Changes to the Pattern
I made some changes to the pattern. The child size was too long, so after I got to 64 double crochets, I switched to the white yarn. I crocheted only 5 rounds of white in double crochet and 1 round of SC. So, I crocheted a total of 9 rounds of orange and 5 rounds of white for the child size, plus the SC round of white.
The nose bridge was turning out too narrow, so instead of beginning with 6 SC, I used 8 SC. So, my first row was 8 SC, 2nd row was 8 SC, 3rd row decreased to 6 SC (did 4 rounds total of 6 SC), and then went down to 4 SC and crocheted a few rows of 4 SC to match the length of the hat.
I did an extra piece of cheek fluff to match the white part of the hat. So after doing the cheek fluff of chain 5, I did the next one with chain 4, HDC in 2nd chain, then HCD decrease and join to the next DC. Then do the Chain 3, HDC decrease and join to the next DC on the edge of hat. I joined with an SC.
On the black part of the ear, I did an extra row of 4 SC to make it a little longer. I also made the nose wider by doing a round of SC in black around the black nose.
Sewing on Ears
When sewing on ears, I use a plastic knitting safety clip to hold the corners in place so I can see how they look and to make sure they are even. I use the yarn tail from the ear to sew it onto the hat. I sew down the front side and then down the back side of the ear. I reinforce the corners very well. I take a bite of the ear and then a bit of the hat and I move along the ear. I curve the ear slightly.
This was a fun project, and I'm sure she'll love it!
