The Charming Cat Hat knitting pattern features a cat face and ears incorporated into a large cozy ribbed folded brim!
I have an original cat hat knitting pattern which is one of my first knitting patterns ever. I love that one. It’s almost ten years old and at the time, that kind of cutesy kitty cat face with only a nose and whiskers was very in.
Now occasionally, I get people asking why that adorable hat doesn’t have eyes. Y’all, it was the trend! Anyway, I also enjoy coming up with new takes on old ideas so I thought it might be cute to mash up a huge cozy folded brim with a cat hat, put the ears on the top of the brim and then add a complete cat face.
I think this hat turned out SO cute and I love that your little one could even wear it with their coat hood up and still see the entire cat face and knit cat ears.
This is also a really easy baby hat knitting pattern so if you’re new to knitting any of my animal hats, this is a great one to start with!
This cute Charming Cat Hat is knit in the round with circular and double pointed knitting needles. You need the DPNs to knit the decrease section of the hat. Then the ears are knit flat (you can use two of your DPNs for this step instead of getting out straight knitting needles) and then sewed on to the ribbed brim of the hat.
Finally you will embroider the cute kitty cat face on the folded up brim. It’s up to you if you embroider through just one layer of knit fabric or through both layers of the folded brim. The important thing to keep in mind, however, when adding the cat face, is to keep those stitches a little bit loose. If your whiskers, for example, are stitched tightly, then they will pull when the hat stretches and that will not look good.
Are you ready to knit a Charming Cat Hat with me? Let’s do it!
Charming Cat Hat Knitting Pattern
(includes Sizes 0-3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 2T+)
Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches
- Worsted weight yarn
- US 7 (4.5 mm) 16″ circular knitting needles
- US 7 (4.5 mm) double pointed needles
- Yarn needle
(If you need help, my favorite knitting reference book for everyone from beginners to advanced knitters is THIS ONE!)
Looking for the pattern? Here’s how it works: This pattern is available for FREE in one size right here on my site (keep scrolling down). Or for just a few dollars, you can choose to purchase an upgraded PDF pattern that is nicely formatted and easy to print. Besides being easy to print, the PDF pattern also contains MORE SIZES with instructions for additional sizing including 0-3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 2T+! Thank you for supporting Little Red Window!
Charming Cat Knitting Pattern Instructions (size 12 months)
Using long-tail cast on, cast on 72 stitches onto your circular needles with the gray yarn color. Join to knit in the round and knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch in a rib stitch for 7 inches. This is the folded brim. Then knit all rows until the hat is about 5 inches long measured with the brim folded up in half.
Decrease (divide your stitches between 3 double pointed needles or use magic loop):
Round 1: (k6, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 2: knit all stitches
Round 3: (k5, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 4: knit all stitches
Round 5: (k4, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 6: knit all stitches
Round 7: (k3, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 8: knit all stitches
Round 9: (k2, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 10: knit all stitches
Round 11: (k1, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 12: k2tog and repeat to the end of the round
Cut yarn, thread through loops and pull to close. Weave in ends.
Ears (make 2):
Using double pointed needles as straight needles, cast on 10 stitches with black yarn, leaving a long tail to stitch the ears to the hat.
Rows 1-4: knit all rows
Row 5: k2tog, k6, ssk
Row 6: knit all stitches
Row 7: k2tog, k4, ssk
Row 8: knit all stitches
Row 9: k2tog, k2, ssk
Row 10: knit all stitches
Row 11: k2tog, ssk
Row 12: k2tog
Cut yarn, pull through loop and weave in that end.
To assemble the hat:
Thread one long gray cast on tail onto a yarn needle and sew the ear to the cast on edge of the folded brim as shown. Repeat with the other ear
To stitch the nose, use your yarn needle and length of pink yarn to make three simple stitches in decreasing length to make the nose shape. Knot and weave in ends inside the hat.
Use a yarn needle and a length of white yarn to stitch the whiskers. Keep your stitches fairly loose so they won’t pull when the hat stretches. Weave in ends on the inside of the hat.
Finally thread a length of black yarn on your yarn needle and stitch two stitches for the eyes and two more stitches in the shape of an upside down T for the mouth, under the nose. Weave in ends inside.
Happy Knitting!
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Solid Rainbow Swirl Hat Knitting Pattern - March 17, 2025
- Learn to Knit – s2kp or s2kp2 (slip 2, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) a centered double decrease - March 17, 2025
- Free Printable Knit & Crochet Yarn Labels - March 13, 2025
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