CROCHET SOFT COMFORT BABY HAT

This chenille yarn is so soft and wonderful to  touch that baby will enjoy wearing this hat! The easy crochet pattern will work up quickly for last minute gifts for boy or girl babies.

What you will need:
RED HEART® Velvety™: 1 ball 9803 Lake
Susan Bates® Crochet Hook: 5mm [US H-8] Yarn needle
GAUGE: 12 sts = 4” (10 cm); 13 rows = 4” (10 cm) in single crochet. CHECK YOUR GAUGE.
Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

Hat measures 18” (45.5 cm) in circumference.
Special Stitches
sc2tog (single crochet 2 stitches together) = [Insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop] twice, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
sc3tog (single crochet 3 stitches together) = [Insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop in next st] 3 times, yarn over and draw through all 4 loops on hook.
Notes: Hat is worked in joined rounds, with right side always facing, beginning at top of Hat. Earflaps are worked back and forth in rows beginning over a portion of the stitches in the last round of Hat.
HAT
Ch 2.
Round 1 (right side): Work 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook; join with slip st in first sc—6 sc.
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around; join with slip st in first sc—12 sc.
Round 3: Ch 1, [sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—18 sc.
Round 4: Ch 1, [sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—24 sc.
Round 5: Ch 1, [sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—30 sc.
Round 6: Ch 1, [sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—36 sc.
Round 7: Ch 1, [sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—42 sc.
Round 8: Ch 1, [sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—48 sc.
Round 9: Ch 1, [sc in next 7 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times; join with slip st in first sc—54 sc.
Round 10: Ch 1, sc in each sc around; join with slip st in first sc.
Repeat last round until piece measures about 6 in. (15 cm) from beginning. Do not fasten off.
First Earflap
Row 1 (right side): (Slip st, ch 1, sc) in next sc, sc in next 8 sc, turn; leave remaining sts unworked—9 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 9 sc, turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first sc, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog, sc in last sc, turn—7 sc.
Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn.
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first sc, [sc2tog, sc in next sc] twice, turn—5 sc.
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn.
Row 7: Ch 1, sc in first sc, sc3tog, sc in last sc, turn—3 sc.
Row 8: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn. Fasten off.
Second Earflap
Row 1 (right side): With right side facing, skip next 20 unworked sc of last round of  Hat (for front of Hat), join yarn with sc in next sc, sc in next 8 sc, turn; leave remaining sts unworked (for back of Hat)—9 sc.
Rows 2–8: Work same as Rows 2–8 of First Earflap. Do not turn at the end of Row 8. Do not fasten off.

Edging and Ties
Sc in end of each row across side edge of Second Earflap, sc in each unworked sc across back of Hat, sc in end of each row across side edge of First Earflap; working across last row of Earflap, sc in first sc, ch 41 (for first Tie), slip st in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch across, skip next sc, sc in last sc; sc in end of each row across next side edge of First Earflap, sc in each unworked sc across front of Hat, sc in end of each row across edge of Second Earflap; working across last row of Earflap, sc in first sc, ch 41 (for 2nd Tie), slip st in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch across, skip next sc, sc in last sc; join with slip st in first sc. Fasten off.
FINISHING
Weave in ends.
ABBREVIATIONS
ch = chain; sc = single crochet; st(s) = stitch (es); ( ) = work directions in parentheses into same st; [ ] = work directions in brackets the number of times specified.