chubbiesbyash𐙚
chubbiesbyash𐙚Aug 28
Entertainment

🍅The cutest Tomato Cat pouch | NO-SEW crochet tutorial for beginners

38 min video5 key momentsWatch original
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TL;DR

Ash walks through a complete no-sew crochet tutorial for making adorable tomato-cat pouches with working straps and hand-glued details.

Key Insights

1

Color-changing at round three — The front panel uses color-changing mid-project (white to red at round three) to create the tomato effect while the cat face stays visible—a simple way to get visual pop without complex color work.

2

Front loop ridge technique — Working only into front loops during round four creates a ridge that will become the fold line when you turn the pouch inside out—this technique handles the 3D shaping naturally.

3

The strap is 40 chains on the front panel but only 8 on the back, creating a functional long handle and a short loop that clips into the long strap to close the pouch.

4

Bury tails during stitching — Burying yarn tails under stitches as you work eliminates weaving in ends later—Ash does this throughout instead of leaving loose ends to secure afterward.

5

Inner loops for joining — Joining two crocheted panels uses only the inner two loops (back loop of front, front loop of back) so the outer loops remain hidden and the finished edge looks clean from both sides.

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Deep Dive

Building the cat face foundation

Ash starts with the front panel using white yarn for visibility during the tutorial, though you can pick any cat color. She begins with a slip knot and 12 chains, then works into the third chain to start round one. The structure uses half double crochets with strategic increases to create a flat oval base. Round one involves making HDCs across the chain, then circling back to work the lower loops of the foundation chain—this creates the rounded perimeter. By round three she's expanded the stitch count significantly and is ready to introduce red yarn. The color change happens mid-round three by catching the new yarn during the final loop pull, a clean transition that sets up the tomato body without cutting the white.

The tomato body and ridge technique

Round four switches to working only front loops of each stitch, which creates a visible ridge that becomes critical later. Ash emphasizes burying the white yarn tail from the color change under her stitches so it doesn't need separate weaving. She works a repeating sequence of one HDC followed by one increase, done 16 times total, while keeping yarn tails buried as she goes. This round is where the pouch begins to curve slightly. Round five returns to normal loop insertion but continues the same increase pattern (two HDCs, then one increase) repeated 16 times. The ridge from round four creates a natural fold line that will help structure the pouch when it's turned inside out and filled.

Adding the strap and finishing the front

Round six mixes multiple stitch types: she starts with 10 half double crochets, switches to 9 double crochets for a textured transition, then chains 40 for the main strap. After ensuring the chain isn't twisted, she slip stitches back into the first chain to anchor it. Continuing around, she makes 9 more double crochets on the other side of the strap opening, then fills in 16 half double crochets and 16 single crochets to complete the round. The varying stitch heights create visual interest while the long strap becomes the pouch's functional closure. Ash finishes with 4 half double crochets in the remaining stitches and closes with a slip stitch to the first stitch of the round.

Creating the simpler back panel

The back panel uses only red yarn and starts with a magic ring, making it faster than the front. Round one places 12 half double crochets into the ring, then she pulls the yarn tail tightly to close it cleanly. Round two is pure increases—one increase into each of the 12 stitches to double the count. Rounds three through five follow structured increase patterns (1 HDC plus 1 increase repeated, then 2 HDCs plus 1 increase repeated) to build the stitch count to match the front panel. Round six mirrors the front panel's structure except the strap is only 8 chains instead of 40, creating a short loop rather than a long handle. This back loop will eventually anchor the front strap when the pouch closes.

Joining panels and the no-sew assembly

Before joining, Ash marks eight stitches left and right of the gap beneath each strap on both panels—these markers show where the seam will start and stop. She places the panels right sides together so the finished edges face outward, then uses the back loop only of the front panel and front loop only of the back panel, ensuring the inner loops join while outer loops stay visible. Working along the marked section, she uses half double crochets to bind the panels together, burying yarn tails and skipping slip stitches as she encounters them. Once joined, she turns the pouch inside out carefully, revealing the rounded exterior. The assembly moves to no-sew finishing: she weaves in the yarn tails of the pre-made ears and leaf, then glues them on. Filled felt pieces become the eyes, nose, and whiskers using a precision applicator glue.

Takeaways

  • ✓Bury yarn tails under your stitches as you work—this eliminates the tedious weaving-in step at the end and keeps your project tidy throughout.
  • ✓When joining two panels with differing loop orientations (back loop vs. front loop), the outer loops stay clean and visible on both sides of the finished pouch.
  • ✓Use a precision-tip glue applicator for tiny details like eyes and whiskers, and a larger applicator glue for bigger pieces like ears and leaves.
  • ✓The ridge created by working front loops only in round four becomes the natural fold line and structural spine when you turn the pouch inside out.

Key moments

3:07Color change to red yarn

“When you have three loops on the hook, we're going to bring the new yarn in this step. I'm going to get my red yarn and place it on top of the crochet hook.”

12:00Front loop only technique explained

“For this round, we will only be going into the front loop of each stitch. We'll be going in like this, not into both loops.”

16:20Adding the strap

“Make a total of 40 chains. If you want a longer strap here, you can add 10 or 15 more chains. After making 40 chains, make sure that the chains are not twisted.”

25:52Marking the join points

“We're going to find that little gap just underneath the string. Eight stitches to the left and eight stitches to the right of the gap.”

32:30Gluing the ears and details

“For some tiny details, I use this glue because it has this really small applicator and it is very useful. I've used it a lot. I cut it into these tiny pieces.”

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