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.

New Year...Start Up the Blog Again

One of my resolutions for this year was to post to my blog again. I now have a wonderful, super-powerful iMac and broadband so it should all work a lot better and quicker for me. This post is mostly photos of what I finished up last year. It's not a complete list because there were a few things that got away without having their photos taken.

These are some photos of the finished saddle blanket. This is the first one that I've ever woven and I was pleased with the end piece. The yarn is all organic and naturally dyed by Thirteen Mile Farm here in Belgrade. It was a fun project to work on and I liked doing it at the time but I don't think I'll be doing another one. My heart is still with tapestry weaving.





The horse, Squire, looks like his saddle blanket is comfortable to him.



Here is the only tapestry that I wove last year. I had another tapestry on the loom for a long time and it just wasn't working for me so scrapped it and used the rest of the warp for this one. Right now, I'm working on 3 small tapestries for the small format exhibit in Florida this summer in conjunction with Convergence. I can only send one but decided to warp the loom for 3 so that I could send the best one hoping I got a decent one. So far I've finished two, love them both and can't decide which one is better. I'll be thrilled if I have a problem picking from the three which is best. Photos of these will be coming in the next week or so.



I made this doll for a good friend for Christmas. When I was in Washington last summer, I did a lot of hiking and the woods were so lush and overgrown, it seemed they just had to be inhabited by fairies and elves, or Smurfs. I was sure that I would see some little forest folk peaking from behind a leaf. That got me thinking of dolls and some little forest people so I made this doll. Her body is an inkle band, her head and limbs are crocheted and her skirt is weavette squares. I figured out a way to weave small beads into the squares to look like dew drops. She has a wire armature inside which I had to figure out how to do but it was well worth it to make the doll poseable.



In the evenings when I'm too tired to work on anything else, I've started making these little crocheted amigurumi. I am having so much fun. I hadn't crocheted in years and I'm enjoying that but I also like making the little animals. Mostly I use patterns out there and change details and features, etc. It's great for using up all the odds and ends of yarn too. Mine are all wool and I stuff them with wool too, so they are very cuddly. I've made several more but they've gone to live at other homes.





I love cats and really love making fortune cats, Japanese maneki neko. The first ones I did were from a knit pattern I found online but I converted it to crochet to make it easier for me. It's fun to decorate them with coins and bells.