Handmade Women's Blue, Dark Brown and Off-White Cat Hat with random striping

Extra soft lightweight crochet knit winter hat with cat ears.

The Charisma brand of yarn is perfect for winter: it's considered a bulky yarn (thicker than normal strand) but is still very airy and lightweight, providing warmth without heaviness. It's 100% acrylic, extremely soft and cushion-y, so no concern about itchiness whatsoever! (:

The color in the photos is called Lakeside and includes a few shades of blue with dark brown and off-white. In most color lots, the off-white has very fine strands of blue and brown running through it. Each hat I make with this type of self-striping yarn will look different from the others I've made, since it's hard to predict where the colors will show up. The striping of the hat you receive may not match up exactly to the pictures.


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

My pricing is based on yarn costs, crocheting time, and Ebay 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 five business days, but if sales are slow, I may get it shipped sooner. (:


Yarn Content: 100% Acrylic
Yarn Brand & Color: Charisma in Lakeside
Approximate Height: 7.5 inches/19 cm
Approximate Width (at base of hat, when relaxed): 10 inches/ 25.5 cm
Thickness: 1/4 inch/ .65 cm



SIZE: One size fits most (adult women). This hat will fit best on a head size of 21" to 22" (53 - 55.5 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 comfortably on her. I do not charge extra for small changes in size.

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

CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
Can be washed in cold and dried in dryer on low setting. However, I recommend either hand-washing in cold water and laying flat to dry, or washing on a gentle cycle in a lingerie bag and drying only a few minutes in the dryer. The gentler washing & drying prevents the yarn from frizzing over time. 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. The general rule for washing crocheted items and keeping them looking as new as possible: the gentler, the better. (:

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 Ground Advantage as the best value for price & speed. For multiple orders, I often use Priority Mail. I use the eBay USPS integrated shipping system whenever possible, so you will be provided with a delivery confirmation number by email. 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.

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! (: