Bella the Cat: Crochet Black Cat Plushie Free Pattern

Growing up, we never really went trick or treating, so Halloween was more about spooky movies for me than anything else. I would get so excited to watch Halloweentown for the thousandth time or watch Twitches with my sisters. But Halloween isn’t complete without a black cat or two. Just ask Kiki or Sabrina! So today, I have a pattern for a crochet black cat that’s spooky and mysterious, but still so cute you’ll want to make her in other colors too!

This is Bella the Cat, and I have made this crochet cat pattern several times already. You may have seen her on my Instagram, but I’m finally writing up the pattern. I made this originally for my cousin and modeled it after her cat, Bella. While that version used shades of gray and white, I made this one all black and embroidered on a few details. I shared pictures of both in this post and I’ll also share some customizing tips at the end so you can make it your own.

I love Halloween.

It’s my favorite time to be a designer and come up with new crochet patterns for plushies that are spooky but also cute. I have a whole collection of these guys already, complete with scarecrows, vampires, monsters, and more! You can check them all out here or grab the entire collection from my shop here.

The full free pattern is written out below. For those who’d prefer to print the pattern and take it with you for on-the-go and to markup as you go, you can buy the inexpensive printable PDF from my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The PDF is formatted without ads or comments, so it’s easy to read.

Materials:

• 3.25mm crochet hook / D hook*
• #4 medium weight yarn – I used Yarn Bee Soft Secret in Black
• stitch markers*
• tapestry needle*
• 8mm safety eyes*
• Polyfill stuffing*

*denotes affiliate link

Abbreviations:

• ch – chain
• SC – single crochet
• DC – double crochet
• HDC – half double crochet
• sl – slip stitch

Pattern Notes:

• Skill level: Easy – some amigurumi experience is helpful but not necessary
• Sizing: 9.5″ tall
• Gauge: 6S X 5R per inch

Useful Amigurumi Tips

• All patterns are in English and written in standard USA terms
• inc – increase by working 2 stitches into the same space
• dec – decrease across 2 stitches using an invisible decrease
• Keep stitches tight to prevent holes for stuffing to show through. If there are holes, go down a hook size.
• All pieces are worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Use stitch markers to mark the first stitch of each round.
• Safety eyes are used in these patterns, but feel free to stitch on eyes instead for children under 3 years old.
• If you have any questions, email me at [email protected]

Bella the Cat: Free Crochet Black Cat Plushie Pattern

Head:

Round 1: Create a magic loop and work 6 SC into it. Place a stitch marker.

Round 2: Inc in each space by working 2 SC into each (12).

Round 3: *SC, inc* around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, inc* around (24).

Round 5: *SC 3, inc* around (30).

Round 6: *SC 4, inc* around (36).

Round 7: *SC 5, inc* around (42).

Rounds 8-15: SC around for 8 rounds. Insert safety eyes to round 5 after the last increase round, about 5 stitches apart. Start to add the stuffing.

Round 16: *SC 5, dec* around (36).

Round 17: *SC 4, dec* around (30).

Round 18: *SC 3, dec* around (24).

Round 19: *SC 2, dec* around (18). Finish adding stuffing.

Round 20: *SC, dec* around (12).

Round 21: Decrease around (6). Cut the yarn and thread the tail through a tapestry needle. Run the needle under the front loops of each stitch and secure the yarn. Weave in the end.

Ears (make 2):

Round 1: Create a magic loop and work 6 SC into it.

Round 2: Inc in each space by working 2 SC into each (12).

Rounds 3-4: SC around for 2 rounds.

Round 5: *SC, inc* around (18).

Rounds 6-8: SC around for 3 rounds. Bind off and leave a long tail.

Body:

Round 1: Create a magic loop and work 6 SC into it. Place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Round 2: Inc in each space by working 2 SC into each (12).

Round 3: *SC, inc* around (18).

Round 4: *SC 2, inc* around (24).

