Christmas Kitty

CHRISTMAS CATS | FOUR-COLOR COLLECTION

Cats in Santa hats, gifts, snowflakes, stockings, trees, ornaments, bows and bells form a Christmas sampler with a complete checked frame.

PATTERN SPECIFICATIONS
Original picture: 250 columns x 285 rows, 71,250 color cells.
Both techniques retain every original cell and its color, including the frame.
Colors: A cream; B Christmas red; C blue; D navy.
Chart stitches: 250 per row. Add 2 A edge sc on each side: 254 worked stitches per row.
Instructions: English, US crochet terms, right-handed directions.

TWO TECHNIQUES, TWO METHODS EACH
Four-color Overlay Mosaic hybrid: sc and overlay DC combined with color changes within rows. All four colors travel across every row; the three inactive strands are carried inside the stitches. The marked overlay stitches cover same-color cells, preserving the original color grid. This method requires in-row color changes rather than a single working color for an entire row.
CUT uses one four-color group and cuts all four strands after every row; all arrows point left.
NO-CUT uses two independent four-color groups: O for odd rows and E for even rows. Work two rows from the same side, then turn: left, left, right, right. Divide each color between the two groups, making eight working supplies in total. This does not double the yarn quantity.

Four-color Tapestry: back-loop single crochet with all three inactive colors carried in every stitch. Use one four-color group. CUT works every row from right to left; NO-CUT turns after every row, alternating left and right arrows.
Choose ONE technique and ONE working method for a blanket. Each method has all 285 written rows.

FILES INCLUDED
127-page Mosaic complete PDF: stitch key, color changes, yarn handling, assembly map, 56 enlarged chart sheets, CUT setup and all 285 rows, NO-CUT setup and all 285 rows.
85-page Tapestry complete PDF: color/stitch key, assembly map, 56 enlarged chart sheets, CUT setup and all 285 rows, NO-CUT setup and all 285 rows.
Two separate high-resolution single-page chart PDFs for zoom viewing.
12-page yarn, gauge and finishing guide, with measuring panels for both techniques, calculations, a simple border and an envelope border.
Offline yarn and size calculator, two color previews, original full-grid image, original coordinate image, original color-cell CSV, English start guide and Chinese instructions.

SIZE AND YARN
The picture is 50 x 57 in only at 5 stitches AND 5 rows per inch. With four additional side stitches, the body is 50.8 x 57 in (129.03 x 144.78 cm) at that gauge. An outside border adds to the dimensions. Measure stitch width and row height independently after washing your sample.
Choose four smooth yarns of the same weight. Starting hook ranges: Fine/Sport, 3.5-4.0 mm; DK/Light Worsted, 4.0-4.5 mm; Aran/Worsted, 5.0-5.5 mm. Final hook size and finished dimensions depend on your measured fabric.
Measure each yarn separately, including carried yarn. Mosaic uses four 20 x 20 measured panels; Tapestry uses one 20 x 20 measured panel. Each panel has two additional setup rows. Use the selected technique's own measurements in the calculator.
The calculator includes the side stitches, an adjustable A-color border allowance, CUT row tails and 10% extra yarn by default. It rounds each color up to whole balls using that color's label. NO-CUT has no repeated row-tail allowance.

ILLUSTRATIVE YARN EXAMPLE - replace with your measured panel weights before buying yarn
Mosaic panel weights A/B/C/D: panel A 4/1/1/1 g; panel B 1/4/1/1 g; panel C 1/1/4/1 g; panel D 1/1/1/3.5 g. Tapestry panel weights: 5/4/2/2 g.
All colors: 300 m / 100 g, 100 g balls. A border allowance 12% of total body weight; reserve 10%; CUT tails 15 cm per end. The following quantities apply only to these example inputs.
Mosaic CUT: A 628 g / 7 balls; B 418 g / 5 balls; C 400 g / 4 balls; D 240 g / 3 balls
Mosaic NO-CUT: A 597 g / 6 balls; B 386 g / 4 balls; C 369 g / 4 balls; D 209 g / 3 balls
Tapestry CUT: A 1338 g / 14 balls; B 828 g / 9 balls; C 430 g / 5 balls; D 430 g / 5 balls
Tapestry NO-CUT: A 1306 g / 14 balls; B 797 g / 8 balls; C 399 g / 4 balls; D 399 g / 4 balls