Crochet a Cat’s Cave

You will need

• Thick t-shirt yarn or Zpagetti yarn, a little bit over 2kg (about 5 lb)
• Hook 8mm or 10mm (the hook should be one number too small to make the basket as tight as possible)
• A cat or two

Abbreviations

Nest size: 37cm x 37cm wide x 20cm high
Entrance size: 15cm wide x 11cm high
The size of the cat cave can differ slightly depending on the thickness of the yarn.

The stitches used are chain stitch, double crochet and double crochet (UK crochet terms).
Mark the first stitch of each round with a piece of yarn in a different colour. This will help you to keep track of rounds and stitches.

• dc = double crochet
• st = stitch
• ch = chain stitch
• rnd = round

Directions

Starting chain: 4 ch, 1 slip stitch to close the chain
Rnd 1: 8 dc in starting chain loop
Rnd 2: *2 dc in each st* repeat the whole round = 16
Rnd 3: *1 dc, then 2 dc in one st* repeat the whole round = 24
Rnd 4: *2 dc, 2 dc in one st* repeat the whole round = 32
Rnd 5: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round (no increase in this round)
Rnd 6: *2 dc, then 2 dc in one st*, repeat the whole round until 2 stitches left: 1 dc, then 2 dc in last st. = 43
Rnd 7: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round
Rnd 8: *2 dc, 2 dc in one st* repeat the whole round. 1 dc in last st = 57
Rnd 9: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round
Rnd 10: *2 dc, 2 dc in one st* repeat the whole round = 76
Rnd 11: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round
Rnd 12: *4 dc, 2 dc in one st* repeat the whole round, 1 dc in last st = 91
Rnds 13-16: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round

Entrance to the nest**:

Rnd 17: Continue crocheting 1 dc in one st, about half round. Cut the yarn (leave a little tail for finishing it) and skip 10 st. Continue the crocheting with double crochet stitch.
Rnd 18: Continue crocheting: 1 dc in one st, until you are about 5 dc from the point where you cut the yarn last time. Now fasten off the last round’s yarn tail by pulling the yarn over the edge so that when you do the last 5 dc, the tails stays inside the stitches. Then cut the yarn again, skip 10 st and start crocheting from the same point as you did last round (fasten off yarn tail again by leaving the tail inside the stitches).
Rnds 19-23: Continue until the entrance is 7 rounds high.

NOTE! 
Be sure to start and finish the stitches exactly at the same point as you did on the last round, so the entrance doesn’t start widening.

You may need to make two…

Rnd 24: On the eighth round, continue crocheting 1 dc in one st, then crochet 8 ch over the entrance. Continue 1 dc in one st until in the end of the round.
Rnd 25: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round. Above the entrance, crochet 8 dc around the 8 chs.
Rnd 26-28: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round
Rnd 29: *4 dc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
Rnds 30-31: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round
Rnd 32: *3 dc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
Rnd 33: 1 dc in one st, repeat the whole round
Rnds 34-35: *3 dc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
Rnds: 36-37: *2 dc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round
Rnds 38-39: *1 dc, decrease by skipping 1 st* repeat the whole round

Cut the yarn, or if the hole is still too big, continue decreases by skipping one or two stitches. Fasten off.

Finish the entrance:
Work double crochets around the entrance. Stitch around for two rounds to make the entrance stronger.

**If it turns out that the entrance does not stay in place or isn’t firm enough, you can undo the double crochets and put a strong wire inside the entrance to give support. Then redo the row of double crochet again around the edge of the wired entrance. The entrance should now remain upright even if the roof collapses during the playtime.

SOURCE