14 Free, Playful Hat Patterns Full of Cat-itude

This delightful collection of free knitting patterns for cat hats will charm the cat lovers in your life

Do you have a passion for cats?

Do you have a friend or relative with such a passion?

Do you simply want to knit hats (for charity or for fundraising) with a bit more cat-itude than usual?

If any (or all) of these are true, this is the hat pattern collection for you! It’s arranged by hats that look like cats (or cat faces, more specifically) and by hats with a cat theme. Many of the latter use colorwork, but not all of them do.

All of these patterns are perfect for the more adventurous knitter!

Hats Shaped Like Cats

1. Cat Hat Knitting Pattern

• What you’ll need to make it: 80 to 120 yards DK-weight yarn (in two different colors, one main and one complementary); US Size 10.5 and 6 needles; tapestry needle

• Why you’ll want to: This simply-named pattern is utterly adorable. The finished project features a two-toned cat with ears, nose and whiskers, and eyes in a different color. The demo was knitted in chenille, but of course you can use any yarn you want.

2. Cat-eared Baby Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 190 yards fingering weight yarn; US Size 1 circular needles and US Size 2 circular needles or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; sewing needle and thread; small button

• Why you’ll want to: Need a quick, easy, and adorable hat for a baby? Here’s the pattern for you. I adore the seed-stitch brim, the seed-stitched cat ears, and the adorable little button on the brim.

3. Nyan (Not Your Average Noggin) Cat Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 87 yards super bulky gray yarn, 49 yards super bulky rainbow-colored yarn (or multiple colors tied together to create the look of rainbow yarn), 462 yards fingering weight yarn divided evenly into tan and whatever color you’d like to make your “toaster pastry icing,” and scraps of fingering weight yarn in whatever color you’d like for the “sprinkles”); US Size 10.5 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round (but please keep at least 2 DPNs handy if you make I-cord ties), and US Size 2 needles; tapestry needle; stuffing of your choice

• Why you’ll want to: “Nyan” has two meanings here. “Nyan” is the abbreviation for “not your average noggin” (ie, a big head!), and it’s also the name of a popular Internet video from 2011 featuring a flying cat. (You can find said video here.) I love everything about this hat’s whimsy: the rainbow brim, the silly toaster-pastry ear flaps, and the long multi-colored ties that can be either braided or I-corded.

4. Baby Angora Kitty Cap

• What you’ll need to make it: 116 yards DK weight yarn (the fuzzier, the better); US Size 4 needles; tapestry needle; button

• Why you’ll want to: The fuzzy yarn, plus the little neck strap, really elevate this kitty hat for babies to the next level! You don’t need to use fuzzy yarn, of course; the pattern’s Ravelry projects page shows many lovely results with a non-fuzzy yarn.

5. Bernat Costume Hat for Cat

• What you’ll need to make it: 290 yards worsted weight yarn, divided into two colors (about 200 for main color and 90 for contrast color); US Size 7 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This is such an adorable hat for kiddos! The pattern creates a ribbed beanie with a longer back that you can then add ears to make a cat hat. Or, you can try one of the other varieties, including alien, bunny, or dinosaur.

6. Hello Kitty Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 131 to 164 yards fingering weight yarn, plus a little extra for embroidery and any embellishments; US Size 2.5 circular needles or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: No collection of cat knitting patterns could be complete without Hello Kitty! This darling hat is perfect for any fan, but you could make the hat in a color other than white, and it’s instantly a lovely hat for any cat lover.

7. Easy Cat Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 109 to 219 yards worsted weight yarn (with a small quantity in a contrasting color); US Size 8 needles

• Why you’ll want to: This darling pattern not only features cute cat ears, it also offers ear flaps, ties, and pom poms. Completely adorable!

8. Striped Cat Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 210 yards worsted or Aran weight yarn (in equal number of multiple colors–the demo uses 7 rainbow colors, but you can use any 7 colors you want); US Size 9 needles in whatever configuration you wish (circular needles and/or DPNs for knitting in the round; plus a straight needle if you’d like to do a 3-needle bind-off)

• Why you’ll want to: Not only does this hat feature stripes, but it also offers a fascinating texture (courtesy of the Grecian Turret stitch). I also think this has the simplest way of knitting ears–just sew diagonal lines at each top corner!

Hats Featuring a Cat Theme

9. Dr. Seuss Cat’s Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: About 600 yards worsted weight yarn in red and white; US Size 3 circular needles and/or DPNs; tapestry needle; scissors; crochet hook

• Why you’ll want to: There’s hardly a more famous cartoon cat in all of the world than the Cat in the Hat! This delightful hat is perfect for the Dr. Seuss fan in your life.

10. Cats Paws

• What you’ll need to make it: 280 to 360 yards fingering weight yarn; US Size 3, 2, and 1 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; 8 stitch markers

• Why you’ll want to: This charming pattern creates a design that resembles a bucket hat with an adorable series of cat paw prints circling above the brim.

11. Cat Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: Aran weight yarn in two to three different colors (amount of yarn unspecified); US sizes 7 and 9

• Why you’ll want to: This isn’t so much a hat pattern as a chart that creates a sweet design–kitties sitting on a brick wall! It’s a great way to take a plain hat pattern and dress it up with some stylish colorwork.

12. Internet Defense League Cat Signal Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 273 yards sport weight yarn, in a main color and a contrasting color (you’ll probably need at least 150 yards for the main color); US Size 3 and 4 needles; stitch markers

• Why you’ll want to: This hat design is perfect for anyone who likes their cats more on the creepy side, as this pattern creates a hat with a decidedly creepy and large cat face on the front. If you like intarsia, you may well appreciate the challenge of this hat.

13. Witch Cats Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 320 to 330 yards DK weight yarn (mostly in the main color, with a small amount needed for the contrasting color); US Size 4 and 2.5 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; tapestry needle

• Why you’ll want to: Perfect for Halloween, this hat features black cats everywhere. Not for the faint-hearted, but you’ll likely find it an incredibly rewarding project.

14. Black Cats Beanie

• What you’ll need to make it: 230 yards fingering weight yarn in at least 3 different colors; US Size 2.5 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: Another beanie adorned with black cats, but with a different design pattern than the other hat. (I especially love the option to create a “cat’s tail” at the top.) Either of these would be a delightful challenge for Halloween.

Thanks to these free patterns for cat hats, you’ll never tire of knitting gifts for all the cat lovers you know!