Black cat pony bead pattern

About this design

The cat is Black with two Yellow eyes, a Pink nose and a White whisker bead on each cheek. The pointed ears need the first two rows to be wider than the ears themselves, so the space between them is filled with Transparent clear beads. That makes it a step up from the simplest shapes, but the rest of the face is easy.

Bead counts: 97 Opaque black, 12 Transparent clear, 6 Opaque yellow, 2 Opaque white and 1 Opaque pink, 118 pony beads in all.

Lacing it

The first two rows are mostly clear beads; count them carefully, as they set the gap between the ears. Work down the row list one row at a time: string the beads on one end of the cord, pass the other end back through them from the other side, and pull the row snug against the one above. The pattern has 10 rows, and you need about 210 cm of cord: that allows for both ends passing through every row, a loop at the top and enough to tie off.

Finishing

After the last row, tie the two ends in a tight double knot under the final bead, add a drop of glue if the cord is slippery, and trim the tails. The finished piece is about 7.8 cm wide and 9 cm long with standard pony beads, a good size for a keychain, a Halloween charm or a gift for a cat lover.

Colour plan

Opaque black does the most work, 82% of the 118 beads, followed by Transparent clear at 10%. Opaque yellow (6), Opaque white (2) and Opaque pink (1) are used only a little: small details worth marking on the chart so you don't miss them. 9% of the grid is left empty.

Working notes

It is laced in 10 rows from the top, and needs about 210 cm of cord. Every row is one unbroken run of beads, centred under the row above, so it laces exactly as charted.