It is a quiet afternoon here, the kind where the dust motes float in the sunbeams and the only sound is the rhythmic click of my hook. I was looking at Clementine and thought, “Everyone deserves to be someone else for a day.” Even a bunny might dream of prowling the garden like a cat.
This project is close to my heart because it marries two of our favorite comforts: the softness of a bunny and the sass of a calico cat. It is a dress-up day for our beloved Clementine. Grab your tea, find your favorite chair, and let us stitch some joy.
About This Look
Today, Clementine dons the “Cozy Calico,” a textured onesie designed to mimic the patchwork coat of a lucky cat. We are using a simple shell stitch to give the “fur” some loft, and the hood features wide openings so her signature floppy ears can tumble out. It is playful, ironic, and delightfully snug.
Project Snapshot:
📊 Difficulty: Intermediate (Color changes required)
⏰ Est. Time: 6–8 Hours
📏 Size: 25cm (approx 10 inches) from ears to toes
Materials & Tools
🧶 Yarn: DK Cotton or Acrylic. Beige (for Clementine), White, Burnt Orange, and Black (for the Calico pattern). Pink (inner cat ears).
🪡 Hook: 2.75mm or 3.0mm
✨ Accessories: 10mm Safety Eyes, Polyfill stuffing, 3 small wooden buttons (10mm), a scrap of pink yarn for the nose embroidery.
The Pattern: Clementine’s Base
(Note: If you have already stitched Clementine, skip to the wardrobe section. If not, here is the sketch of her soul.)
➡️ Head: Work in a continuous spiral using Beige. Start with 6 sc in a magic ring. Increase steadily to 54 stitches. Work 10 rounds even. Insert eyes between rounds 18 and 19, approx 11 stitches apart. Decrease back down to 24 stitches. Fasten off.
➡️ Body: Using Beige, start with 6 sc in a magic ring. Increase to 60 stitches to create that pear shape we love. Work even for 5 rounds. Decrease gradually as you work up the torso, stuffing firmly as you go, ending with 24 stitches to match the head.
➡️ Ears (Make 2): These are her crowning glory. Using Beige, cast on 6 sc. Increase to 18 sc. Work even for 25 rounds—we want them long and drapey. Flatten and sew the opening closed. Embroider the inner ear with White yarn using a satin stitch if desired.
➡️ Limbs: Simple tubes. Arms: 6 sc increasing to 12 sc, work 15 rounds. Legs: 6 sc increasing to 18 sc for the foot, decrease to 12 sc for the ankle, work 12 rounds for the leg.
The Pattern: The Calico Kitten Collection
(Work in joined rounds for the hood and body to keep the stripes clean, or spirals if you prefer a seamless look. I prefer joined rounds for clothing.)
The Calico Hood
🧶 Using White yarn, ch 40 and join to form a circle (measure against your Clementine’s head first; she has a big noggin!).
🧶 R1–R3: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st. (40)
🧶 R4 (Ear Holes): Ch 1, sc 10, ch 6 (skip 6 stitches), sc 8, ch 6 (skip 6 stitches), sc 10. (This creates the gaps for her bunny ears).
🧶 R5: Sc in each st and in each ch space. Change to Orange.
🧶 R6–R10: Work in sc, alternating randomly between White, Orange, and Black every 3–5 stitches to create the calico patches.
🧶 R11: Sc 4, dec around. (34)
🧶 R12: Sc 3, dec around. (28)
🧶 Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the back of the hood closed straight across.
The Cat Ears (Make 2)
🧶 Using Orange or Black. 4 sc in MR.
🧶 R2: Sc, inc (6)
🧶 R3: Sc 2, inc (8)
🧶 R4: Sc 3, inc (10). Fasten off. Sew a tiny pink triangle inside for depth.
The Onesie Body
🧶 Start with the legs to accommodate her bunny feet. Make 2 separate tubes in White: Ch 20, join. Sc around for 4 rows.
🧶 Join the legs: Sc around the first leg, ch 2, sc around the second leg.
🧶 Work the body in the Calico color pattern (White/Orange/Black patches).
🧶 Work 10 rounds of sc even.
🧶 Front Flap opening: Instead of joining, turn your work to create a cardigan-style opening for 5 rows. This allows you to button it up later.
🧶 Decrease rounds: Sc 5, dec across the row. Work 1 row even.
🧶 Sc 4, dec across. Work 1 row even.
🧶 Fasten off.
The Kitty Tail
🧶 Using Black or Orange. 6 sc in MR.
🧶 Work even for 20 rounds. Stuff lightly so it stays flexible.
Assembly
➡️ Dress Clementine in the onesie first. It should fit snugly over her pear hips. Sew three small wooden buttons to the front flap (functional or decorative, depending on how you stitched it).
➡️ Attach the tail to the lower back of the onesie.
➡️ Place the hood on her head, carefully pulling her long bunny ears through the gaps.
➡️ Sew the cat ears onto the top of the hood.
➡️ Optional: Wind a small ball of scrap yarn and tack it to her hand so she is forever ready to play.
A Final Word
There is something grounding about making a costume for a doll. It reminds us that we can change our stripes—or spots—whenever we please. I hope this little kitten-bunny brings a smile to your face every time you walk past her.
Until next time, keep your tension even and your heart open.
