Loom Knit Cat: Easy Knit Cat Pattern (Loom Knitting)

If you’ve been searching for a beginner-friendly loom knitting project that produces something truly adorable, look no further than a loom knit cat. This easy knit cat pattern walks you through every step of creating a stuffed toy cat using a simple round loom, making it perfect for beginners and experienced loom knitters alike. Whether you’re making a gift for a child, a decorative piece for your home, or just diving into a satisfying weekend craft, this loom knitting pattern will become one of your absolute favorites.

Let’s get into everything you need to know — from materials to finishing touches — so you can create your very own loom knit cat with confidence.

Why Loom Knitting Is Perfect for Beginners

Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate why loom knitting has exploded in popularity over the last decade. Traditional needle knitting has a learning curve that intimidates many crafters. Holding two needles, managing tension, and mastering the movements can feel overwhelming when you’re just starting out. Loom knitting removes most of those barriers.

With a loom, you simply wrap yarn around pegs and lift the loops over — that’s the core action. Your hands guide the yarn rather than manipulate two separate tools at once, which makes the process much more intuitive. The result is that beginners can produce beautiful, polished projects in far less time than they might expect.

Stuffed animals and toys are among the most rewarding loom knitting projects because the finished item is three-dimensional, tactile, and endlessly customizable. A loom knit cat specifically tends to be a crowd favorite because cats are universally beloved, and the rounded silhouette of a stuffed toy cat translates beautifully to loom-worked fabric.

Materials You’ll Need for This Easy Knit Cat Pattern

Getting your materials together before you start is always a good idea. Here’s what you’ll need for this loom knit cat pattern:

Loom: A small round loom with 24 pegs works best for the body and head. You can also use a 36-peg round loom if you want a larger cat. Many crafters swear by the Knifty Knitter or CinDwood looms, though any round loom in a similar peg count will work.

Yarn: Choose a medium-weight (worsted, size 4) yarn in your preferred cat color. You’ll need approximately 100–150 yards for the body and head combined, plus a small amount of contrasting yarn for facial features if you choose to knit rather than embroider them. Acrylic yarn is ideal for stuffed animals because it’s washable, durable, and comes in a huge range of colors.

Loom hook: This comes with most loom sets. It’s the small hook used to lift loops over the pegs.

Yarn needle: A large-eye blunt tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends.

Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill, enough to firmly stuff the body and head.

Scissors: A sharp pair for cutting yarn cleanly.

Stitch markers: Optional but helpful for marking the beginning of each round.

Pipe cleaners or wire: Optional, for making the cat’s tail poseable.

Embroidery floss or felt: For adding eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

Buttons or safety eyes: If you prefer a more polished look for the eyes (safety eyes are the go-to for toys intended for older children and adults).

Understanding the Basic Stitch for This Pattern

This loom knit cat pattern primarily uses the e-wrap knit stitch (also called the twisted knit stitch), which is the most fundamental stitch in loom knitting. If you’ve never used it before, here’s a quick overview.

To e-wrap, hold your yarn in your working hand and wrap it around each peg in the shape of the letter “e” — wrapping from the front of the peg, up and over, and down the back. After you wrap all the pegs, use your loom hook to lift the bottom loop on each peg up and over the top loop, dropping it to the inside of the loom. This completes one row or round.

For working in the round (which is what you’ll do for the body and head of this cat), you continuously wrap and lift without turning your work. This creates a seamless tube, which is exactly what you need for a stuffed animal.

If you want a slightly different texture, you can use the flat knit stitch (also called the true knit or U-wrap stitch) instead. It produces a tighter, neater fabric but requires a bit more tension control. Either stitch works well for this pattern — use whichever feels most comfortable to you.

Loom Knit Cat Pattern: Step-by-Step Instructions

Part One: The Body

Start with your 24-peg round loom and your main yarn color.

Cast on using the e-wrap cast on method. Wrap the yarn around all 24 pegs in the e-wrap style, then wrap all pegs a second time. Lift the bottom loop over the top loop on each peg to set your first row. This is your cast on.

Work in the round using the e-wrap knit stitch. Knit every round until your tube measures approximately 4 inches in length. At this point, you have the core of your cat’s body.

