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Cat sweater with a velvet bow crochet pattern

Eight pieces to tick off: a hdc cat sweater with velvet bow and sc appliqué trim.

the finished piece
Cat sweater with a velvet bow crochet pattern
Skill
Intermediate
Rounds
24 rounds
Yarn weight
Worsted
Hook
5.0 mm
Time
4-6 hours

Intermediate

What the original page called it. Nothing here is graded a second time.

24 rounds

Each one gets its own line, with a box beside it to tick as you go.

Worsted

What the sample was made in. Any weight works — the size moves with it.

About this pattern

This one builds a fitted cat sweater out of a back panel, two sleeves, and a set of front pieces, all worked flat in half double crochet with the H/8 hook. A separate single crochet piece carries the bow and appliqué detail, stitched with the smaller G/6 hook. Eight pieces in total go on the hook before the main sweater assembly step, so expect to work through the stack one panel at a time rather than in one continuous round.

The sleeves carry the main shaping: increases land at both edges every fourth row until the panel reaches full width, then the piece is worked even to length. The bow or collar piece does the opposite, decreasing every fourth row down to a narrow point. Slow down on both of these sections and recount stitches after every increase or decrease row, since a missed repeat throws off the taper before it is caught.

  1. Work the back panel first in half double crochet rows until it reaches full width and height.
  2. Build the two sleeves next, increasing one stitch at each end every fourth row until they hit full width.
  3. Stitch the bow or collar piece in single crochet, shaping it down with decreases every fourth row.
  4. Fasten off each piece, leaving long tails on the sleeves for seaming later.
  5. Join all panels into the finished sweater body during the main assembly stage.

What goes wrong

  • Forgetting the chain 2 is not a stitch Since the turning chain never counts as a stitch on this pattern, skipping the first hdc after it will shrink the row count. Check the stitch count against the pattern after every row until the habit sticks.
  • Losing track of the sleeve increase rows The sleeve increases only on every fourth row, so it is easy to add a stitch on the wrong row. Mark the increase rows with a stitch marker or note card before starting the sleeve.
  • Using one hook for the whole project The body panels call for the H/8 hook while the appliqué details need the smaller G/6 hook. Swap hooks when the pattern calls for the appliqué section, not partway through a row.
  • Skipping the gauge swatch Since the sweater is fitted to a specific size, an off gauge swatch in hdc will throw off how the finished piece sits on the cat. Swatch with the H/8 hook first and adjust hook size before starting the back panel.

Yarn, hook and the rest

Copied from the source pattern's own materials list.

  • Crochet hook size H/8 (5.0mm) or size needed for gauge
  • Crochet hook size G/6 (4.0mm) for appliqué details
  • Tapestry needle
  • Stitch markers
  • Scissors
  • Sewing needle and coordinating thread for attaching ribbon
  • Gauge

For main sweater

  • 14 stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches in half double crochet using H/8 hook
  • For appliqué: 16 stitches and 18 rows = 4 inches in single crochet using G/6 hook
  • Gauge matters for garment fit. Take time to swatch and adjust your hook size if needed.
  • Stitch Abbreviations and Definitions
  • Ch (chain): Yarn over, pull through loop on hook. This creates your foundation.
  • Sl st (slip stitch): Insert hook, yarn over, pull through stitch and loop on hook in one motion. Used for joining and invisible movement.
  • Sc (single crochet): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops. Creates a short, dense stitch.
  • Hdc (half double crochet): Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. Slightly taller than single crochet with nice drape.
  • Sc2tog (single crochet 2 together): Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, insert hook into following stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. This decreases by one stitch.
  • Hdc2tog (half double crochet 2 together): Yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, insert hook into following stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (5 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 5 loops. Decrease stitch for half double crochet fabric.
  • Inc (increase): Work 2 stitches into the same stitch.
  • Size Information
  • Orange Ginger Cat Velvet Bow Sweater Crochet Pattern Instructions
  • Back Panel

Foundation

  • With H/8 hook and oatmeal yarn, ch 72.

