Crochet Cat Bag Pattern Free Easy British Shorthair

Coins and small essentials tuck inside the crochet British shorthair cat bag, and a metal kiss-lock frame snaps it shut across the crown. Grey yarn on a 2.0 mm hook gives a pouch about 12 to 15 cm wide, finished with stiffened ears and a 28 cm wrist cord.

Those yellow eyes on this crochet British shorthair cat bag give it a stare that stops people mid-scroll. It carries itself like something that tolerates being useful. Makers who want a finished object with presence rather than softness will find this one lands differently than any plushie they have made before.

Crochet British Shorthair Cat Bag

Yellow slit-pupil eyes sit dead centre on this cat face, and they do most of the personality work before anything else registers. The bag is worked as a round, flat-faced head with ears at the top and a metal kiss-lock frame closing across the crown. Pink felt lines the inner ear on each side. The nose and muzzle are shaped and stitched rather than applied. Parts include the front and back panels, the ears and the wrist strap, all joined around the frame at the end. Attaching the kiss-lock hardware is the step that takes the most care, but the crochet itself stays consistent throughout.

What You Will Need

• Grey yarn, roughly 80 to 100 g estimated, for the body, muzzle, ears and handle
• Black yarn, a small amount, for facial embroidery
• A 2.0 mm crochet hook
• A metal frame clasp to fit the bag opening
• Safety cat eyes, two
• Needle and strong thread or yarn for attaching the clasp
• Stitch markers
• Felt or fabric stiffener for the ears
• Scissors

The finished bag dimensions depend on yarn weight and tension at a 2.0 mm hook. Most makers working in a fine weight yarn produce a bag roughly 12 to 15 cm wide and 10 to 12 cm tall before the ears. The handle cord length is worked to approximately 28 cm, which gives a wrist carry length.

Pieces List

• Main body pouch, make 1 in grey
• Muzzle, make 1 in grey
• Ears, make 2 in grey with felt stiffener insert
• Handle cord, make 1
• Safety eyes, two, attached at final assembly
• Nose and mouth, embroidered in black yarn

Six components plus the metal frame clasp.

About Safety Eyes

• The pattern attaches the safety eyes in the final assembly step, above the muzzle, after the clasp is sewn on. This is correct for a bag: the eye area is not stuffed or closed, and the eyes are sewn or pushed through the bag fabric from the outside at whatever position looks right against the muzzle.
• Because this is a bag rather than a toy, the eye timing during construction does not apply the way it does on a stuffed amigurumi. The washer fits through the bag fabric at any stage.
• This item is not suitable for young children. The metal frame clasp and the safety eyes are both hazards. If making a decorative version for a child's room display rather than a functional bag, embroider the eyes with black yarn instead and skip the metal clasp.

The Pattern

Main Body

• R1: work 6 sc in a magic ring (6)
• R2: work 6 inc around (12)
• R3: work 1 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (18)
• R4: work 2 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (24)
• R5: work 3 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (30)
• R6: work 4 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (36). By Round 6 the body should still lie nearly flat, like a large round coaster
• R7: work 5 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (42)
• R8: work 6 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (48)
• R9: work 7 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (54)
• R10: work 8 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (60)
• R11: work 9 sc then 1 inc, repeat 6 times (66). By Round 11 the body should be a wide flat disc, the widest it will get. The edge should still be lying almost flat on the table
• R12 to R33: sc in each stitch around (66). By Round 20 the body should be an open cylinder roughly twice as deep as it is wide, holding its shape without support. By Round 33 it should look like a clean round pouch ready for the clasp
• Fasten off leaving a tail for weaving in

Muzzle

• Ch 10
• R1: starting in the second chain from the hook, work 8 sc, then 3 sc in the last chain, then 7 sc along the opposite side of the chain, then 1 inc (20)
• R2: work 1 inc, 7 sc, 3 inc, 7 sc, 2 inc (26)
• R3: work 1 inc, 9 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc, 1 inc, 9 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc (30)
• R4: sc in each stitch around (30)
• R5: sc in each stitch around (30). The muzzle at this point should be a small flat oval, wider in the middle and rounded at both ends, roughly the size of a large coin
• Lightly stuff the muzzle before sewing it closed
• Sew the muzzle onto the front of the body between Rounds 13 and 20

If written amigurumi patterns feel like a lot right now, the video tutorial below is the easiest way to learn as you stitch!

Ears, Make 2

• Row 1: work 1 sc into the base loop (1)
• Row 2: ch 1, turn, work 1 inc (2)
• Row 3: ch 1, turn, work 1 sc then 1 inc (3)
• Row 4: ch 1, turn, work 2 sc then 1 inc (4)
• Row 5: ch 1, turn, work 3 sc then 1 inc (5)
• Row 6: ch 1, turn, work 4 sc then 1 inc (6). By Row 6 the ear should be a small right triangle with one short straight edge and one longer slanted edge
• Row 7: ch 1, turn, work 6 sc across (6)
• Work sc evenly around the full outer edge of the ear to neaten it
• Insert felt or fabric stiffener inside the ear to help it hold its pointed shape
• Sew both ears symmetrically on top of the bag, checking from the front that the points are the same height before sewing either one

Handle Cord

• Ch 2
• Work 1 sc in the second chain from the hook (1)
• Rotate the work 90 degrees and insert the hook into the side loop of the just worked stitch
• Pull up a loop and sc
• Continue rotating and catching side loops with each sc in sequence
• Repeat until the cord measures approximately 28 cm
• Fasten off and sew securely to both sides of the bag at the top edge

Final Assembly

• Align the metal frame clasp with the top opening of the bag
• Sew the clasp securely all the way along the opening using strong thread or yarn, catching both the bag fabric and the clasp frame with each stitch
• Attach the safety eyes above the muzzle on the front of the bag, at a position that looks natural relative to the muzzle placement. Press each washer firmly after inserting
• Embroider a small triangular nose on the top of the muzzle using black yarn
• Add small mouth details below the nose if desired

Assembly

• Sew the completed muzzle to the front of the body between Rounds 13 and 20. Pin it in place and look at the bag from the front before sewing to confirm the muzzle sits centred and level.
• Sew both ears to the top of the bag, pinning both before sewing either and checking from the front that they sit evenly. Stiff ears from the felt insert help them stay upright.
• Sew the handle cord to both sides of the bag at the top edge, knotting the end through the bag fabric and pulling hard to confirm the attachment will hold the weight of a filled bag.
• Align the metal frame clasp with the top opening and sew it securely all the way around.
• Attach the safety eyes above the muzzle.
• Embroider the nose and any mouth details last.

Stuffing Guide

The main body is an open pouch and does not get stuffed. Only the muzzle gets a light amount of stuffing before being sewn closed, which gives it a slightly raised three dimensional look against the flat bag front. Do not overstuff the muzzle or it will bulge outward rather than sit flush against the body at the edges.

FAQ

• The muzzle is puckering at the edges after sewing. How do I fix it? Ease the muzzle edge as you sew rather than pulling it flat. If the bag fabric is pulling toward the muzzle, you are catching too few body stitches per pass. Take the seam through three or four body stitches per pass rather than one or two.
• The handle cord is twisting unevenly. What went wrong? The cord technique requires consistent tension at every 90 degree rotation. If the cord is twisting it usually means the rotation angle is shifting between stitches. Hold the work at a strict right angle each time before inserting the hook and the twist will even out.
• Can I make this bigger? Yes. Continue the increase rounds beyond Round 11 for a larger base, adding one more sc between increases per round until you reach the width you want. Then add more straight rounds for height. The muzzle stays the same size regardless, since it is a face detail, not a body proportion.