The yarnharlot made this fantastic owl hat by Nancy Nielsen, and I had to try it. Love how the beak can talk; have just made a tiny mouse tail and foot to hang from it, tied in with red yarn, so can be removed for those who don’t wish to know that. Doh. Great bird-puppets could be made like this. In my first try, the dark head/ear triangles makes it look like some kind of Jay. Fabulous!

We ride a ten minute commuter ferry to our island, and the summer tourists are always “aren’t you cute!?”-ing us. We had buttons that read “Read your book!” (because after a day’s hard work you just want supper, not questions about how cute your wheelbarrows are, and where do you buy your milk?) but nothing worked to stop the thousand “cute” questions. I’m hoping you can just tuck your chin down and the angry bird will stop further conversation on a dime. He’ll stare them down for you, while you do read your book.
But oh lord, what if it’s a conversation starter?? eek.

Nice Animal Hat book by Nielsen (Gramma Nancy’s); so creative.
The instructions for the ears and head triangle final assembly, by sewing, are not easy to understand. I’ve placed a drawing 5th photo down to help future knitters; you sew together the two bound off edges, then prop them up like tents, and only sew down the back parts.

Details:

Adult - Male Large (over 24 inches circ.)

Hat:
Yarn - sport weight wool of andes
Needle - 2.75 mm

CO 130 sts. Knit 7 inches st. st.
Knit 11, K2tog entire round; Knit two plain rounds.
Knit 10, K2tog, , and continue these three rounds (K9, 8, 7 with two plain rounds between dec). down to K7.
After K7, K2tog round you will decrease every second, instead of every third round. Continue with 6, 5, 4 etc. until you knit2tog every stitch, then thread darning needle and draw closed.

Ears & Triangle made from Swish DK (dark gray) on 3mm dpns for ears, (for stiffness) & 3.75mm for the triangle, (for garter density-stretchyness in a super wash slick yarn).

Notes:

Magic loop is far superior to dpns for beaks etc.

The two ears have BO edges which are the seam-line when they are sewn to larger triangle along its bound off edge. That BO edge-joined seam will later be the ridge-pole of the vault that is formed. See sketch in place of photo 2 at left.

Adult sized: Head Triangle is 8 inches across BO edge. Ears have 18 sts. when I bound off. (male large size head requires larger features, I thought.)

I stretched it over a mixing bowl to do the sewing.

Beaks are made from misc. worsted yellow wool; 3.75mm. Obviously any wool will do; love how they are self-stuffed because so stiff and thick.

Did not use hot glue, but sewed everything in carefully. Eye white felt was lightly sewn in from behind on the wrong side, just catching the felt from the inside half, so stitches don’t show. Have sewn down the point where the eyebrows meet the white felt and black button instead of gluing, as having fun changing the expression by tweaking the garter triangle. Expression is EVERYTHING when deciding how to place features and tweak the final tack-points so that the creature doesn’t go “goggly eyed” just from being taken off and put back on.

This is super fun, especially with the red yarn tying in the half-mouse ( mouse has an i-cord leg made on 2mm dpns and a single crochet chain tail on a body made from 16 sts and reduced in the round using magic loop.).