Handmade Lightweight Cotton Crochet Colorful Rainbow Pussy Cat Hat

Soft 100% cotton multi-color summer lightweight hat with cat ears. I used a high quality cotton yarn that's a great alternative for anyone irritated by man-made fibers.

The color is called Psychedelic Ombre and includes purple, yellow, pink, green, blue, and orange.  This yarn is matte (no sheen). This is a self-striping yarn which creates random stripes and patches of color throughout the hat.  Each hat I make may differ a little from the photos.

As the weather begins to warm up, I thought it would be a good idea to have some thinner cat hat options in addition to the warm winter ones I've been making. I used a relatively thin yarn along with an openwork design. The hat only weighs two ounces.

About the yarn used for this hat: While in the world of fabrics, cotton and cotton blends are plentiful, yarn is a whole different story. It's actually very difficult to find cotton yarns to use for crocheting and knitting. The few that are available are often expensive, heavy, or fade easily. For this hat I used the most common cotton yarn available in stores called Lily Sugar N Cream. This brand is very good quality, but not really designed for accessories like hats and scarves. Crocheters often refer to this yarn as "kitchen cotton" since it's commonly used for items such as dishcloths, scrubbies, and placemats. I chose to use this yarn for a hat since I thought it was important to offer a cotton alternative to the acrylic summer pussyhats. A great way to think of this yarn is as "fancy" dyed cotton string. It's extremely durable and soft, but colors like this dark pink will fade a little with each washing. With all that being said, I'm extremely happy with the way the hat turned out and find it very comfy to wear. :D


I (Michele) design and hand-crochet all of my items.

My pricing is based on yarn costs, crocheting time, and Ebay & Paypal seller fees.  

After a busy year I'm making most items to order (which means I make them after they are purchased).  The handling time in each listing will be an indication of the time it takes me to make the hat.  The handling time for this hat is currently three business days, but if sales are slow, I may get it shipped sooner. (:


Yarn Content: 100% Cotton
Yarn Brand & Color: Lily Sugar N Cream in Psychedelic Ombre
Approximate Height: 8 inches/20 cm
Approximate Width (when hat is lying flat): 10.75 inches/ 27.3 cm
Thickness: 1/4 inch/ .65 cm

SIZE: One size fits most (adult women). This hat will fit best on a head size of around 22" (56 cm). If you need the hat to be slightly smaller, larger, or would just like it to be a little looser, send me a message and I can decrease or increase the size a little. The mannequin In the photos has a head size of 22 inches/55.8 cm and the hat fits loosely and comfortably on her. For small changes in size I do not charge any extra.

This hat is crocheted "in the round", so only one seam at the top of the hat. The area in the back where I turn to start new rows will look a little different than the rest of the stitches (you can see this in the seventh photo).

CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
Can be washed in cold and dried in dryer with like colors, however I strongly recommend hand washing in cold water and laying flat to dry. The gentler washing & drying prevents the yarn from frizzing over time and will help lessen the fading of dark colors. Avoid washing with heavier garments that cause friction. If using washing machine, avoid washing with items that have zippers, buttons, etc that may snag the yarn loops and pull on them or make the yarn fray.

Note: All yarns come with a bit of "factory residue" that causes a little stiffness. This will disappear with regular handling and/or the first wash, bringing out the true softness of the yarn.

U.S. SHIPPING:

I keep shipping to a minimum and offer USPS First Class Package as the best value for price & speed. For multiple orders, I often use Priority Mail. I use the Paypal USPS integrated shipping system whenever possible, so you will be provided with a delivery confirmation number by email. I do combine shipping and already have discounts set up through Ebay, but may be able to reduce shipping costs even more if you'd like to request a total after purchasing multiple items but before paying for them. Once shipped, almost all of my shipments within the U.S. arrive in two to five mailing days.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING:

I always combine shipping for multiple orders and already have discounts set up through Ebay. I will always refund any significant overpayment of postage costs. I most commonly use USPS First Class International for shipping outside of the US. First Class International may take a longer time to arrive than other services, but it's much more affordable than Priority International (which usually runs $25 or more for a few ounces). Delivery time for international packages is usually 5 to 15 business days. Customs, bad weather, or national holidays can sometimes slow down a package with the occasional shipment taking around 30 days to arrive. This only happens to about 5% of my international shipments. (:

As of January 27th, 2013, USPS has raised prices for First Class International, in some cases almost doubling the amount they used to charge.  On a positive note, they are starting to include tracking and delivery confirmation as part of the First Class service. They are beginning with Canada and will be adding other countries in the future.

The amount I charge for First Class International shipping includes the weight of a cardboard box.  If you’d like me to ship your scarf or scarves in a polymer shipping envelope, I do have those available.  Using shipping envelopes can sometimes reduce the total package weight and lessen the cost of shipping. Please let me know if you’d like me to ship using this type of packaging and I’ll see if there’s a price difference.  If you’ve already paid for the scarf and shipping, I can always issue a refund through Paypal for the difference.

International Buyers Please Note: Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.

PAYMENTS:
I only accept Paypal. If you don't have a Paypal account, you will still be able to pay with a credit or debit card through Paypal. You can also pay from your bank account using an E-check (also through the Paypal system), but I won't be able to ship until the check has cleared, Paypal says it's okay to ship and allows me to print out a label.

RETURNS:
For now, I am not accepting returns, but am completely open to resolving any problems that may occur. I feel the best strategy is to head off any problems before they even happen. If you have any questions whatsoever about any items I am selling, please ask.

Thanks for looking & supporting American Small Businesses! (: