I’m one of those people who has multiple Instagram accounts, including one for my cats. (Hush.) And if you’re an Instagram user and you like cats in the slightest, chances are very good that you’ve heard of (or already follow) Hannah Shaw—better known as Kitten Lady.

The photos she shares are always great, partly because her partner is a professional photographer, but also because they’re full of tiny kittens. Some time ago, however, I got distracted from all the kitteny cuteness by a beaded cuff bracelet Hannah was wearing. It wasn’t long before I decided the design would work in knitted colorwork.

I started with the Kitten Lady Mitts, and the Kitten Lady Cowl and this Kitten Lady Hat soon joined the family.

The colorwork design works well with any two colors that have a high enough contrast to show off the geometrical pattern. And it’s a short repeating pattern, so it’s relatively easy to knit without constantly having to refer back to the chart.

Whether you’re making the Kitten Lady Hat as a companion to the other garments in the Kitten Lady collection or you wear it on its own, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I love mine!

Look for project photos on Instagram with the #kittenladyhat hashtag!

Sizes:
Hat designed with 2.2–2.6 inches (5.5–6.75 cm) of negative ease, depending on size. Sizes A (B, C) to fit heads measuring 20 (22, 24) in / 51 (56, 61) cm

Materials & Details

• Yarn: 140–235 yards (128–214.9 meters) total worsted weight yarn in two contrasting colors; yarn usage from test knitters across all sizes ranged from 100–168 yards (91.4–153.6 meters) for the MC, and 36–47 yards (33–43 meters) for the CC
• Needles: US 5 (3.75mm) and US 6 (4mm) circular needle, or needle size to obtain gauge, on a 16-inch (40 cm) cable, plus DPNs of larger needle size (or a longer cable and the Magic Loop method) to work the crown decreases as needed
• Gauge: 24 sts and 25 rows in 4 inches (10 cm) on US 6 needles in colorwork pattern after blocking
• Gear & Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle, tape measure

Notes
* This pattern was tech edited by Vera Engels and tested by a fabulous crew of knitters.

photography by @nerdseyeview