Football hat

In my search for some cute hats to make for the boys I kept coming across hats designed to look like balls - especially a football.  I found a free one and gave it a go only to have it turn out oddly shaped and WAAYYYY to big despite being a "newborn" size.  So I again decided to play around and this is what I came up with.  It received Mr. Sunflowers seal of approval as well as the mini sunflowers.

You will need:
Crochet Hook, Size I, 5.5mm
Red Heart With Love, Chocolate
Red Heart With Love, White

Directions:
start with a magic ring,

r1 - ch 2 (does not count as a dc in the pattern),  12 dc in ring.  pull tight.  join to first dc

r 2 - ch 2, work 2 dc in each stitch around.  join to first dc.  (24 dc)

r3 - ch 2, *2dc in stitch, dc in next stitch repeat from * around.  join white yarn, join to first dc (36)
 * I do not cut the brown yarn, rather I work the first dc of the next row around the tail and let it hang.  When I begin r5 I just pick it up again.  less ends to weave in ;)

r4 - ch 2, dc in each stitch, join brown yarn, join to first dc.  cut white yarn (36)

r5-9 - ch 2, dc in each stitch around, join to first dc (36)  at the end of round 9 join white yarn

r10 - ch 2, dc in each stitch around, pick up brown and join to first dc.  cut white yarn (36)

r11 - ch 2, hdc in each stitch around, join to first hdc (36)

r12 - ch 1, sc in each stitch around, join to first sc. fasten off and weave in all ends

to make the lacing:
with white chain 7 leaving a long tail at the end.  position chain in the large brown section between the white rounds vertically.  use the tail to secure the chain to the hat and to sew 3 bar lines across.  weave in ends.

Until next time,