Finished: Knit Totoro Scarf and Hood

So two things for the die-hard Totoro fans before we even begin:

1. I know the leaf is on backwards. It was actually on correctly before we started and while I was ON THE ROOF, I was all, "Hm, I think this should be the other way." Of course, I was wrong.

2. The ears are no longer floppy! I thought I fixed them, and my lovely photographer had no idea that they weren't supposed to be floppy. As this was a gift, I had to fix the ears and ship them off with no time for a re-shoot.

Here's proof that everything is better:

That is my incredibly happy sister, who says she has not stopped wearing this since Christmas. Woohoo.

My sister had been dropping hints the last few months that she wanted an animal cowl hood type thing, and I didn't really get the hint until I was all, "Oh my gosh, I have no idea what to get her for Christmas."

Apparently, she wanted an animal cowl hood type thing.

I thought she was joking and continued shopping for her, but then one day I realized making a Totoro hat would be perfect for her.

(Good thing, too, because when I half-apologized on Christmas she said she only wanted me to make her something.)

For those who don't know, Totoro is a loveable forest spirit that, in the words of my boyfriend, looks like a scary monster. It's a really cute kid's movie. Think of Winnie the Pooh in terms of his loveability.

I decided to make a scarf and hood combo rather than a cowl and hood combo because I tend to overheat with things wrapped around my neck. Plus, they can be itchy so it was a no go.

The scarf ends each have a bit of Totoro's fuzzy chest and design.

The ears were fairly simple to construct. I used an I-cord combined with increases and decreases to  shape them.

I really hated the point on the hood at first and I tried to figure out a way to get rid of it, but then I realized it was perfect for balancing the leaf and holding it up.

 The leaf was a variation of a few different leaf designs I found on ravelry. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the leaf isn't permanently attached, but I safety pinned it on in case she wants to take it off.

Overall, I'm super happy with this construct, and I can't believe how relatively simple it was to design.