I am up to my eyeballs in projects of the King size blanket nature, but I really want to create one of these and I know Cubby will like it because ever since he was a little kitten he has loved kitty caves or kitty cubbies as we used to call them. Yes that is how he got his name. He was always in the cubbies.
I found the pattern and directions over at Eilen Tein...so think I can do it?
How to
Materials:
- carpet yarn/weft or thick t-shirt yarn, little bit over 1kg (about 2,5 lb)
- hook 8mm (the hook should be one number too small to make the basket as tight as possible)
- a cat or two
Nest size: 37cm x 37cm wide and 20cm high
Entrance size: 15cm wide and 11cm high
Starting chain: 3 ch, 1 slip stitch to close the chain
1 rnd: 8 sc in starting chain
2 rnd: *2 sc in one 1 st* repeat the whole round = 16
3 rnd: *1 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round = 24
4 rnd: *2 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round = 32
5 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round (= round without increase)
6 rnd: *2 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round until there is 2 st left. Crochet 1 sc, 2 sc in one st = 43
7 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
8 rnd: *2 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round, crochet 1 sc = 57
9 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
10 rnd: *2 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round = 76
11 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
12 rnd: *4 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round, crochet 1 sc = 91
13-16 rnds: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
17 rnd: *5 sc, 2 sc in one st* repeat the whole round, crochet 1 sc = 106
18 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
entrance to the nest:
19 rnd: continue crocheting 1 sc in one st, about half round. Cut the yarn (leave a little tail for finish it) and skip 10 st. Continue the crocheting with single crochets.
20 rnd: continue crocheting: 1 sc in one st, until you are about 5 sc from the point where you cut the yarn last time. Now fasten off the last round’s yarn tail by pulling the yarn over the edge the so that when you do the last 5 sc, the tails stays inside the stitches. Then cut the yarn again, skip 10 st and start crocheting from the same point as you did last round (fasten off yarn tail again by leaving the tail inside the stitches).
21 – 25 rnds: continue, until the entrance is 7 rounds high.
NOTE!
Be sure that you start and finish the stitches exactly at the same point as you did last round, so that entrance doesn’t start widening.
26 rnd: in the eighth round continue crocheting 1sc in one st, then crochet 8 ch over the entrance. Continue 1 sc in one st until in the end of the round.
27 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round. Above the entrance, crochet 8 sc around the 8 chs.
28 – 30 rnds: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
31 rnd: *4 sc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
32 – 33 rnds: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
34 rnd: *3 sc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
35 rnd: 1 sc in one st, repeat the whole round
36 – 37 rnds: *3 sc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
38 – 39 rnds: *2 sc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
40 – 41 rnds: *1 sc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
Cut the yarn (or if the hole is still too big, continue decreases by skipping one or two stitches). fasten off.
Finish the entrance:
Crochet single crochets around the entrance, do the stitches around of two rounds to make the entrance stronger.
