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Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern

Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern
4.5★ Rating
6-8 Hours Time Needed
1.6K Made This
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Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic knitting experience, featuring slightly more advanced stitches and techniques to expand your skills.

⏱️

Weekend Treat

Takes 5-7 hours, making it an enjoyable project to finish over a couple of days.

🐱

Charming Critter

Delightful animal designs with sweet details that capture the essence of your favorite woodland and farmyard friends.

About This Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern

Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

Working with Yarnart Jeans yarn in white, black, red, pink, and honey colors, you'll create each component separately before assembling. The pattern uses invisible decreases for a professional finish and includes detailed photo references throughout.

Why You'll Love This Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern

I absolutely love this Lucky Cat pattern because it combines cultural significance with irresistible cuteness. The way the golden spots and pink details complement the white base creates such a visually appealing piece. I find the process of building each component and watching the character come to life incredibly satisfying. The addition of the tasseled pillow adds an extra touch of elegance that makes this project stand out. Plus, knowing that maneki-neko symbolizes good luck and prosperity makes every stitch feel meaningful and purposeful.

Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern step 1 - construction progress Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love experimenting with color variations on this Lucky Cat pattern to create unique personalities for each piece. You could try making a calico version by adding orange and brown patches instead of the honey spots, or go for an elegant all-white cat with just the pink details for a minimalist look.

Consider switching up the pillow color to match your home décor - imagine a navy blue pillow with gold tassels for a sophisticated touch, or a soft pastel pink for a gentler aesthetic. You could even make seasonal versions with holiday-colored pillows.

For a more personalized touch, I sometimes add tiny embroidered flowers or patterns to the collar area, or use specialty yarn with metallic threads for the collar to make it really sparkle. You could also experiment with different bell sizes or add small charms alongside the bell for extra character.

If you want to make this pattern your own, try adjusting the facial expression by changing the eye and mouth placement slightly - a higher eye placement gives a more surprised look, while closer-set eyes create a sweeter expression. The beauty of amigurumi is that small changes can create completely different personalities while using the same basic pattern structure.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Forgetting to use invisible decreases can create visible gaps and holes in your finished amigurumi piece that affect overall appearance ✗ Not stuffing the head and body firmly enough before closing results in a floppy amigurumi that loses its intended shape ✗ Missing the marked points for eye placement on round fifteen leads to asymmetrical facial features that look unbalanced and crooked ✗ Skipping stitch markers during color changes causes you to lose your place and creates uneven rounds with misaligned pattern elements

Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern

Create your own adorable Lucky Cat (Maneki-neko) with this charming amigurumi pattern. This delightful project features a cute white cat sitting on a decorative red pillow, complete with golden collar, bell, and traditional lucky cat details. Perfect for bringing good fortune and handmade charm to your home, this 4-inch finished piece combines classic Japanese symbolism with modern crochet techniques. The pattern includes detailed instructions for the cat, decorative spots, collar with bell, and a beautiful tasseled pillow.

Intermediate 6-8 Hours

Materials Needed for Lucky Cat Amigurumi Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    Yarnart Jeans yarn (160m/50gr) in white color (01)
  • 02
    Yarnart Jeans yarn in black color (53)
  • 03
    Yarnart Jeans yarn in red color (51)
  • 04
    Yarnart Jeans yarn in pink color (36)
  • 05
    Yarnart Jeans yarn in honey/yellow color (84)

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook size 2.3mm
  • 02
    One bell 12mm
  • 03
    One wooden button 10mm
  • 04
    Fiberfill for stuffing
  • 05
    Yarn needle
  • 06
    Scissors
  • 07
    Stitch markers
  • 08
    Pins for assembly

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— HEAD :

Info :

Use the white yarn to make MAGIC RING - work in a continuous spiral

Round 1 :

8sc into magic ring (8)

Round 2 :

8inc (16)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc)*8 (24)

Round 4 :

(2sc, inc)*8 (32)

Round 5 :

(3sc, inc)*8 (40)

Round 6 :

(4sc, inc)*8 (48)

Round 7 :

(5sc, inc)*8 (56)

Round 8 :

56sc (56)

Round 9 :

(6sc, inc)*8 (64)

Round 10-14 :

64sc (64)

Round 15 :

26sc, mark the point, 12sc, mark the point, 26sc (64)

Round 16 :

64sc (64)

Round 17 :

9sc, (sc, inc)*8, 14sc, (sc, inc)*8, 9sc (80)

Round 18-22 :

80sc (80)

Round 23 :

(8sc, dec)*8 (72)

Round 24 :

(7sc, dec)*8 (64)

Round 25 :

(6sc, dec)*8 (56)

Round 26 :

BLO (2sc, dec)*14 (42)

Infos :

Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing. Stuff the head. Separate the yarn into small yarns to have better result. Use black yarn to sew eyes on round 15, sew mouth between round 17-19 and sew whiskers between round 18-21. Use pink yarn to sew nose.

