Kitty Face

This design uses three colors of thread total, but only two at a time: so it can be made with only two shuttles if you are willing to stop and wind fresh thread on one of them in the middle. Otherwise, wind the thread on three different shuttles, and switch out the first shuttle for the third at the indicated place.

Requires:
• Two or three shuttles
• Three colors of thread:
  (If in Size #20)
  • 1 yard of eye color (Green in the pictured example)
  • 4 yards of fur color (Black in the pictured example)
  • 1-1/3 yards of pink thread for the nose and inner ears.

Notes:

There are four places where the work is reversed while making chains in order to a achieve a more cat-like silhouette. These are marked on the diagram. None of the more obvious reverses made when going from chains to rings and vice-versa are marked, (although they are mentioned in the text instructions). The work is turned 5 times: at the cheek, and going in and out of the inner ear rings—these places are also marked.

When "prev chain" is not sufficient to identify a join point, the instructions refer to chains by the two letters of the rings on either end. So, for example, the second chain tatted is referred to as Chain A-B.

I was taught to add a replacement thread for a thread that had run out or broken by wrapping the new thread around the closing point of the previous ring. When I try use this method to introduce my third color, the pink of the new thread has a tendency to show. So, I also do a join in the fur color around the ring closing point—right over top of that little bit of pink thread, to hide it.

Instructions:

Start at the jaw/lower cheek. Because you will start with a chain, you will be using the eye colored shuttle (Sh1) to tat with at first, and the fur colored shuttle (Sh2) will act as the ball thread until Ring B.

• Sh1: Chain: ^ 9 ^ 3. DNRW
•   Ring A (Eye): 3 +(last p on prev chain) 7 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 6 ^ 3. DNRW
•   Chain: 3 +(last p on Ring A) 5 ^ 2 ^ 2 ^ 5 ^ 4. RW
• Sh2: Ring B: 2 +(Ring A where it closes) 4 ^ 2 ^ 2 ^ 4 ^ 2. RW
• Sh1: Chain: 4 +(last p on prev chain) 5 ^ 2 ^ 2 ^ 5 ^ 3. DNRW
•   Ring C (Eye) : 3 +(last p on prev chain) 6 ^ 3 ^ 2 ^ 7 ^ 3. DNRW
•   Chain: +(last p on Ring B) 3 +(last p on Ring C) 9 ^ TW 12. RW
• Sh2: Ring D: 3 +(2nd to last p on Ring C) 2 +(prev p on Ring C) 4. RW
• Sh1: Chain: 10. RW
• Sh2: Ring E: 5 +(3rd p on Ring C -also touches Ring D) 3 +(2nd p on Ring C) 5 +(2nd to last p on chain B-C) 2 +(prev p on chain B-C) 3 ^ 5 ^ 3. RW

Attach a new (pink) thread, as if you had run out of the eye-colored thread, and are starting a replacement thread.

• Sh1: Chain: 9 RW ^ 4 ^ 3 TW ^ 1. RW
•   Ring F (Ear): 2 +(next to last p on prev chain.) 4 +(next p on same chain) 5 +(last p on Ring E) 5 +(prev. p on Ring E) 5 ^ 4 ^ 2. RW
•   Chain: 1 +(last p on prev. chain) TW 3 +(last p on Ring F) 4 +(prev p on Ring F) 7 +(only open p on chain B-C) RW 12 RW +(next to last picot on chain A-B) 7 ^ 4 ^ 4 TW ^ 1. RW
•   Ring G (Ear): 2 +(next to last p on prev chain.) 4 +(next p on same chain) 5 ^ 5 ^ 5 ^ 4 ^ 2. RW
•   Chain: 1 +(last p on prev chain) TW 3 +(last p on Ring G) 4 +(prev p on Ring G) RW 9. RW
• Sh2: Ring H: 3 +(next p on Ring G) 5 +(last open p on Ring G) 3 +(p on chain A-B) 2 +(last open p on chain A-B) 5 +(next to last p on Ring A) 3 +(3rd picot on Ring A) 5. RW
• Sh1: Chain: 10. RW
• Sh2: Ring I: 4 +(2rd p on Ring A, also touches Ring H) 2 +(prev p on Ring A) 3. RW
• Sh1: Chain: 12 +(first p of first chain).

You have now reached your starting point, and have only the nose and mouth left to do.

• Sh2: SR J: (6/ 6 ^ 3 ^ 2). DNRW
•   Chain: 1 +(first open p on Ring B) 2 +(next p on Ring B) 2 +(only open p on Ring B) 1. DNRW
•   SR K: (6/ 2 +(last p on SR J) 3 +(prev p on SR J) 6) +(only open picot on chain C-D). DNRW
• Sh1: Chain: 18 +(first p of first chain). Secure ends