We're celebrating International Cat Day with this adorable and easy-to-knit cat-ear headband. It's the perfect understated cute-creature look for little ones (and maybe even big ones too!) You could choose any shade of yarn for your headband so there’s nothing to stop you whipping up a cluster of adorable hairbands to match every outfit.
Yarn
Red Heart Heads Up (80% acrylic, 20% wool) bulky (chunky) yarn
1 x 3 ½ oz (100g) ball (106yd/97m) in Shade 00262 Tangelo
Needles and equipment
US10 ½ (6.5mm) knitting needles
Yarn sewing needle
Gauge (tension)
13 sts and 18 rows in stockinette (stocking) stitch to a 4-in (10-cm) square on US 10 ½ (6.5mm) needles.
Measurements
To fit an average 18 month– 3 year old toddler.
The circumference of the hairband is 16in (41cm) un-stretched. To make it smaller or larger, simply knit fewer rows or a few rows more. to make hairband
Abbreviations
Sts - stitch(es)
k– knit
p – Purl
P2tog – purl two stitches together
Ssk - slip one stitch, slip one stitch, knit slipped stitches together, to decrease
K2tog - knit two stitches together
Band
Cast on 10 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: K2, p6, k2.
Rep rows 1–2, 35 times more—or until the band is the desired length.
Bind (cast) off.
Ear - Make 4
Cast on 10 sts.
Row 1: P2tog, p6, p2tog. (8 sts)
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: P2tog, p4, p2tog. (6 sts)
Row 4: Knit.
Row 5: P2tog, p2, p2tog. (4 sts)
Row 6: Ssk, k2tog. (2 sts)
Row 7: P2tog. (1 st)
Fasten off.
To make up
Using mattress stitch sew the two short edges of the hairband together.
Place two ear pieces right sides together and oversew along the side edges, leaving the lower edges open. Turn the right way out. Make the second ear in the same way. Oversew the ears in place on the top of the hairband, along both the front and back of the lower edges of the ears to make sure they stand upright. The distance between the ears should be about 1in (2.5cm).
Weave in all loose ends.
For more adorable animal knits, check out Knitted Animal Nursery by Fiona Goble.