To begin shaping the bottom of the body, cut your yarn, leaving a tail of about 18 inches. Thread this tail onto your yarn needle. Remove each loop from the pegs one by one, threading the yarn needle through each loop as you go. Once all loops are threaded, pull the yarn snugly to gather the bottom closed. Knot it securely and weave the tail to the inside.

Add a generous amount of polyester fiberfill through the open top end, stuffing the body firmly. You want the body to hold its shape well, so don’t be shy with the stuffing.

Once stuffed to your satisfaction, cut a new piece of yarn about 18 inches long and thread it onto your yarn needle. Using a running stitch, sew around the open top edge of the body tube, weave in and out of each stitch around the circumference. Pull tight to gather and close the top of the body. Knot securely and weave the tail inside. Set the body aside.

Part Two: The Head

Cast on all 24 pegs of your loom again with your main yarn color.

Work in the round using the e-wrap knit stitch for approximately 3 inches, or until the tube is nearly as wide as it is tall — you want a rounder shape for the head compared to the taller, more cylindrical body.

Close the bottom of the head the same way you closed the body’s bottom: thread a yarn tail through all the loops, gather, and knot.

Stuff the head firmly. Close the top of the head using the same gathering method as the body.

Now you have two stuffed spheres — the body and the head. The body should be noticeably larger than the head. Set both aside for now.

Part Three: The Ears

For the ears, you’ll work flat (back and forth) rather than in the round. You can use a small section of your round loom or simply use the e-wrap method across just a few pegs.

Place yarn on 5 pegs and work flat for 4 rows using the e-wrap knit stitch. To create the pointed ear shape, on the 5th row, skip the outermost peg on each side so you’re only working across 3 pegs. On the 6th row, work only the center peg. Cut your yarn, leaving a 10-inch tail, and thread the tail through the remaining loop.

Gather the bottom edge of the ear piece by running a yarn tail through the cast-on loops and pulling slightly to create a small curved base. This will make the ear sit more naturally on the head. Make two ears.

Part Four: The Tail

For the tail, cast on 4 pegs on your round loom and work in the round for approximately 5 to 7 inches, depending on how long you’d like the tail to be. A longer tail gives your finished cat more of a kitten-like, playful appearance.

Close one end of the tail tube using the gathering method. If you’d like a poseable tail, insert a pipe cleaner before closing the other end, folding the sharp ends of the pipe cleaner over to prevent them from poking through the knitting. Close the open end around the pipe cleaner.

Part Five: The Legs (Optional)

If you’d like to give your loom knit cat four distinct legs rather than leaving it as a simple stuffed figure, work four small tubes on 4 pegs each, approximately 2 to 3 inches long. Close one end of each tube, stuff lightly, and leave the other end open for attaching to the body.

Assembling Your Loom Knit Cat

Now comes the fun part: bringing all your pieces together into one complete, adorable cat.

Begin by attaching the head to the body. Thread a yarn needle with a long piece of your main yarn color and use a whipstitch or mattress stitch to sew the head firmly to the top of the body, positioning it slightly toward the front so the cat has a natural looking posture. Take your time here — the head-to-body connection is the most important seam in the whole project. Go around the seam twice for added security.

Next, attach the ears to the top of the head. Position them approximately one-third of the way from each side of the head, with the points of the ears facing upward. Sew them down securely using a yarn needle and matching yarn, making sure to stitch around the full base of each ear.

Sew the tail to the lower back of the body, positioning it slightly off-center if you want a more dynamic, natural pose. If you used a pipe cleaner inside the tail, you can bend and curve it into position after sewing.

If you made legs, sew them to the underside of the body at each corner, angling them slightly outward for a natural standing pose.

Adding the Face to Your Loom Knit Cat

The face is where your cat’s personality really comes to life. There are several approaches you can take depending on your skill level and the tools you have on hand.

For safety eyes (the polished, professional-looking option), push the post of each safety eye through the fabric of the head before you stuff and close it — this is the most secure method. Position the eyes roughly in the center of the face, slightly above the midpoint, and spaced about an inch apart. Snap the washer backing onto each post from the inside.

For embroidered eyes, use black embroidery floss and a simple satin stitch to create round or almond-shaped eyes. You can add a tiny white highlight stitch on each eye to give them a bright, lively look.

