kittyville

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Official Kittyville Hat by Kitty Schmidt, kindly available for free.
Size: There's only one size. The pattern calls for an aran-weight yarn and I knit it in something lighter to size it down for a six-year old birthday gift. 
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash in shade 893 (0.7 skeins) and a tiny bit of Debbie Bliss Angel in shade 15006.
Needles: 4.0mm and a 1.75mm crochet hook. Oh, and a medium size Clover pom-pom maker! 
Start to finish: Quick knit - 9 May to 12 May 2012. 
Recycle/stash content: All of it - the Cascade 220 was given to me by a friend and the Angel came from Goodwill (99c).

Comments: Fun to knit, great result. The pattern is a bit clumsy but I'm guessing that is to make it an easy knit for those who would be attracted to wearing a kitty hat. I'm not personally but it was perfect to knit as a birthday present. I made a few changes - I knit the ears in the round and did paired decreases (k2tog and ssk) at the very edges of each side of the ears. Likewise for the decreases on the ear flaps which would be nicer if knit all in one with the hat instead of attached later by picking up stitches. I also added the fuzzy inside of the ears by crocheting a triangle from the Angel and sewing it on (also helped to reduce any inadvertent resemblance to a devil hat).
And the pom-poms! I haven't made pom-poms since I was a child and then I used a piece of folded cardboard. Which is what I could also have done this time but why let the opportunity to purchase a Clover gadget pass you by?
Verdict: Purrrr!