Free Pattern: Baby Blue Pinstripe Spike Stitch Crochet Bandana for Cats

Introduction

If you have ever wanted to make something adorable for your cat but felt nervous about complicated patterns, this is the project for you. This baby blue pinstripe spike stitch bandana is worked flat from the top edge down to a single point, so you only ever need to know a handful of basic stitches. The finished bandana is a soft, plush triangle about 9 inches wide and 6 inches deep, made from squishy chenille yarn that feels like a favorite blanket against your cat's fur. Narrow cotton-candy pink spike stitches run down the triangle like tiny pinstripes, giving it a sweet, handmade look that photographs beautifully. It is the perfect first pet accessory: quick, forgiving, and finished in just a few evenings.

Materials Needed

• Yarn (main color): Chenille plush yarn, super bulky (weight 6), approximately 55 yd (50 m) in baby blue.
• Yarn (accent color): Chenille plush yarn, super bulky (weight 6), approximately 20 yd (18 m) in cotton-candy pink.
• Hook: 6.5 mm (US K-10.5) crochet hook.
• Stitch markers: 2–4, to mark the first stitch of a row and your spike positions.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt-tipped needle with a large eye, for weaving in ends.
• Scissors: Any sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Finished size: Width across the top edge approx. 9 in (23 cm); depth from top edge to point approx. 6 in (15 cm); neck tie length approx. 12 in (30 cm) each side. Fits cats with a neck circumference of 8–11 in (20–28 cm); the tie adjusts.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Make a loop with the yarn, pull another loop through it. Each loop you pull through is one chain.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over (wrap yarn around hook), pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over again, pull through both loops. One single crochet made.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches. One completed unit of crochet work.
• sp – space. A gap in the work, usually under a chain.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull the loop straight through the loop on your hook. Makes a flat, tight joining stitch.
• sc2tog – single crochet two stitches together (a decrease). Insert hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. Two stitches become one.
• spike – spike stitch. A single crochet worked into a stitch two rows below the current row, pulling the loop up tall to the height of the current row. It creates a visible vertical line of color.
• RS – right side. The front, public face of your work.
• turn – flip your work over so you can crochet back across the row you just finished.
• fasten off – cut the yarn, pull the tail through the last loop, and tighten to secure.
• row-end – the little edge stitch at the side of each row; you will work into these for the border.

Gauge

10 sc x 11 rows = 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm) in single crochet with the 6.5 mm hook.

Gauge matters because it controls the finished size. If your stitches are bigger than this, the bandana will come out wider and deeper than 9 x 6 in and may hang too low on your cat's chest. To check: chain 16, work 14 single crochet rows, then measure the middle 4 inches of the swatch. If you have more than 10 stitches in 4 inches, go up one hook size; if fewer, go down one hook size. Chenille yarn is stretchy, so measure gently without pulling.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of every row. The first stitch of a single crochet row hides easily; the marker keeps your count honest.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Chenille yarn sheds and snaps if over-tensioned. Keep your loops relaxed and even.
• Carry the pink yarn loosely along the wrong side. Leave it slack between spikes so the bandana does not pucker; pick it up only when a spike is needed.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row. The numbers in parentheses tell you exactly what you should have.
• Keep the first and last stitch of every row in baby blue. This gives you a clean edge to work the border into later.
• Work the spike into the stitch two rows below the next stitch, not the stitch directly below. This is what makes the pinstripe lean gently.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up and Body

With baby blue, ch 2.

Row 1 (RS): 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Turn. (2 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next st. Turn. (3 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (3 sc)

Row 4: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st to last st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (5 sc)

Pinstripe placement: one pink spike every 4th stitch, staggered by 1 stitch every 2 rows so the lines lean gently down the triangle. Keep the first and last stitch of every row in baby blue.

Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc in next st, work 1 pink spike into the stitch 2 rows below the next st, sc in next st, sc in last st. Turn. (5 sc, 1 spike)

Row 6: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (7 sc)

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] once, sc in last 2 sts. Turn. (7 sc, 1 spike)

Row 8: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (7 sc)

Row 9: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next st, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (9 sc, 2 spikes)

Row 10: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (9 sc)

Row 11: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] twice, sc in last st. Turn. (9 sc, 2 spikes)

Row 12: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st to last st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (11 sc)

Row 13: Ch 1, sc in first st, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] twice, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in last st. Turn. (11 sc, 3 spikes)

Row 14: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (11 sc)

Row 15: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] twice, sc in last 2 sts, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (13 sc, 2 spikes)

Row 16: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (13 sc)

Row 17: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] three times, sc in last 2 sts. Turn. (13 sc, 3 spikes)

Row 18: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st to last st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (15 sc)

Row 19: Ch 1, sc in first st, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] three times, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in last st. Turn. (15 sc, 4 spikes)

Row 20: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (15 sc)

Row 21: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 3 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] twice, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (17 sc, 3 spikes)

Row 22: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (17 sc)

Row 23: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] four times, sc in last st. Turn. (17 sc, 4 spikes)

Row 24: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st to last st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (19 sc)

Row 25: Ch 1, sc in first st, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] four times, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in last st. Turn. (19 sc, 5 spikes)

Row 26: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (19 sc)

Row 27: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 4 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] three times, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (21 sc, 3 spikes)

Row 28: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (21 sc)

Row 29: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] five times, sc in last st. Turn. (21 sc, 5 spikes)

Row 30: Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in each st to last st, 2 sc in last st. Turn. (23 sc)

Row 31: Ch 1, sc in first st, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] five times, pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in last st. Turn. (23 sc, 6 spikes)

Row 32: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (23 sc)

Final Point

Row 33: Ch 1, sc in first st, [pink spike into st 2 rows below next st, sc in next 3 sts] five times, sc in last st. Turn. (23 sc, 5 spikes)

Row 34: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (23 sc)

Row 35: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (21 sc)

Row 36: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (21 sc)

Row 37: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (19 sc)

Row 38: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (19 sc)

Row 39: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (17 sc)

Row 40: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (17 sc)

Row 41: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (15 sc)

Row 42: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (15 sc)

Row 43: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (13 sc)

Row 44: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (13 sc)

Row 45: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (11 sc)

Row 46: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (11 sc)

Row 47: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (9 sc)

Row 48: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (9 sc)

Row 49: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (7 sc)

Row 50: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (7 sc)

Row 51: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (5 sc)

Row 52: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in next st, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Turn. (3 sc)

Row 53: Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in last st. Turn. (2 sc)

Row 54: Ch 1, sc2tog over 2 sts. Fasten off baby blue. (1 sc)

Neck Tie and Border

With baby blue, join yarn at the right corner of the top edge (Row 1). Ch 1, work 1 sc in each row-end along the right diagonal edge to the point, then continue along the left diagonal edge with 1 sc in each row-end back to the left top corner. Do not turn. Ch 40 for the right tie, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, then sl st into the left top corner. Fasten off. Repeat on the right top corner for the left tie: join baby blue, ch 40, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, sl st into the corner. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

There is no seaming in this project; the bandana is worked in one piece. Weave in all ends with the tapestry needle, running each tail through the back of several stitches and trimming close. Secure the carried pink yarn on the wrong side by catching it under a few stitches so it cannot snag. Block lightly by misting the bandana with water and patting it flat on a towel; do not stretch the spike stitches, as this flattens their raised texture. Let it dry completely before tying it on your cat.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap baby blue for mint or lilac and cotton-candy pink for cream for a softer, neutral look. Keep the contrast between the two colors so the pinstripes still show.
• Adjust the size: For a smaller cat, stop the increasing rows at Row 24 (19 sc) and begin the decreases from there. For a larger cat or small dog, add two more increase rows before starting the point.
• Substitute yarn: Any super bulky (weight 6) yarn works, but check your gauge first, since chenille and acrylic behave differently. Avoid fuzzy novelty yarns that hide the spike stitches.
• Make it reversible: Work the spikes on both sides by carrying the pink yarn and adding a spike on the wrong-side rows too, so the pinstripes show whichever way the bandana flips.