For the nose, use a small triangle of pink or black embroidery floss, stitched with a satin stitch, positioned just below the midpoint of the face.

For the mouth, use a simple V-shaped stitch or a small curved line in black or dark gray embroidery floss, running down from the center of the nose.

Whiskers can be added using long straight stitches of white or cream embroidery floss fanning out from either side of the nose. Alternatively, you can thread a few strands of stiff white thread through the fabric and trim them to length.

Customizing Your Loom Knit Cat

One of the greatest joys of making your own stuffed animal pattern is the opportunity to make it entirely your own. Here are a few ideas to make your loom knit cat unique:

Color variations: Use variegated yarn for a tortoiseshell or calico cat effect. A gray yarn creates a classic British Shorthair look. Orange and white creates an instant tabby. Black yarn with white embroidered features makes a striking tuxedo cat.

Size variations: Swap to a 36-peg loom for a larger cat, or use a smaller gauge loom for a tiny kitten. Using bulky yarn on a large-peg loom produces a chunky, oversized plush that’s especially popular as a pillow-sized toy.

Clothing and accessories: Knit a tiny scarf or bow tie to dress up your cat. A simple flat rectangle seamed into a loop makes an adorable scarf. Small felt pieces can be cut into bow tie shapes and stitched on.

Stripes: Alternate between two yarn colors every two rounds while knitting the body and head to create a striped tabby pattern.

Sitting vs. standing: The way you stuff your cat and position the legs determines whether it sits or stands. For a sitting cat, make the back legs longer and bend them slightly at the attachment point. For a standing cat, keep all four legs the same length and attach them squarely beneath the body.

Tips for Getting the Best Results

A few practical pointers can make a real difference in how polished your finished loom knit cat looks.

Maintain consistent tension throughout your knitting. Uneven tension shows up as lumpy or loose patches in the finished fabric, which can affect the overall shape of your stuffed cat. Try to wrap each peg with the same amount of pull each time.

Don’t understuff. Many beginners stuff their pieces too loosely, and the finished toy ends up floppy and shapeless. You want the stuffing packed firmly enough that the fabric is smooth and the shape is well-defined.

Weave in your ends thoroughly. Loose ends can work their way out over time, especially in a toy that gets handled frequently. Weave each end in at least two different directions before trimming.

Block the finished pieces if needed. If your knitted fabric is curling or the shape seems off, a light steam block (holding a steam iron a few inches above the fabric without touching it) can help relax the stitches and improve the drape and shape.

Practice your facial embroidery on a swatch first. The face is the most visible part of the cat, and it’s worth taking the extra time to feel confident with your embroidery before committing to the final piece.

Making Multiple Cats: Gift Ideas and Beyond

Once you’ve completed your first loom knit cat, you’ll likely find yourself wanting to make more. The pattern is quick enough that a single cat can be completed in a few hours, making it a wonderful project to batch up for gift-giving season.

Consider making a family of cats in coordinating colors — a parent and a few kittens in graduated sizes make a particularly sweet gift for cat lovers. Stuffed loom knit cats also make beautiful handmade ornaments when scaled down and hung with a loop of ribbon.

For charity knitting, loom knit stuffed animals are perennial favorites for toy drives, children’s hospitals, and community organizations. Because this pattern uses minimal materials and works up so quickly, it’s a great choice for group knitting events or personal donation projects.

Final Thoughts on This Loom Knit Cat Pattern

This easy knit cat pattern proves that loom knitting doesn’t have to be limited to hats and scarves. With a simple round loom and a few hours of work, you can create a charming, fully three-dimensional stuffed cat that looks like it came from a boutique toy shop.

The techniques you practice making this cat — working in the round, shaping with gathering stitches, assembling pieces, and embellishing with embroidery — are skills that will serve you across dozens of other loom knitting projects. In that sense, this pattern is as much a skills builder as it is a finished object.

Whether this is your very first loom knitting project or your fiftieth, the loom knit cat is the kind of pattern you’ll return to again and again. It’s fast, satisfying, endlessly customizable, and the end result is something genuinely delightful. Grab your loom, pick out your favorite yarn color, and get started — your new handmade cat is waiting to come to life.