Kate’s Kitten is a mini kitty inspired by Jess Hutchison’s Kate from the Winter 2005 issue of Knitty. Jess’s foot-tall cat was one of the first knitted toys that I noticed in the world, and I remember studying the pattern as I fantasized about creating my own designs.

A cat with no whiskers or tail, who stands on two legs in burgundy pants, Kate has a simple charm that hasn’t faded in her 12 (!) years. The best homage I could think to give her was to knit her in miniature—so Kate’s kittens can multiply quickly for desk companions, good luck charms, ornaments, or whatever else you ‘d like a tiny pants-wearing cat to do.

The recommended yarn is lovely to knit with and comes in a fabulous variety of colors, but the skeins are enormous compared to the few yards you’ll need to knit this project. If you have scraps in colors that you like, use those instead!