I know I just shared a bunch of cat knitting patterns not all that long ago, but I saw these the other day and, in the spirit of whimsy, just had to share them.
The Matryoshkats pattern from Mochimochi Land is an adorable set of nesting cats. The smallest cat is worked in one piece, while the other three are worked as a top half and bottom half that are kept separate to allow the kitties to nest. The ears on the larger cats and tail on the big cat are stitched separately from picked up stitches.
The models are worked in worsted weight yarn but you can size up or down as you like. I think these would be cute in a jumbo version worked in blanket yarn, too!
Anna Hrachovec originally designed these cats to use in the illustrations for her children’s book, Catside Up, Catside Down, but has released the pattern so we can all have a little bit of feline fun.
The smallest cat is 1.25 inches, or 3 cm, tall, while the biggest one is 4.25 inches, or 11 cm, when using worsted weight yarn. The whole set only takes about 30-60 yards (27-55 m) and of course it’s extra cute if each cat is a different color so you can use up little odd balls from other projects here.
It is noted in the pattern but if you’re making these for little ones, the smallest cats in the set are a potential choking hazard. All the more reason to experiment with using larger yarn if giving to a kiddo is the plan.
I would totally keep these on my desk to play with, though, no kids needed. They’d be great to gift to a cat-loving friend of any age. (One project on Ravelry shows them posing with a live cat, but I don’t think they’d make good cat toys.)
You can find this pattern at Mochimochi Land or on Ravelry.
Christmas Gifts For Knitters