Is your cat or dog a Chiefs fan? This Kansas City woman can crochet it an adorable hat
On days when she is not volunteering, Jan Powell, 74, of Kansas City, can be found nestled in her cozy living room with skeins of yellow, red and white yarn. Powell, who lives in the Westwood Park neighborhood, spends hours crocheting Kansas City Chiefs-themed hats for cats and dogs.
With each stitch, she transforms red and yellow skeins of yarn into tiny headpieces—complete with ear holes and pom-poms. A patch of the Chiefs arrowhead logo, which she purchases, is carefully stitched onto the crocheted cap. Long red crocheted straps secure the cap in place.
The idea for making Chiefs-themed hats for pets came naturally. “Everybody’s wearing Chiefs gear, and why not their dogs and cats?” Powell said, recalling how the concept began after crafting some Halloween-themed hats for black cats. Each hat she makes is unique, and she’s constantly refining her design. “I’ve made little changes to the design every time I make one, I try to improve it,” she explained, emphasizing the care and creativity that goes into each piece.
A longtime friend, Ruth de la Garza, helps to sell the headwear through Facebook Marketplace. The kitty in the Facebook post, Biscuit, and her two toy poodles, Miss Daisy and Billy, are her models. She gently places the finished hats on their heads and snaps playful photos, which are shared on Facebook.
The charm of these handmade hats extends beyond just their appearance. According to de la Garza, some dogs even grow attached to them. “The dogs don’t want to remove it. I started calling it the Linus effect, like a blanket,” she said, referring to how comforted they seem when wearing the hats.
The hats aren’t just cute; they’re meticulously crafted.
“It takes her 3.5 hours... she’s not even making $10 an hour,” said de la Garza, highlighting the value of Powell’s work, which are made with durable materials that are machine washable. The hats are available for dogs and cats and come in a variety of sizes, from small to extra large. “You know, for $25 for a small one, they can’t believe it,” said De La Garza. Some customers even bring their dogs to Powell to be measured for the correct fit.
Customers are amazed when they see the hats in person. “The moment they see the hats, they go wild. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, they’re adorable,’” recalled de la Garza. “They’re so cute and then when they put the hat on their doggies, they can’t believe it because they know that they can’t find them just anywhere, not even online,” she said. “And, you know, they love them.”
After hearing that Taylor Swift has three cats, Powell laughed, and De La Garza quipped, “They would probably look pretty good in these.”
The Facebook posts draw smiles, comments, and some orders from fellow pet lovers eager to adorn their furry friends in Chiefs spirit.
For anyone not on Facebook, Powell and de la Garza set up an email where people can inquire about the hats. kcchiefshandmadehats@gmail.com
Although Powell isn’t a huge Chiefs fan herself, she delights in the happiness her hats bring, finding purpose in each creation as they spread team pride in a fun and whimsical way.
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