Elegant Hat

This hat looks difficult but looks are deceiving in this instance.  Doesn't it look great on Bethany?

Said she felt like Mary Poppins.

The "bow" makes the hat!

She was really cracking up here!

You can find the pattern here.

Below are a some personal observations and tips:

1. The pattern recommends using a G-6 (4mm) crochet hook. BE SURE TO CHECK THE GAUGE! I did not and ended up with a child's size large the first time. It will look great on my friend's daughter, but it barely stretched enough to fit over my 18-year old daughter's head. I changed to an H-8 (5mm) crochet hook to get a 22" band or adult size S/M hat - plus I used Red Heart TLC 5oz yarn instead of the Simply Soft 6oz called for by the pattern. When I make it again, I will use Simply Soft yarn - it is soooo soft and comfy and comes in a ton of rich, pretty colors.
2. A size I-10 (6mm) crochet hook would give you the 23-25" band L/XL size hat.
3. Pay attention to the directions, especially for the "hat" portion. The counts change for each row and can be very confusing, especially for a middle-aged woman losing her eyesight. I found it helpful to put a blank piece of paper under each row so I could follow along (similar to beginning reading in elementary school when we were supposed to follow along with our finger!)
4. Rows are staggered along the work, so don't panic if a row ends many stitches before the beginning of the row before. I have a precise, perfectionist personality and I unravelled my work a few times before I realized that the rows are supposed to be this way. This brings me to the next tip:
5. READ THE ENTIRE PATTERN BEFORE STARTING THE PROJECT! I obviously had trouble following this step - but quickly caught on. 
6. Also, when working on the "hat" portion, avoid distractions and complete in one sitting. This also helps to avoid confusion and stress. Once you are past this portion, you can go back to your multi-tasking, distracting environment.
7. The band was a little difficult at first but turns out it is very easy. IF you get stumped, look at a YouTube Video for that particular stitch. I've found this helpful on more than one occasion since I am a visual learner. 

 And as always - ENJOY!