Animal Portrait Latch Hook Pillow Kit, 17 x 17 in

About the designs

Each design is a portrait: the animal looks straight out of the pillow, filling most of the canvas, with just enough background to set it off. Pile suits fur, so the highland cow's fringe, the husky's ruff and the sheep's fleece come out soft enough to stroke. Choose from:

• Dogs: Dachshund, Husky, German shepherd, Beach dog in sunglasses and Pop art collie.
• Farm: Highland cow, Highland calf, Sheep and Lambs.
• Wild: Lion, Wolves, Fox cubs, Elephant family, Raccoons and Raccoon at the window.
• Small and cuddly: Guinea pigs, Guinea pigs in clover, Koala, Koala on blue and Owl on the moon.

The dogs and the highland cows are the favorites for a family room. The Pop art collie is the boldest, a riot of blue, orange and purple that works well on a plain gray or navy sofa.

How latch hook works

Fold a piece of yarn in half around the shaft of the hook, just below the latch. Push the hook down through one square of the canvas and up through the square above it, so it passes under a single thread. Lay both yarn ends into the hook, pull it back toward you and the latch closes, drawing the ends through the loop. A gentle tug on the ends tightens the knot. That one movement is the whole craft.

Each square takes one knot in the color printed on it, so there is nothing to count. Work across the canvas row by row, starting at the bottom, so the finished pile lies away from the row you are working on.

What is in the kit

• A 17 x 17 in (43 x 43 cm) canvas with the design printed on it in color
• Pre-cut yarn, bundled and numbered by color
• A color card that matches each number to its yarn
• A latch hook

The printed colors match the numbered bundles on the card. If two shades look close under your lamp, check the card in daylight before you start a new area.

Finishing the pillow

The kit makes the hooked front. To turn it into a pillow, fold the bare mesh at the edges to the back, sew the front to a square of cotton, velvet or felt and slip in a 17 in (43 cm) insert; the back fabric and the insert are not included. You can also bind the edges with rug tape and use it as a small mat, or stitch a sleeve to the back and hang it on a dowel.

How long it takes

Expect about 12 to 25 hours for a 17 x 17 in (43 x 43 cm) canvas. Busy designs with many color changes sit at the top of that range, and your first rows will be slower than your last. The knot is easy to pick up again after a break, so it suits half an hour in front of the TV as well as a long weekend afternoon.

For a set, pair a portrait with a scene from the Birds and Wildlife kit: both are 17 x 17 in (43 x 43 cm) and use the same yarn and hook.

Delivery and returns

Delivery is $6.95, and free on orders from $49. The delivery estimate for your address shows on this page and at checkout. You can return the kit within 30 days of delivery; return shipping is yours unless it arrives faulty or wrong. See delivery and returns for the details, or compare the other latch hook kits.