I decided to make our pet toys this year.
It is SO much cheaper and cuter!
I already made the dogs some braided fleece tugs and thought it would be fun to make the cats some catnip filled toys.
These 'meeces' ought to make them happy! Don't you just love the word 'meeces'!? Remember it from old cartoons?
Supplies:
scraps of yarn, a main color and black for eyes and nose
catnip
a spoon and funnel
a blunt embroidery needle
some crinkly paper (my kitties LOVE some crinkly paper!)
a smallish crochet hook... I used size "G"
stuffing will be catnip, crinkle paper and leftover sewing lengths
Starting with your main color you will make:
1 triangle for the body
2 ears
1 tail
1 bottom
For the body:
Starting with a slipknot, chain 18. Do NOT chain 1 before turning.
Turn and sc BACK into each chain. This first time, you will have 17 sc.
For each subsequent row, you will just keep going back and forth. *
The triangle forms as you go along.
When you reach the 'tip' , sc 2 times into the end instead of once. Do NOT turn, just chain 1 and fasten off leaving about 24" of sewing length
* if you chain 1 when turning, it will make little loops on the sides.
2 ears:
work 6 sc into a magic loop and pull tight.
round 2: 2 sc into each sc around=12 sc.
Fasten off leaving about 12" of sewing length
1 bottom:
work 6 sc into a magic loop and pull tight.
round 2: 2 sc into each sc around =12 sc
round 3: 1 sc into first sc, 2 sc into next, around = 18 sc.
Fasten off leaving a 12" sewing length.
1 tail:
chain 20.
Fasten off, leaving about 12" of sewing length.
Add the tail to the bottom before assembling the rest of the body:
Take the long tail and insert the needle on the right side of the bottom.
Pull through a couple 'chains' into the bottom and secure tightly. Fasten off.
Now to put them together.
I used a red meece for some of the photos...the color seemed to show detail a bit better.
Starting with the body, fold the triangle in half.
The extra chain at the tip gives it that curve you want.
Taking the yarn you left attached and beginning at the very tip, whip stitch about an inch down the head. The tip will be wonky, which is what you want.
Then with black, make the eyes and nose:
Tie a slip knot in the end of an 18" length of black yarn to help secure it inside the head.
Sew a french knot at the top of the tip of the nose area first, do not cut yarn.
Then do one eye and the other eye.
Tie off inside the head and stuff leftover yarn into the head.
It looks like a taxidermist got a hold of it now!
Attach ears slightly behind the eyes.
I set them a bit overlapped and off kilter.
see? beginning to look like a meece!
When done attaching ears, tie off the yarn and stuff the leftover bits of yarn into the body.
You can see in this photo that I actually tie the yarn bits together.
Close the body and sew the rest of the way closed, stuffing the extra yarn inside the head.
Right now it looks like a finger puppet!
Now, fill the cavity up with catnip.
Don't be gentle...really press it in.
When full of catnip, place some crinkly paper on top to hold it in.
Place the bottom onto the body with the tail hanging out.
Hold tightly and whip stitch around the bottom, leaving a small gap to finish filling.
To finish filling:
You'll need 'pop' the bottom out so you can stuff it properly, but don't pull on the tail.
Take the needle and catch a stitch and gently pull, the bottom will just pop up creating a little dome.
When you get to this point, slowly add the catnip in small amounts through the funnel into the gap you left in the bottom.
see how much more I got in there!?
When you have it as full as possible shove a bit more yarn into the hole to plug it up.Finish whip stitching around the bottom to close it.
Fasten off and hide the yarn through the body and clip off.
Time for a photo op....
Wrap it up for kitty!
Merry Christmas!
