Kitty Hat

Kitty Hat by Mary Gonzales

What is Being Made

The Kitty Hat is a newborn-sized knitted hat featuring a playful feline design. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a cozy hat with an integrated cat face made from contrasting scrap yarn colors. The design combines a structured crown with decorative facial features, making it an ideal project for creating adorable baby accessories or gifts.

Craft and Technique Overview

This is a knitting project that employs fundamental circular knitting techniques. The pattern uses both circular needles and double-pointed needles to construct the hat in the round, which creates a seamless garment. The transition from circular needles to double-pointed needles occurs during the crown decreases, a common technique used when the number of stitches becomes too few to comfortably work on circular needles. The hat incorporates color work using scrap yarn to create the cat face details, adding visual interest and allowing crafters to use leftover yarn from other projects.

Stitches Used

• Knit Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the hat body and crown
• Purl Stitch: Used in the ribbed cuff section to create texture and elasticity
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease stitch used systematically in the crown shaping rounds to gradually reduce stitches and form the hat's tapered top
• Ribbed Pattern: An alternating knit and purl pattern (1x1 rib) creates the cuff, providing stretch and a finished edge that hugs the head comfortably

Materials and Needles

This pattern calls for aran weight yarn (also known as worsted weight), which creates a fabric with good drape and warmth appropriate for newborn wear. The primary yarn is Red Heart Soft in Wheat or any worsted weight yarn in the crafter's preferred color. Three additional colors of scrap yarn in Red Heart Soft (the designer used Light Blue, Rose Blush, and Off-White) are incorporated to create the cat face details.

The needles required include a Size 8 circular needle measuring 16 inches for the initial rounds worked in the round, and Size 8 double-pointed needles for completing the crown decreases when the stitches become too tight for the circular needle. Additional supplies include a yarn needle for weaving in ends and securing the face details, scissors, and an optional stitch marker to track the beginning of each round. A tape measure is listed as optional for checking gauge and finished measurements.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The Kitty Hat is designed for newborn sizing. The pattern begins with casting on 54 stitches and features a two-round ribbed cuff worked in a 1x1 knit-purl pattern. Following the cuff, the body is worked in stockinette stitch (knit every round) until the piece measures 3.5 inches in length. The crown shaping employs a series of strategic decrease rounds using knit 2 together decreases, spaced with plain knit rounds to create a gradual, even taper. The pattern transitions from circular needles to double-pointed needles during the crown shaping phase, allowing the crafter to comfortably work the remaining stitches as they diminish.