Round 5: *SC 3, inc* around (30).

Round 6: *SC 4, inc* around (36).

Round 7: *SC 5, inc* around (42).

Rounds 8-16: Switch to Biscuit (skin color) and SC around for 9 rounds.

Round 17: *SC 5, dec* around (36).

Round 18: SC around for 2 rounds.

Round 19: *SC 4, dec* around (30).

Rounds 20-21: SC around for 2 rounds.

Round 22: *SC 3, dec* around (24).

Rounds 23-24: SC around for 2 rounds

Round 25: *SC 2, dec* around (18).

Rounds 26-27: SC around for 2 rounds. Then BO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Arms (make 2):

Round 1: Create a magic loop and work 6 SC into it. Place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Round 2: Inc in each space by working 2 SC into each (12).

Rounds 3-18: SC around for 16 rounds. Then BO, leaving a long tail to sew them on later.

Legs (make 2):

Round 1: Create a magic loop and work 6 SC into it. Place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round.

Round 2: Inc in each space by working 2 SC into each (12).

Round 3: *SC, inc* around (18).

Rounds 4-18: SC around for 15 rounds.

Round 19: *SC, dec* around (12).

Rounds 20-21: SC around for 2 rounds. Then BO, leaving a long tail to sew them on later.

Tail:

With two strand of yarn held together, create a slip knot and chain 16. Turn and work 15 slip stitches through the back bump of each chain space. BO and leave a long tail for sewing it on.

Collar:

With any color yarn, chain 21. Turn and SC 20 along the chain. BO and sew the collar closed around the cat plushie when it’s been assembled.

Assembly

Now that you have all the pieces for your crochet cat plushie pattern done, it’s time to assemble and finish making Bella! Start by aligning the ears onto the head. Take time to make sure they’re even and use pins to keep them in place. Then, using the tail end of the yarn and a tapestry needle, whipstitch the ears into place. 

Next, sew the body onto the head, placing it so it doesn’t wobble. Then, use pins to decide the position of the arms and legs, and once you’re happy with it, sew them into place as well using the long tail ends we left. 

Use the end of the tail to sew the tail onto the body. Finally, sew the collar in place around the next. Weave in all the loose ends and trim any excess yarn. You’re almost done! Now, all that’s left to do is embroider the face and customize any markings you may want to add!

Customizing Options!

You can customize this kitty in a bunch of different ways, either while making the pieces, or afterward depending on what you want to add/change.

• For example, if you want to give the cat socks, start the arm and leg pieces with 5 or 6 rounds of white yarn (or any other) before switching to your main color.
• You can make the ears different colors. You can even work some sections of the head and body in different colors as fur patches by just adding a length of yarn in one area and switching to it as you come to the section. Or even just using a multi-colored yarn!
• You can add stripes by working rounds in different colors to break up the main color. Or you can use yarn and a tapestry needle to embroider on a line afterward as I did for the gray cat.
• For other markings, thread a tapestry needle with some yarn and you can embroider closely packed stitches to make a patch or distinctive marks. You can even use embroidery floss for smaller details of color around the eyes or wherever your cat may have them!

Once you’re happy with the way your cat looks, it’s time for a face. Embroider the face and whiskers with white embroidery floss and a thin needle, and add a few stitches of peach or pink for the nose to finish it off. I like using just simple straight stitches for this.

And you’re done!

I adore how Bella the Cat turned out and I had fun playing around with different fur patterns and customizations and I hope you do too. Although I made the main crochet cat pattern here all in black for Halloween, the pattern pieces will be the same if you want to switch up the colors and really make it your own. If you make this, please share your pictures with me on Instagram!

See you soon 🙂

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I worked hard on this pattern, so please be respectful and do not sell or redistribute this pattern as your own. If you sell finished items made using this pattern, credit The Blue Elephants as the designer and link back to the blog post or the Etsy pattern link. For any other questions, read my Terms of Use or contact me. 

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