fo: totoro hat

i finished my totoro hat tonight! it turned out to be quite the ordeal. i used knit picks ambrosia (80% baby alpaca, 20% cashmere), in 'fog,' and while it was very soft, it was also very splitty. the pattern also called for a figure-8 cast on, which i didn't know how to do, and struggled with. i ended up using an alternative cast on that i found online, and i don't even think i did that right, as i ended up with loose holes at the top where it should have been a seamless cast on. oh well. the ears were fussy to make, and when i tried to embroider the eyes on with some thin white yarn i had lying around, the eyes ended up so bulky and bug-like that i ended removing them and just using felt instead.

still, i think it turned out pretty cute! i hope my friend and her baby (due in february, but her shower is in a few weeks) like it!