Cat Hat

*This design is for all you fellow cat lovers! I have always been an animal lover, but cats hold a special place in my heart. I originally created this hat as a one-off, but to my surprise, I have gotten many compliments on it, even from non-knitters, that I made it into a pattern so you can make your own cat-themed hat!* *I knit my sample using the ladderback jacquard technique to manage the longer floats in the colorwork motif. The colorwork is charted, and I’ve included where I recommend adding the ladderback jacquard stitch columns if you want to do the same. You can always catch floats the traditional way, but in the playful spirit of this design, I encourage you to also “play” with a new technique! If you haven’t tried ladderback jacquard before, it’s surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it, and it opens a whole new world of options in your colorwork!* **NOTES** **Design & Construction:** The Cat Hat is a beanie-style hat with a playful cat-themed colorwork motif. It is worked bottom-up beginning with the brim, which is knit in 2x2 ribbing. The body of the hat is worked in 2-color stranded colorwork. **Fit:** This hat is designed to be worn with approximately 10–18% negative ease. Because the colorwork motif spans a large portion of the fabric, the pattern is written in a single size. At the stated gauge, this size comfortably fits head circumferences of 20.75 to 22.25 in. (52 to 55.5 cm). If your head measurement falls outside this range, you can still knit the hat by adjusting your gauge—try a lighter- or heavier-weight yarn to size the circumference up or down. Just be sure to swatch first, and keep in mind that any gauge change will affect both the width and the overall length of the finished hat. **Ladderback Jacquard:** This pattern provides optional instructions for ladderback jacquard to manage longer colorwork floats. While you can always catch floats the traditional way, ladderback jacquard is a great technique when you have multiple, sequential rows or rounds with large floats. **Stitch Patterns:** The stranded colorwork in this hat is only charted, so you should be confident in your chart reading skills—or be open to learning! **SIZES** One size *Sized to fit Adult Medium with optional gauge adjustments for a smaller or larger fit.* *If you wish to adjust size, see the note on **Fit** above.* **FINISHED CIRCUMFERENCE** *The circumference as measured at the widest point of the crown is as follows.* 18.75 in. (47 cm) **YARN** **Sport weight** **C1:** 20 g/80 yds or 75 m **C2:** 25 g/80 yds or 75 m **C3:** 25 g/80 yds or 75 m **SUGGESTED YARN** Spincycle Yarns Nocturne (50 g/200 yds (183 m)) – 100% non-superwash Merino wool **C1:** 1 skein Mountain Meadow Wool Cody (56 g/185 yds (169 m)) – 100% Rambouillet wool **C2:** 1 skein **C3:** 1 skein *The sample hat is knit in the colorways Aeonium (C1), Natural Light Grey (C2) and Black Hills (C3).* **NEEDLES** Needle A (ribbing): US 4 (3.5 mm) Needle B (body): US 5 (3.75 mm) *For your chosen needle size, you will need needles in your preferred style for smaller circumference knitting (i.e., magic loop, short circular needles, or double-pointed needles).* **GAUGE** *Measure gauge on Needle B in the round after blocking.* 24 sts and 28 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stranded colorwork **SKILLS TO USE (OR LEARN!)** Knitting Purling Decreasing Knitting in the round Tubular cast-on Stranded colorwork Ladderback jacquard (optional) Chart reading Perfect for knitters who love stranded colorwork, cat motifs, and small, gift-able projects. [1]: www.brianaarleneknits.com