Bennett's Kitty Hat

My little friend Bennett had a first birthday party yesterday, and since I copped out when he was born and bought his gift rather than finishing the knitted blocks I had begun, I decided now he needed some Aunt Lola handmade goodness. I turned to the free pattern wonderland called Ravelry, where I fell in love with kerli's Kittie Hat. The pattern is super simple. A little too simple--it left a little to be desired. I took copious notes, a smart move since by the end I had torn it out and started over three times trying to get the right size. So below is my version.

The birthday boy was not an especially willing model.

Bennett's Kittie Hat

Adapted from kerli's Kittie Hat

Needles: Size 10 dpns
Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy bulky weight in Silver Heather
My gauge: 4 sts/inch

Cast on 64 sts.

Rows 1-3: k1p1 rib.

Row 4: *k6, k2tog* repeat to end (54 sts).

Row 5: knit. Continue knitting in stockinette until piece measures 6-7 inches.

Bind off using three-needle bind-off method: Transfer stitches to two needles (27 stitches on each needle. With these needles in your left hand, use a third needle in your right hand to insert, knitwise, into first stitch on front needle, and again knitwise into first stich on back needle. Knit the two stitches together. Repeat, then lift first stitch over second stitch and off needle to bind off first stitch. Continue to end. Keep a long tail to use for the first ear.

Ears

Sew front and back pieces together across the top corners to make the ears. I used a long tail from the bind off for my first ear. After pulling it through the final loop, I inserted it into the inside of the hat and pulled it out where I wanted to start the ear. I counted nine stitches down from the corner, and pulled the yarn out. Then I counted nine stitches across the top from the corner, and made that my destination. Imagining a line between these two points, I wove my needle in and out of both front and back pieces of the hat to sew the corner ear. When I got to the top, I turned around and went back the same way to make it extra solid. Then I repeated on the other side.

Next I threaded my yarn needle with some pink yarn from my stash and added color to the ears using the Duplicate stitch. This is basically tracing over the existing stitches with a different color.

Chin Ties

Measure the desired length of yarn for the tie, add an inch, and cut 12 strands of yarn at this length. Knot six strands together at one end. Figure out where you want the tie to attach the the hat and stick your knot through a hole in the knit fabric there. Now pull the rest of this tie through the knot, sort of like a cow hitch. Braid the tie, with each strand of the braid consisting of two strands of yarn. Knot the end. Repeat on the other side of the hat.