Kitty Ear Beanie

Yet another tweak of an existing pattern. I made some of these for the local gift drive in November/December but found myself repeatedly modifying details. Perhaps because I wear glasses, it seemed a little long, and since I was making some for teens, I wanted to add a bit of whimsy. Plus rolling the cuff to the outside reduces sensory issues.

The original is from: https://supersimplesewing.com/easy-fleece-hat-tutorial-and-pattern/

Here's my slightly modified beanie base with added kitty ears.

A Note On Sizes:

Since it's based on stretchy fabric this will fit a fair range of sizes just by modifying the seam allowance.

For tweens/smaller teens I'd suggest a 5/8" seam on the body of the hat. For a women's medium a 1/2" seam, for a women's large/men's medium a 3/8" seam, and for a large men's I'd use a 1/4" seam.

pattern (print 100% on 8.5" x 11" paper)

sewing machine/coordinating threads

pins

fabric scissors

1/3 yard (12") stretchy fleece for the body of the hat (most fleece has stretch, but I found out the hard way most is not all...)

scraps of contrasting flannel or fleece for the ear lining

(printer to print out the pattern is helpful, but you can trace it off the screen if you need to)

Fold the fabric over just enough to allow for the pattern piece. Pin and cut out. Fold over again and cut a second piece.

Now cut out two ears. With patterned fabrics or fleece with a nap, try to keep them placed in the same direction as the hat. If it's a solid with no nap you can cut them at any angle to use up small scraps. Cut one and one reverse, so you have mirrored ears. (You can also fold the fabric and cut both at the same time.)

Do the same with the ear lining.

Start pinning the ears right sides together. (It's hard to tell with fleece, but usually the pattern is crisper or the texture better on one side, that's the 'right' side.)

Pin all around the curved side. Sew with a 1/4" seam *just along the curve*

Don't sew the two flat sections of the bottom!

Turn the ears inside out. It might help to run a finger along the inside of the edge to flatten the seams a little.

Fold the ears so the shorter flat bottom angle lines up with the longer one. The outside fleece that was the back will now wrap around the front.

Once you're happy with the shape, pin the ears at the center point and both edges.

Start pinning the two curved sides of the beanie with the fabric right sides together.

Pin just the bottom half of each side and on either side of the notch. The notch is going to be a dart front and back to help curve the hat.

Place the ears on edge to get a feel for where you want the ears to be. The dart will be sewn closed, so you want them a little farther apart at this point then you want them to be at the end.

Flip one ear down and pin between the two beanie pieces.

Fold the hat in half so you can make sure the second ear will be mirrored. It helps to put pins right before and right after where the ear will go.

Flip the second ear down and put between the two beanie pieces in the gap you made. Pin it securely.

This example is going to be tween/teen sized, so it will have a 5/8" seam allowance. Use a long zigzag stitch so the seam will have some stretch. 8 stitches per inch seems to be a good length for fleece. (On my machine it just calls this zigzag width 2.)

Measure the seam allowance from the far point of the zigzag to the edge of the fabric!

Sew along one side. Stop at the gap. Continue along the other side. Back stitch for a few stitches at the beginning and end of each side.

Pinch the gap closed. Open the seams from each side so they're flat and line them up. Pin there first and then line up the cut edges and pin along them. Measure an inch out from the cut on both sides and mark with pins.

Start sewing from the very edge of the fabric at that point. Slowly increase the seam width until it's about 1/2" where the side seams meet, then decrease it back down until going off the edge at the last pin 1" past the cut.

Leave long tails to tie off the ends. This part looks neater without back stitching.

Fold the edge up just under 1" and fold that up another 1" so you have a 1" rolled cuff. Pin and sew with a wide zigzag stitch along the top edge. The stitching here is still 8 stitches per inch, but twice as wide.

Start at one side seam and go around the entire bottom. Once back at the beginning, pill the threads through to the back. Tie a knot and pull the ends through the inner seam to keep them secure and hidden.

Done!!