Mom (aka my bestie) went on a clothes shopping binge with my 2y/o niece at Old Navy. Of course, there was a bit of buyer’s remorse. One thing she picked up was a cute khaki sun hat that we both knew the little one would hardly wear. I told her if she wanted to return it, I’d crochet one in the same/similar style. This pattern is very close, but cuter! The total amount of yarn used will cost all of $2-$3 vs. paying full price at the mall. (AND it meant she kept the cutest pair of shorts I’ve ever seen!) Of course, I kept forgetting about this project and now I’m under the gun since the family’s going to Nana and Grampa’s for the holiday weekend. So I need to get this done NOW!

I’m using a WW cotton in camel held together with a #5 perle cotton in baby pink for the body and a WW in baby pink for the band.

Either I crochet too tightly or my niece has a fat head. I was almost done when I had my niece try on this hat. It was way too small, like maybe would fit an infant. So I switched to an I (5.5mm) hook and started over. I haven’t tried it on her yet, but this should fit. The larger hook also gives the piece more breathability which is imperative in the summer.

I got her to try it on before I stitched the brim and it seemed to fit perfectly, but when I got it finished it was just a bit too large. It’s still usable and she’ll probably be able to wear it next summer too. If I had the time I’d make another with an H hook just so it would fit more snugly, but this one will do. It really is super cute. I just wish she’d leave it on long enough for me to get a picture of her wearing it.

I used a G hook for the flower and instead of doing a blanket stitch around the edge of it, I used the pink perle cotton to do a round of sc to mimic the edge of the hat itself. I just happened to have a button on hand that matched the camel yarn almost perfectly.

Although this is a great pattern for a beginner, I don’t think I’d recommend it for a first project just because it’s written in such a way that assumes the user has some experience reading patterns. Still, nobody should be intimidated by crocheting hats because they’re so much easier than they look.