The owl hat

Cute crocheted owl hat for EE

I made this adorable owl hat following Yolanda's (all crafts channel) instructions well explained in her two videos (watch part 1 and part 2).

I chose a warm toned red-brown combination for this project. I have found an oh-so-lovely colour for the main part that I fell in love with. I call it the raspberry colour.

Rowan Wool Cotton (50% Merino Wool, 50% Cotton) SH 00956 Coffee Rich = brown
and ... SH 00911 Rich = raspberry colour. I have used cream for the big eyes and orange for the beak.

» ch4, sl st into 1st ch;
Rnd 1: ch 3 (= dc), 11 dc [wrap once] into circle, sl st into 3rd ch;
Rnd 2: ch 3 + dc into same stitch; 2 dc into each dc st; sl st into 3rd ch; / 24
Rnd 3: ch 3 + dc into same ch, 2 dc into ea ch; / 48
Rnd 4: ch 3, 1 dc in each ch; / 48
[R4: every 3rd is a dc x 2]
Rnd 5 - 8: repeat rnd 4: 1 dc in ea ch; / 48
[R5: evey 8th is a dc x 2]
end of 8th row sl st pull second colour;
[R6 - 7 - 8: 1 dc;]
Rnd 9 - 12: repeat, 1 dc in ea ch;
...

Following the exact same pattern I ended up with a small beanie which did not fit (wondering, was it the yarn?), so I started over and added more increase beyond the 4th row. Now the hat was wide enough to fit nicely. Before adding the ear flaps I added an extra raspberry row. I had to work out a different place for the ear flaps because of the wider base, and there is an extra sc row on the eyes too. Sewing on the eyes was more challenging than I expected...

The end product is charming. I am proud.