for charcoal or deep orange for a bolder Halloween look.
- Make a second pumpkin in a smaller size and sew it beside the first for a mini pumpkin patch.
- Add a small button or a short length of ribbon at the back as a decorative closure detail.
