Cats Not Kings Hat

SOME DESIGNS ARRIVE quietly. Others insist on being made.

This hat belongs to the latter category. In October 2025, I cast on a cowl featuring a procession of cat faces paired with the phrase “Cats Not Kings” during the week of the second No Kings Rally—a grassroots gathering born from collective frustration with concentrated power and eroding rights in the U.S. I was also processing the sudden loss of my cat, Purl, and found myself wanting to knit something that could hold contradictory feelings at once: grief and defiance, softness and resistance.

Knitting the cowl became a way to channel overwhelming emotions into something tangible, stitch by stitch. When others saw the design, they asked for more, and I couldn’t resist creating a hat, too!

Cats have always understood what many humans forget: that independence matters, that comfort is radical, and that those who demand unquestioned authority are rarely deserving of it. This cowl is for anyone who believes creativity is a form of participation, that small acts of resistance add up, and that joy and conviction can—and should—coexist.

Cats not kings, y’all! Always.

*****

All proceeds from this design will be donated to immigrant aid organizations across the country, beginning with groups serving communities in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I’ve priced this pattern to make it as accessible as possible. If purchasing this pattern would be a hardship, I am offering a pay-what-you-can option. Please email me at briana {at} brianarleneknits.com to let me know if you can pay 75%, 50%, or 0%, and I’ll send you a discount code — no questions asked. Include "Cats Not Kings Cowl discount code" in the subject line and your Ravelry username in the body of the email. I’m not able to track messages sent through Ravelry comments or social media DMs. Thanks so much for understanding!

  • Design & Construction: The Cats Not Kings Hat is a classic beanie featuring two-color stranded colorwork that wraps around the outer brim. It begins with a provisional cast-on and several rounds of stockinette. The fabric is then folded and joined to create a clean, double-layer hem. Colorwork is worked to form the outer brim, and the inner brim continues in stockinette. At the transition to the single-layer crown, the German short row technique is used to turn the hat inside out without creating a hole, allowing you to continue knitting the crown seamlessly in stockinette. The result is a polished hat with crisp colorwork and a comfortable, professional finish.

    Fit: This hat is designed to be worn with 10 to 15% negative ease. To choose your best size, measure your head circumference at its fullest point. Multiply this number by your preferred ease percentage, then subtract that amount from your head circumference. Select the size with a finished circumference closest to your result.

    Yarn: The yarn estimates provided in this pattern are approximations, calculated to allow for both a sizable swatch and the sweater, with a small margin of error. Your actual yarn usage may vary based on factors such as your personal gauge, the yarn’s characteristics (e.g., fiber content, ply, thickness), and any modifications you make to the pattern.

    Stitch Patterns: The stranded colorwork stitch pattern in this sweater are only charted, so you should be confident in your chart reading skills—or be open to learning!

    Additional Notes: See the Notes section of the pattern for additional info on sizing, choosing colors that make the motifs stand out, and helpful tips on knitting stranded colorwork.

  • SIZES
    (1, 2)(3, 4, 5)
    Sized to fit (12 Months/Child, Youth/Adult S)(Adult M, Adult L, Adult XL)

    FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
    The circumference as measured at the widest point of the crown is as follows.
    (14.5, 16.75)(19, 21, 22.5) in.
    (36.5, 42)(47.5, 52.5, 56.5) cm

  • YARN
    DK weight
    MC: (55, 60)(70, 75, 80) g/(150, 165)(190, 205, 220) yds or (135, 150)(175, 185, 200) m
    CC: (10, 10)(10, 10, 10) g/(25, 25)(25, 25, 25) yds or (25, 25)(25, 25, 25) m

    SUGGESTED YARN
    The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Juicy DK (100 g/274 yds (251 m)) – 100% superwash Merino
    MC: 1 skein (all sizes)
    CC: 1 skein (all sizes)

    The sample hat is knit in the colorways Bison Princess (MC) and Legend (CC).

  • US 6 (4 mm)

    You will need circular needles measuring 14 in. (35 cm) and your preferred method for smaller circumference knitting (such as magic loop, short circular needles, or double-pointed needles).

  • Measure gauge in the round, after blocking.

    22 sts and 28 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stockinette
    22 sts and 26 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stranded colorwork

  • Knitting
    Purling
    Knitting in the round
    Provisional cast-on
    Stranded colorwork
    Chart reading
    Catching floats
    Knitting stitches together to create a folded hem
    German short rows
    Knit decreases

Purchase the Cats Not Kings Cowl pattern on Ravelry