My daughter loved her ‘kitten mittens’ and asked for a hat that looks (something) like our cat Mina’s distinctive markings. I have never done intarsia knitting - stripes don’t count - but I thought I could figure this one out.

I decided to make a doll-sized sample to play with the techniques (intarsia, backward knitting and short-rows for the ears). I started with a 3mm needle but changed quickly flat on straight needles as I couldn’t manage all of the little balls of yarn on circulars.

I’m going to start the real thing and I’ve decided it will be best to make a provisional cast-on and knit the patterned part back and forth and then add the ribbing in the round at the end. Wish me luck! (gauge 2” = 14 st and 20 rows over pattern area)