— BODY :

Info :

Use the white yarn, work in a continuous spiral. Make a chain of 11ch. Start in the second chain from hook.

Round 1 :

9sc, 3sc into the last stitch, work on a long the other side: 8sc, inc (22)

Round 2 :

inc, 8sc, 3inc, 8sc, 2inc (28)

Round 3 :

sc, inc, 8sc, (inc, sc)*3, 8sc, (inc, sc)*2 (34)

Round 4 :

inc, 10sc, (2sc, inc)*3, 8sc, (2sc, inc)*2 (40)

Round 5 :

(4sc, inc)*8 (48)

Round 6 :

48sc (48)

Round 7 :

(5sc, inc)*8 (56)

Round 8 :

56sc (56)

Round 9 :

(13sc, inc)*4 (60)

Round 10-18 :

60sc (60)

Round 19 :

(13sc, dec)*4 (56)

Round 20 :

56sc (56)

Round 21 :

(12sc, dec)*4 (52)

Round 22 :

(11sc, dec)*4 (48)

Round 23 :

(6sc, dec)*6 (42)

Infos :

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Stuff the body.

— ARMS (2) :

Info :

Use the white yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in a continuous spiral

Round 1 :

8sc into magic ring (8)

Round 2 :

8inc (16)

Round 3-4 :

16sc (16)

Round 5 :

(6sc, dec)*2 (14)

Round 6-7 :

14sc (14)

Round 8 :

(5sc, dec)*2 (12)

Round 9-12 :

12sc (12)

Info :

Stuff the arms. Flatten and fold the top of the arm, join and sc together the 2 opposing stitches (6sc). Leave a long tail for sewing.

— EARS (2) :

Info :

Red and white yarn - use the white yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in a continuous spiral. Black word: white yarn. Red word: red yarn.

Round 1 :

4sc into magic ring (4)

Round 2 :

4inc (8)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc)*4 (12)

Round 4 :

2sc, inc, 2sc, inc, (2sc, inc)*2 (16)

Round 5 :

3sc, inc, 2sc, sc, inc, (3sc, inc)*2 (20)

Round 6 :

4sc, inc, 2sc, 2sc, inc, (4sc, inc)*2 (24)

Round 7 :

5sc, inc, 2sc, 3sc, inc, (5sc, inc)*2 (28)

Round 8 :

9sc, 5sc, 14sc (28)

Infos :

Stuff the ears. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.

— LEGS (2) :

Info :

Use the white yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in a continuous spiral

Round 1 :

6sc into magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

6inc (12)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc)*6 (18)

Round 4 :

(2sc, inc)*6 (24)

Round 5 :

(3sc, inc)*6 (30)

Round 6-8 :

30sc (30)

Round 9 :

(3sc, dec)*6 (24)

Info :

Stuff the legs. Leave a long tail for sewing.

— BELLY :

Info :

Use the pink yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in a continuous spiral

Round 1 :

6sc into magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

6inc (12)

Round 3 :

(sc, inc)*6 (18)

Round 4 :

(2sc, inc)*6 (24)

Round 5 :

(3sc, inc)*6 (30)

Info :

Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.

— HAND SPOTS (2) :

Info :

Honey and black yarn - use the black yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in round

Round 1 :

6sc into magic ring, slst (6)

Round 2 :

Change to honey yarn ch, 6inc, slst (12)

Info :

Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.

— BODY SPOTS (2) :

Info :

Honey and black yarn - use the black yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in round

Round 1 :

6sc into magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

Ch, 6inc, slst (12)

Round 3 :

Change to honey yarn ch, (sc, inc)*6, slst (18)

Info :

Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.

— HEAD SPOT :

Info :

Honey and black yarn - use the black yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in round

Round 1 :

Ch5, start in the 2nd chain from hook: 3sc, 3sc-inc, 2sc, inc, slst (10)

Round 2 :

Ch, Inc, 2sc, 3inc, 2sc, 2inc, slst (16)

Round 3 :

Change to honey yarn ch, sc, inc, 2sc, (sc, inc)*3, 2sc, (sc, inc)*2, slst (22)

Round 3 :

Ch, 2sc, inc, 2sc, (2sc, inc)*3, 2sc, (2sc, inc)*2, slst (28)

Info :

Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.

