Make it ! Granny Cat Mat !!!

Yap ! I crocheted something for her, my lovely cat Margot !!!!!
She follows me everywhere in the house and she lays her body next to me, both on soft and hard surfaces…. so I thought that she needed something for when I sit at the computer (maybe for a couple of hours…. or more!!!!)….. the table is a nice place for me to work on, but less nicer for Margot (she is even 14 years old…)….. But today everything has changed for the better !!!! ;oD

This post is not a proper photo tutorial, but I'll give you all the informations you need to crochet a cosy mat for your pets with the help of "some" good pictures!!! Note that if your pet doesn't like it, you can use it as a thin cushion for a chair!!!

You'll need for this project :

• some colourful yarns : I've used my usual indonesian acrylics !!!
• a hook : 5mm was a good choice for my yarns, you can use any hook that is good for the yarn you choose
• a pair of scissors
• a yarn needle

Obviously, before starting, you have to know how to crochet a basic granny square : I wrote my own tutorial, but feel free to follow any good pattern found on internet or crochet books!!!

I've crocheted 50 granny squares ( each one made of 3 rounds) and i've joined them with the "join as you go" method, in order to have a rectangle of 5 grannies x 10 grannies (short side x long side).

Once completed my fabric ( I was trimming the ends each time I finished a granny), I folded it in half, to form a square of 5 grannies x 5 grannies .

To join together the 3 open sides of the mat, I decided to crochet a border of granny shells first, and then I added the pompom trim!

In the above picture, you can see where I started to work my granny border and even the pompoms !!!

My first shell of double crochets ( or trebles, if you follow the UK crochet terms) was worked in the first corner of the granny situated at the top right (consider even the granny in the back of it!), as the yellow arrow shows you (see below!)

When the border made with shells was completed, I decided to add some crocheted pompoms, following a chart found on a Japanese book that I have and that is well explained in this and this photo tutorials !!!!

As shown in the above pictures, I preferred to crochet 3 pompom edges, each with a different colour and I joined them with a little double knot (shown in first two pics and in the 4th one) !!!!

When I was crocheting the first row of shells for my border, each time I reached the top of the joint of two grannies, I decided to crochet 2 double crochets in one corner and other 2 double crochets in the adjacent corner (without a chain-1 space), to create a shell with 4 stitches, instead of the usual 3

This cat mat is really soft and thick and I didn't need to add some stuffing or a pillow in the inside

These are the actual dimensions of the mat : 42 (47)cm x 42 (44)cm, where in the brackets are put the complete measurements with the pompoms !!! Remember that one side doesn't have pompoms !!!!

Now, the big question : Did I convince Margot about the qualities of this mat ?????

Let's see ……

…. YES I DID !!!!!!!!! ;oD

xxxx Alessandra

Today links : Craft Schooling Sunday ! It's back!!! See you there, too!!! xxx

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