Knit Kitten Pattern

SIZE: About 9" high
MATERIALS: Knitting worsted, 1 2-oz skein white. Knitting needles No. 8. Rug needle.
Cotton batting for stuffing. Black embroidery floss. Scraps of green and black felt or ribbon for eyes and nose. Felt, 27" x 1/2".

GAUGE: 9 sts = 2"; 6 rows = 1". 
Note: Kitten's body is made by knitting a strip and sewing to shape.
KITTEN:  BODY AND HEAD: Beg at lower edge of body, cast on 34 sts. Work in stockinette st (k 1 row, p 1 row) for 18". Bind off.
TAIL:  Cast o 30 sts. Work in stockinette st for 2". Bind off. Break yarn, leaving a 6-yard end for sewing. 
FINISHING: Make a ball of stuffing same size as a baseball. Fold knitted fabric in  half crosswise with purl side out, forming a 9" length. Insert ball of stuffing under folded edge for head. Tie strand of yarn under head for neck. Make a ball of stuffing the size of a small grapefruit and insert under head for body.  With yarn and rug needle, sew lower edge of body, rounding the corners; then sew sides tog halfway to neck. Insert additional stuffing in each rounded corner. Adjust stuffing so that body forms a triangular shape. 
   Remove tie at neck; insert a piece of stuffing at neck. Adjust head stuffing to form a square shape about 4" wide. Sew sides tog below neck. Run yarn through sts around neck to form a drawstring and pull into measure about 7", tie ends.
   Make 2 rolls of stuffing for ears about 5" long and as big around as a cigar, with pointed ends. Roll sides of head section (knit side up) over these stuffing pieces to sides of head, forming ears as pictured. Sew inner sides of ears by taking sts from back to front through inside edges of folds to make ears and away from head.
   Outline front paws by sewing 30 long sts, 1 1/2" apart, from bottom seam to 3 1/2" below neck; pull these sts tight so that stuffing bulges slightly between.
   Cut two green felt circles for eyes, black felt triangle for nose, and black ovals for pupils of eyes. With matching sewing thread, sew eyes and nose on head. With 6 strands of black embroidery floss, embroider eyelashes; with 4 strands, embroider whiskers and mouth.
   Sew tog cast-on and bound-off edges of tail, purl side out. Sew tog seam at one end of tail; sew other end to center back, 2" from bottom seam. Tie felt strip or ribbon around neck as pictured.