— COLLAR :

Info :

Use the honey yarn

Round 1 :

Make a chain of 62ch. Start in the 7nd chain from hook 55sc (55)

Infos :

Fasten off, weave in the yarn end. Sew the button and the bell through the collar. Wear collar for the cat.

— TAIL :

Info :

Use the white yarn to make MAGIC RING, work in a continuous spiral

Round 1 :

6sc into magic ring (6)

Round 2 :

6inc (12)

Round 3-9 :

12sc (12)

Info :

Don't stuff the tail. Flatten and fold the top of the tail, join and sc together the 2 opposing stitches (6sc). Leave a long tail for sewing. Sew tail to body on round 6.

— PILLOW :

Info :

Use the red yarn

Round 1 :

Make a chain of 40ch. Start in the 3rd chain from hook 38dc, turn (38)

Round 2-13 :

Ch2, 38dc, turn (38)

Round 14 :

Ch2, 38dc (38)

Infos :

Fasten off, leave a long tail about 40cm for sewing. Stuff some fiberfill in the pillow. Tassels (4): Cut 20 equal yarns about 10cm. Take 5 yarns and thread needle. Thread the needle through one corner of the pillow. Knot. Separate the yarns into small yarns. Repeat the same steps for the remaining 3 corners.

Assembly Instructions

  • Sew head to body securely using the long tail left from the head piece
  • Sew ears to head between rounds 4-11 positioning them symmetrically on each side
  • Sew head spot to the head between rounds 1-9 at the top center of the head
  • Sew legs to body between rounds 6-13 with 2 legs apart by 10 stitches for proper sitting position
  • Sew body spots to the body between rounds 14-20 for decorative detail
  • Sew belly piece to body between rounds 10-19 centered on the front
  • Sew arms to body at sides and attach arm spots to the end of each arm for paw details

Important Notes

  • 💡Use invisible decreases throughout the pattern to achieve a professional finish with no visible gaps
  • 💡Mark the points on round 15 of the head carefully as these guide proper eye placement
  • 💡Stuff the head and body firmly but not overly tight to maintain the proper rounded shape
  • 💡Separate yarn into smaller strands when embroidering facial features for finer detail work
  • 💡Use stitch markers to keep track of rounds especially during the body construction
  • 💡Pin all parts in place before final sewing to ensure correct positioning and symmetry
  • 💡Use pink yarn to sew decorative lines in the legs as shown in photo 25

This adorable Lucky Cat amigurumi pattern brings the beloved Japanese maneki-neko tradition into your crochet collection with delightful charm and cultural meaning. The combination of vibrant colors, detailed decorative elements, and the elegant red tasseled pillow creates a display piece that's both meaningful and beautiful. Perfect as a heartfelt handmade gift or as a special addition to your own home décor, this pattern offers a rewarding project that results in a treasured keepsake symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. 🧶 Happy crocheting! 🐱✨

You ask,

we answer.

FAQs

What size will my finished Lucky Cat be?

The finished Lucky Cat amigurumi measures approximately 4 inches tall when completed using the recommended Yarnart Jeans yarn and a 2.3mm crochet hook.

Can I use different yarn than Yarnart Jeans?

Yes, you can substitute with any similar weight yarn (DK/light worsted), but be sure to adjust your hook size accordingly and note that your finished size may vary slightly from the pattern specifications.

What are invisible decreases and why are they important?

Invisible decreases are a technique that minimizes the appearance of decrease stitches in your work. They're important for this pattern because they create a smoother, more professional finish without visible gaps or holes in your amigurumi.

Do I need to stuff all the pieces?

No, the head, body, arms, legs, ears, and belly require stuffing, but the tail should not be stuffed according to the pattern instructions. The pillow gets light stuffing with fiberfill.

How do I attach the decorative spots?

The spots are sewn onto the finished pieces using the long tails left after fastening off. Pin them in position first, then use a yarn needle to whipstitch them securely in place at the specified round locations.

Can I make this pattern without the pillow?

Yes, absolutely! The Lucky Cat can stand alone without the pillow. The pillow is an additional decorative element that enhances the overall presentation but is not essential to the cat itself.