Who knew pink cat hats could open up such important dialogue about and among women? We have a long way to go, but the power of craft and sisterhood will help carry us through!

My eight hats attended five different marches. Three here in Rochester, two in Seneca Falls, one in California, one in Minnesota, and one in Washington, DC. I couldn’t march myself, but I was thrilled to my toes that so many women were there to represent me.

Women’s rights are human rights. WE ARE WATCHING YOU, DONALD TRUMP!!

I had requests for a bunch more hats after the march. They have their own project page, Pussyhats Part 2: From Moment to Movement.

The requests kept coming, so I created a third project page, Pussycat, Pussyhat: Pink Cat Hats Part 3.

The fourth and final batch of pussyhats can be found in Pussyhat Nation: Pink Cat Hats Part IV.

And because I started getting requests for baby hats and I used a specific pattern for some of them, I created yet another project page for them, Kittenhats.

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No, I’m not obsessed with pink hat selfies. I took modeled photos of all the hats because each one is slightly different and I wanted to be able to compare, especially if I return to this pattern or something like it in the future. I treated these hats as swatches and i have an appalling memory, so anything that helps me remember is a good thing.

Hat #1

Gauge: 20sts/28 rows per 4 inches in stockinette on US6.
Needles: US3 and US6
Yarn: Lemonade Shop Simple Sock.
Used 70g/280 yds (yarn held double)

Don’t love these ears, but they look better on a human head. It’s hard to take a photo from a good angle to show them without exaggerating them. But yeah, they are more Piglet than Pussy.

CO 92 sts (longtail cast on). Worked 1x1 rib for 3”. After ribbing, increased evenly to 104 sts. Worked until 7.5 inches. Worked directional decreases at inner edge of “ear”, starting when piece was about 6 3/4 inches from CO, with each decrease row followed by a knitted row. Four decrease rounds altogether.

Took a couple stitches at the base of each ear through the full thickness of the hat. It did make the ears stand out more, but I don’t love the look. Won’t do this on future hats.

Started Dec 27, finished Dec 28.

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Hat #2

Gauge: 22 sts/30 rows = 4” on US5 in stockinette
Needles: US2 and US5.
Yarn: Lemonade Shop Simple Sock.
Used 84g/336 yds (yarn held double)

Much happier with this one, but the ears are not improved.

CO 108 sts using German twisted CO. Worked 2x2 ribbing for 3”. Increased to 120 sts in first stockinette round. Worked decreases as side-by-side ssk/k2tog; started decreases when hat was about 5 3/4” from CO (but would have been better to wait, I think). Worked four sets of decrease rows, as in first hat.

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Hat #3 Melissa
Shadow stripes! pink on pink.

gauge: 18.5 sts/28 rows = 4” in stockinette on US6
needles: US2 and US6
yarn: Wollmeise Pure Nichts and Wollmeise Twin Babe (both doubled)
used 100g/366 yds (approx).

CO 108 sts, increased to 112 after ribbing, worked stockinette until about 8 1/2 inches long, bound off on the RS. No crown decreases. Final length after blocking: 8 1/4 inches.

This hat is a bit longer and definitely heavier than the others (thicker yarn), and the ears droop. I like this one the best! Will probably put tiny pompoms on the tips of the ears after blocking.

Note to self: Would prefer a slightly tighter gauge. Use US5 needles next time.

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Hat #4 Sharyn
Spiral single-row stripes.

gauge: 20 sts/25.5 rows = 4” in stockinette on US6
needles: US2 and US6
yarn: Wollmeise Twin in Babe and Roter Himbeermund (doubled)
used 90g/306 yds (approx).

CO 108 sts on US2, worked 2x2 rib for 3 inches. Changed to larger needles and worked stockinette st until 6” long. Worked paired directional double decreases (ssk,k2tog) at base of ears, one set in front. and one in back for four sets altogether. Decrease round followed by even round. Worked a 3 decrease rounds. Knit even until work measured 8 1/4” from CO. Bound off on RS using 3-needle bind off.

This shape works well. The ears stand up nicely (although I actually prefer the look of the droopy ears on Hat #3).

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Hat #5 Kelly

bold stripes: light pink on screaming magenta-with-orange

gauge: 19 sts/24 rows = 4” in stockinette on US6
needles: US2 and US6
yarn: Wollmeise Twin Babe and Roter Himbeermund (doubled)
used: 94 g/320 yds

CO 108 sts using German twisted cast on, US2 needles. Worked 2x2 ribbing for 3 inches. Switched to US6 needles and stockinette stitch, but no increases. Worked in 3-row travelling helical stripes until nearly 9 inches, bound off on RS using three-needle bind off. No crown shaping. Love the (very droopy) ears!

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Hat #6 Shellie

Koralle (orange-pink) with Dornröschen (hot red-pink with orange streaks).

gauge:
needles: US2, US6
yarn: Wollmeise Twin
used: 86g/293 yards

CO 100 sts with Korallle on US2. Worked 2x2 rib for 3 inches. Changed to US6 needles. Worked in 3-row travelling jogless stripes until piece measured 8.5 inches. Bound off on the WS.

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Hat #7 Madysyn

(Hat #6 with colors reversed)

gauge:
needles: US2, US6
yarn: Wollmeise Twin
used: 86g/293 yards

CO 100 sts with Korallle on US2. Worked 2x2 rib for 3 inches. Changed to US6 needles. Worked in 3-row travelling jogless stripes until piece measured 8.5 inches. Bound off on the WS.

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Hat #8 Sue

Koralle/Dornroschen, with stripes all the way up, including the ribbing. CO 100 sts, etc etc. The only difference here: I stacked the color changes on the jogless stripes instead of travelling them. I actually think it’s much less obtrusive; in fact, it’s very nearly invisible.