I read notes from other people’s pages extensively before beginning this project. Have to agree that for a paid pattern, this leaves a fair bit to be desired in the detail department. Yet another reason I’m grateful for Ravelry and to all the people who take the time to well document their mods.

PROJECT NOTES:

• Used 16” size 13 needles for beginning of cowl; cast on holding one size 11 needle with the 13 needle to ensure a very loose edge. This yarn is not very elastic, and isn’t going to grow when blocked/washed.

• Read others notes on moving color transition to the back, but ultimately decided that using a jogless stripe in a yarn this bulky would render the change practically invisible, so I kept it in front. Note: didn’t do my traditional “pick up from row below” method. Instead, worked first round of new color, then simply slipped first stitch of new color purl-wise on second row. So much simpler, and so much nicer looking.

• Didn’t like the fact that there was no shaping in the neck area. Some people added decreases; however, on this size, I chose to knit the first four rows on 13s, the next six rows on 11s, and the last four rows on 13s again. Props to Pattiobb for the idea to go down a needle size in the neck.

• On hood, worked 7 stitches on each side of edge instead of 5, after reading notes by Speejink.

• Worked 36 rows for hood in total, then did 3-needle bind off on inside of hood instead of binding off and sewing together. This made no sense whatsoever.

• Worked crochet border around hood with modification: instead of sc in every other stitch, I chained one in between each sc so that it wouldn’t be too tight. Note: if you don’t crochet, or find the crochet aspect of this project intimidating, I see no harm in leaving it off. It adds a tiny bit of structure, but once you tack the top of the hood, you don’t really see the crocheted part anyway. Just keep your edges neat while working the hood and you should be fine.

• Tacked down top and bottom of hood in lieu of buttons.

• Worked adult size ears after making ear for this size and finding it to be too small. Left a long tail of orange when changing colors to use for sewing ears to hood.

• On ear decreases, worked leaning decreases instead of k2tog or p2tog to lend more shaping. So on knit rows, I worked k2tog, knit across, then ssk. On purl sides, worked p2tog, purled across, then worked ssp.

• When ear was ready to be crocheted together, I took the orange tail from the cast-on and the white tail from the bind-off and tied then in a tight knot, to keep the ear together so that when I worked around it there was already some stability. I tucked the knot and all the remaining yarn tails inside of the ear (except orange tail I’d left on purpose to use to sew the ear to the hood). I also used extra black yarn on a darning needle to “fill in” spots that showed through between some of the crochet border on the orange side of each ear.

• Used notes fromSpindleCat on how to make the ears pointier while crocheting around edging.

• Placed ears as pattern recommended; however, there was no guidance as to bending/leaving them wide. In the photos they appear to be bent, and for a fox, that makes sense. I placed them each about 2.25” from the center seam and then folded them in half, eyeballing it until they looked right. Then I tacked down the other side of the ear and whip stitched around each. Note to self: very edge of each ear is on seed stitch, then rest of ear is on stockinette portion of hat, with 4 purl bumps in between the edges of each ear. Ears are five purl bumps out from center seam, and begin on last round of seed stitch (using 7 rounds of seed stitch for border).

PHOTOS:

Kidlet in top image is intended recipient. Happy to report that it fits!

Kidlet in all but first photo is for modeling purposes only. She doesn’t come with the hat. Except on bad days.