My Maneki Neko crochet pattern

Here is the pattern for a crocheted maneki neko. A couple years ago I saw a knitted fortune cat on Just Jussi's blog and made a few of them. Then I converted the pattern to crochet and have added my own embellishments and changes over time. Please use the pattern for your own enjoyment but not for sale or to repost on other sites.

I use my own wool handspun and so the cats turn out different sizes depending on the size of the yarn. Just match the size of your yarn to a crochet hook that makes stitches tight enough so that the stuffing doesn't show. I also stuff with wool fleece but polyfil would be fine. Sometimes I make the body striped. Just have fun and use your imagination.

The only coins I could find are probably Chinese but if you are lucky enough to have access to Japanese coins, all the better. It's fun to find different bells and beads to use. These cats are royal so need lots of fancy accessories.





Head

Make magic ring
Row 1: 7 sc in ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc (14 sts)
Row 3: 1 sc, 1 inc (21 sts)
Row 4: 2 sc, 1 inc (28 sts)
Row 5: 3 sc, 1 inc (35 sts)
Row 6: 4 sc, 1 inc (42 sts)
Rows 7-9: Sc even
Row 10: 1 dec, 4 sc (35 sts)
Row 11: 1 dec, 3 sc (28 sts)
Row 12: 1 dec, 2 sc (18 sts)

Body

Make magic ring
Row 1: 7 sc in ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc (14 sts)
Row 3: 1 sc, 1 inc (21 sts)
Row 4: 2 sc, 1 inc (28 sts)
Row 5: 3 sc, 1 inc (35 sts)
Row 6: 4 sc, 1 inc (42 sts)
Row 7: 5 sc, 1 inc (49 sts)
Row 8-13: sc even
Row 14: 1 dec, 5sc (42 sts)
Row 15: sc even
Row 16: 1 dec, 4 sc (35 sts)
Row 17: 1 dec, 3 sc (28 sts)
Row 18: sc even
Row 19: 1 dec, 2 sc (21 sts)
Row 20: 1 dec, 5 sc (18 sts) Leave a tail for sewing.

Legs (Make 2)

Make magic ring
Row 1: 6 sc in ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc (12 sts)
Row 3-8: sc even. After row 8, do another 6 sts, technically half more of a row. Leave a tail for sewing.

Arms (Make 2)

Make magic ring
Row 1: 6 sc in ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc (12sts)
Row 3-12: sc even. After row 12, do another 6 sts extra half around. Leave tail for sewing to body.

Ears (Make 2)

Make magic ring
Row 1: 4 sc in ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc (8 sts)
Row 3: 3 sc, 1 inc (10 sts)
Row 4: 4 sc, 1 inc (12 sts). Leave tail for sewing.




Fish (optional)

Make magic ring
Row 1: 4 sc in ring
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc (8 sts)
Row 3: 3 sc, 1 inc (10 sts)
Row 4: 4 sc, 1 inc (12 sts)
Row 5-12: sc even
Row 13: 1 dec, 4 sc (10 sts)
Row 14: 1 dec, 3 sc (8 sts)
Row 15: dec around (4 sts)
Row 16: Tail row- 2 sc in each st (8 sts)

Assembly

Stuff head and body firmly and sew together opening to opening. Stuff the arms and legs lightly, mostly just the paw and very little in the limb. Sew on legs straight out so the cat will sit. Sew on the beckoning arm either on the right or left. There are various interpretations of what this means. Usually the right arm beckoning is to bring good luck and wealth so I go with that. For the raised arm, the extra 6 sts go towards the bottom of the cat and on the other arm, those extra sts are at the top. Sew on the ears without stuffing. Traditionally these are Japanese bobtail cats so I don’t add a tail but you can if you like.

I embroider the faces with either crewel yarn or embroidery floss. My method for doing this is to knot the end of the yarn and go in an inch or so from the place I want the stitches to start and bring the needle up there, tugging the knot through the crocheting and into the stuffing. This has held up well for me. I end the same way by going out from my embroidery an inch or so, tying and knot and going back into the same spot to bury the knot.

The paws have stitches that go around and through to divide into 4 claws. On the beckoning hand, I fold down that tip of the paw, after it has been divided with claws and sew it down from underneath so those stitches don’t show.
These are royal cats so they need lots of embellishments such as bibs, bells, coins, ribbons and beads... whatever you like. The fish is a Lucky Tai and represents plenty.

Have fun making and enjoying your Maneki Neko! Please send me photos of fortune cats you make.

Small Format Tapestry

Every two years, ATA has been sponsoring a small format tapestry exhibit in conjunction with Convergence. This year it is at the TECO Plaza Art Gallery in Tampa, Florida, and called Woven Gems. It is opened to all tapestry artists in the world and is unjuried so, in my opinion, it is the most exciting tapestry exhibit. There are some first ever tapestries as well as the work of the tapestry "stars". Often there is experimental work because of the 10" x 10" size maximum which makes it easier to try new ideas. This year there are 189 entries from 30 states and 9 countries which is a record breaking participation.

Ordinarily, I have my tapestry done well before the Jan 15 application deadline but this year I hadn't even started. I didn't even have a design in mind. I almost decided to just forget it this time but at the very last minute I went through my sketchbook, picked out 3 possible watercolors I could work from and sent in my application. I decided to warp the loom for 3 small tapestries and hoped that I would like one of them enough to send in. All three of them wove up like a dream. I loved them all and had a hard time deciding which one to send but chose this first one to go to the show. It was actually woven second on the warp.



I thought the sky was the most interesting and showed a lot of depth. This is the watercolor used to make the tapestry cartoon. These are all views that I see out my window everyday of the Bridger Mountains in southwest Montana.



This next tapestry is the first one that I wove. All of these are on a wool warp sett at 8 epi on my Mirrix loom. The weft is handspun singles.



Here is the watercolor sketch for this one. I've only recently started using watercolors and just do small paintings about the size of a postcard for my sketchbook.



This is the third tapestry I wove.



Here is the watercolor I worked from.



And this is the photo that I did the watercolor from. Sometimes I see a beautiful sky but don't have the time that moment to paint it so like to take a photo for later.



I had so much fun making these which are all 9" x 6 3/4", that I would like to do more of the same scene in different moods and weather and somehow assemble them into a larger piece.