Progress tracker

0 of the 24 rounds on this page are ticked.

The pattern, round by round

Kept in the order and the wording the source used. Tick a round as you finish it; the ticks stay on this device.

Foundation

Round 1

Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (70 hdc)

Round 2

through 50: Ch 2 (does not count as stitch throughout), hdc in each st across. Turn. (70 hdc)Your back panel should measure approximately 20 inches wide and 12.5 inches tall. Fasten off and set aside.

Foundation

Round 1

Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (34 hdc)

Round 2

Ch 2, hdc in each st across. Turn. (34 hdc)

Round 3

Increase Row Ch 2, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in each st to last st, 2 hdc in last st. Turn. (36 hdc)

Round 4

through 6: Ch 2, hdc in each st across. Turn. (36 hdc) Continue pattern, increasing 1 stitch at each end every 4th row until you have 52 hdc total. Work even until sleeve measures approximately 17 inches from foundation. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming.

Foundation

Round 1

Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (21 sc)

Round 2

through 24: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (21 sc)

Round 25

(Begin Shaping): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (19 sc)

Round 26

through 28: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (19 sc) Continue decreasing every 4th row until 11 stitches remain. Work 2 more rows even. Fasten off.

Foundation

Round 1

Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (17 sc)

Round 2

through 14: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (17 sc)

Round 15

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (15 sc)

Round 16

Repeat Row 15. (13 sc) Fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Foundation

Round 1

Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (7 sc)

Round 2

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 3, sc2tog. Turn. (5 sc)

Round 3

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 1, sc2tog. Turn. (3 sc)

Round 4

Ch 1, sc3tog. Fasten off. (1 sc)

Foundation

Round 1

Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (24 sc)

Round 2

through 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (24 sc) Fasten off. Curl the tail gently into a curved shape when attaching.

Foundation

Round 1

Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (9 sc)

Round 2

through 12: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (9 sc)

Round 13

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 5, sc2tog. Turn. (7 sc)

Round 14

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 3, sc2tog. Turn. (5 sc) Fasten off.

For main sweater

For appliqué: 16 stitches and 18 rows = 4 inches in single crochet using G/6 hook Gauge matters for garment fit. Take time to swatch and adjust your hook size if needed.

Check your count

  • Foundation · Round 1: 70 sts
  • Foundation · Round 2: 70 sts
  • Foundation · Round 1: 34 sts
  • Foundation · Round 2: 34 sts
  • Foundation · Round 3: 36 sts
  • Foundation · Round 1: 21 sts

Finish

  • Weave in every fastened-off tail along the wrong side of each panel before seaming begins.
  • Use the long sleeve tails to seam the sleeves to the back and front panels.
  • Hand-stitch the bow and appliqué pieces in place with sewing needle and coordinating thread.

Bigger or smaller

Larger
Move up a hook size for the body panels and use a slightly heavier yarn to loosen the gauge, which widens and lengthens every panel proportionally.
Smaller
Work fewer repeats of the even rows on the back panel and sleeves before starting the shaping rows, which shortens the finished length without touching the stitch counts.

FAQs

Asked and answered

These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.

Why does the pattern need two different hook sizes?

The H/8 hook keeps the hdc body panels at the gauge the sweater is sized to. The smaller G/6 hook tightens up the sc appliqué details so they hold their shape against the main fabric.

What happens if the sleeve gauge is off?

A looser or tighter gauge changes how many increase rows it takes to reach full sleeve width, since increases are set by row count rather than a target measurement. Swatch first and adjust the hook size so the sleeve matches the back panel's drape.

Can the bow piece be left off?

Yes, the bow and appliqué pieces are stitched on separately after the main sweater is assembled. Leaving them off does not affect the fit or construction of the body panels.

Why leave long tails when fastening off the sleeves?

Those tails are used to seam each sleeve directly to the back and front panels during assembly. Cutting them short means picking up new yarn for seaming, which adds extra ends to weave in later.