Blue Sky Fibers Kitty Hat PDF

Blue Sky Fibers Kitty Hat PDF – Knitting Pattern by Lisa Whiting

The Blue Sky Fibers Kitty Hat is a charming, intermediate-level knitted hat pattern designed by Lisa Whiting and published by Blue Sky Fibers (formerly Blue Sky Alpacas). Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern produces an adorable kitty-eared hat worked seamlessly from the top down in the round, making it a satisfying project for knitters who are comfortable with circular needles and basic shaping techniques. The pattern is sized for four different head sizes — Baby, Child's Medium, Child's Large, and Adult Large — making it a versatile choice for gift knitters and family wardrobes alike.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a seamless, top-down knitted hat featuring a distinctive kitty ear silhouette. The hat is worked entirely in the round from crown to cuff, with the ear shaping integrated naturally into the construction. A two-color stripe pattern runs throughout the body of the hat, giving it a playful, graphic look. The cuff section transitions to flat knitting to accommodate the shaped ear openings, adding a clever structural detail that sets this hat apart from a standard beanie. Two colorway combinations are shown in the original pattern photography: #417 seamist (MC) with #422 earth (CC), and #420 autumn (MC) with #416 meadow (CC).

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Blue Sky Suri Merino, a luxuriously soft worsted weight yarn made from a blend of suri alpaca and merino wool, sold in 100 g / 164-yard hanks. Knitters will need two hanks — one in a main color (MC) and one in a contrasting color (CC) — to achieve the two-tone stripe effect. The combination of suri alpaca and merino gives the finished hat exceptional softness and a subtle halo, making it particularly comfortable for babies and children.

• Yarn: Blue Sky Suri Merino, worsted weight, 100 g / 164 yds per hank
• Quantity: 2 hanks total — 1 hank MC, 1 hank CC
• Needles: Size 7 (4.5 mm) 16-inch circular needles and Size 7 (4.5 mm) 24-inch circular needles
• Crochet Hook: Size G-6 (4 mm) crochet hook (used as a finishing or construction aid)
• Notions: Tapestry needle, 4 stitch markers

Techniques Used

Top-Down Construction

The hat begins at the very top of the crown and grows outward and downward, which allows knitters to try the hat on as they go and adjust length easily. This top-down approach eliminates the need for seaming and gives a clean, professional finish throughout.

Seamless Knitting in the Round

The body of the hat is worked seamlessly in the round using two circular needles. The pattern notes that the shorter of the two circular needles can be used to mark the beginning of the round and the back side of the hat. Knitters may also adapt the pattern for double-pointed needles or the magic loop technique, offering flexibility for those who prefer different methods of small-circumference circular knitting.

Judy Becker's Magical Cast-On

The crown begins with Judy Becker's Magical Cast-On, a provisional-style cast-on that creates live stitches in two directions simultaneously — ideal for top-down construction on two circular needles. This technique produces a seamless, gap-free starting point at the very tip of the crown. Knitters hold the yarn in a long-tail cast-on position and alternate loading stitches onto two needle tips, resulting in a tidy, closed crown without any visible seam or join.

Stripe Pattern

A two-color stripe pattern is worked throughout the body of the hat, alternating between the main color (MC) and the contrasting color (CC). The stripes are introduced early in the crown shaping and continue through the body, creating a rhythmic, visually engaging pattern. Working stripes in the round with two colors is a straightforward technique that adds