Rilakkuma Hat

I have a thing for the cute, little Japanese characters!  I went with a Rilakkuma hat this time.  You could also turn it into his little friend, Korilakkuma, if you change the colors up a bit too.

Materials:

• U.S. Size 8 (5mm) Needles
• Yarn Needle
• 1 Skein of each: Bernat Satin in Sable (MC), Caron Simply Soft in: White, Black, and Sunshine

You obviously don't need much of the white, black, or yellow, and I didn't even use the whole skein of the main color either

Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch with U.S. size 8 needles

 

Pattern:

Body of hat:

This pattern is worked flat then sewed together.

Cast on 90 stitches in MC.
Rows 1-8: Work in 1x1 rib
Row 9: (Starting stockinette stitch) Knit across
Row 10: Purl across
Row 11, and every odd numbered row to 27: K29, start/continue chart, K29
Row 12, and every even numbered row to 26: P29, continue chart, P29

I made his eyes one row lopsided because that's how my picture turned out, but if you're a stickler for symmetry, you can move the left eye up a row.  You can't really even tell they're lopsided though.

Continue in stockinette stitch until piece measures 5 1/2 inches from beginning of work, ending on a W.S. row ( I knitted until it measured 6 inches because my friend has A LOT of thick hair and needs more hat to cover it all).  Then start decreasing as follows:
*K7, K2tog. repeat from * to end
Purl across
*K6, K2tog.repeat from * to end
Purl across
*K5, K2tog. repeat from * to end
Purl across
*K4, K2tog. repeat from * to end
Purl across
*K3, K2tog. repeat from * to end
Purl across
*K2, K2tog. repeat from * to end
Purl across
*K1, K2tog. repeat from * to end
Purl across
K2tog across

Break yarn, pull through remaining stitches and sew up the sides.

Ears:

The ears are made in four separate pieces. Two front pieces are sewn to two back pieces to make the two ears.  I worked the ears stranded, so make sure to carry the MC behind, especially on the first row of the right ear.  Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma's colors inside their ears aren't centered, they are on the outsides.  The MC is the same color as the bear and the CC is the color used for inside the ears.

Back of ears (Make 2):
 Cast on 10 stitches in MC.
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: Purl across
Row 3: Knit across
Row 4: Purl across
Row 5: K3, K2tog, K3, K2tog
Row 6: Purl across
Row 7: K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog
Bind off

Front of right ear:
Cast on 10 stitches in MC
Row 1: K6 with CC, K4 with MC
Row 2: P3 with MC, P7 with CC
Row 3: K6 with CC, K4 with MC
Row 4: P4 with MC, P6 with CC
Row 5: K3, K2tog with CC, switch to MC and K3, K2tog          -8 stitches remaining
Row 6: P4 with MC, P4 with CC
Row 7: K2, K2tog across in MC                                                  -6 stitches remaining
Bind off.

Front of left ear: 
Cast on 10 stitches in MC 
Row 1: K4 with MC, K6 with CC
Row 2: P7 with CC, P3 with MC
Row 3: K4 with MC, K6 with CC
Row 4: P6 with CC, P4 with MC
Row 5: K3, K2tog with MC, switch to CC and K3, K2tog          -8 stitches remaining
Row 6: P4 with MC, P4 with CC
Row 7: K2, K2tog across in MC                                                  -6 stitches remaining
Bind off

Knit each front ear to a back ear making sure the wrong sides are facing each other.  Sew the ears to the top of the hat.