Crocheted Cat Bowls and Nap Pads
I have been trying to clean out some old odds and ends of yarn that I have in my stash and to do that I have been making “Cat Bowls” and Nap Pads to donate to our animal shelter. Several years ago I came across a program called “Comfort for Critters”.
Comfort for Critters is a 100% volunteer program that creates handmade blankets to comfort homeless pets living in animal shelters. While these animals await adoption, the blankets provide a comfortable bed year-round. When they are adopted, their blanket goes with them, providing something familiar as they adjust to their “forever family.”
Please take a look at their information by clicking the link above and if you knit or crochet help them out. It’s really easy to do and is a great way to use up some of the bits and pieces of yarn you have lying around.
Here’s how I make the “Cat Bowls”. (I want to point out that I am not a pattern writer. I just make this stuff up as I go along crocheting so I may not have written it down precisely. I tried. If you know how to crochet you can adjust this as needed to make it work.)
I make these hold two or three stands of yarn together and use and L Hook or N Hook. This pattern is the one I used holding 3 strands of yarn and an N Hook.
Chain 3. Slip stitch (sl st) in 1st chain to form a ring.
Round 1. Chain 2 and Double Crochet (dc) 10 stitches into ring. Sl st into top of first dc. (10 dc)
Round 2. Chain 2 and 2 dc into each of the 10 stitches . Sl st into top of first dc. (20 dc)
Round 3. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next 2 stitches and then 1 dc in next st. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (30 dc)
Round 4. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next 2 stitches and then 1 dc in next 2 sts. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (45 dc)
Round 5. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next stitch and then 1 dc in next 2 sts. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (60 dc)
Round 6. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next stitch and then 1 dc in next 3 sts. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (76 dc)
Round 7 – 10. Repeat Round 6 ass 1 more stitch in the pattern each time. (If you want a bigger bowl add more rounds here following the repeat pattern)
Round 11. Ch 2. Dc in each st around. Sl st into top of first dc.
Round 12. Ch 2. Dc in each st around using only the back loop. Sl st into top of first dc.
Round 13 – 14 Dc in each st around. Sl st into top of first dc.
Round 15 – 16. *Dc in first 10 sts. Then dc 2 together. Repeat from * around. Sl st into top of first dc.
Round 17. Sl st in each dc to make a finished edge.
This pattern can be made larger or smaller. And the sides can be made more shallow or deeper. Just play with adding or subtracting rounds in the pattern to suit your needs.
Good luck and have fun crocheting!
The Studio 