I may be late to the owl-hat party, but hear me out: this hat is all texture. Originally, I had designed this for a child who was very particular about wanting a realistic looking owl hat, but I couldn’t find an existing pattern with the kind of feathery stitching I needed. As a bonus, the pattern stitch also works well for “fur” textures, so the hat pattern as written can easily be transformed into another creature.

Includes: full written instructions for 7 sizes, a chart of the stitch pattern, and customization guidelines to alter the pattern for any size with any yarn.

Yarn: DK or light worsted. Shown in: Jenny Watson Pure Merino DK superwash. (135 yards/123 meters, 50 grams/1.76 ounces) in color WM13 Aubergine, and color WM14 Grey. Less than one skein was used for the 14in/ 35.5cm size shown here. 90-200 yds/82-182m.
Gauge: 4.5 sts/in (18sts/ 4in, 18 sts/10cm) in pattern stitch.
Needles: 16-inch circular or DPNs in size needed to obtain gauge. I used US size 5/3.75mm. You’ll
also need an extra needle for binding off or grafting the crown.
Notions: For eyes and beak: Scraps of fingering or sport weight yarns. Other options include, but are not limited to: scraps of black and white or gold felt or fabric, and thread or floss for attaching/appliqueing them. You can also embroider the face on with yarn or embroidery floss, use yarn to apply it using duplicate stitches, or knit or crochet shapes and applique them onto the hat.
Sizes: 7 sizes (by circumference). Choose a size that allows for between 1in/2.5cm and 1.5 in/3.8cm of negative ease. 12in/ 30.5cm, 14in/ 35.5cm, 16in/ 41cm, 18 in/ 46cm, 20 in/ 51cm, 22in/ 56cm, 24in/ 61cm around. Shown in 14in/35.5cm size. Includes customization guidelines to make any size you’d like with any yarn.

Skills: Knit in the round, knit, purl, cast on, yarn-over, three-needle bind off OR kitchener stitch/grafting.

Depending upon how you apply the owl face, possible skills include: cutting shapes out of fabric, applique, blanket stitch, whipstitch, chain-stitch, basting, duplicate stitching, crochet. The knit and appliqued owl face (purple owl) uses: KFB increase, figure-8 cast-on OR “Judy’s magic cast-on”, any sewing stitch suitable to applique the pieces to the hat.

Accessibility Notes: All charted sections also written, 12 point serif font with bolded and underlined headings, no columns (except for abbreviation key).

PATTERN UPDATED 8/17 After requests, I’ve updated the pattern to expand the size range to 7 sizes (baby-through-adult). Previous version was a free pattern in only one size with no chart.