Heidi Ute hat aka Cabled Chapeau

So this is a hat for me.  It is going to have a bill and a strap with hopefully two buttons.  I found the pattern from one my Aunt was doing for my cousin she needed help with a part and I looked at the pattern and fell in love. Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller is where we found it.
I am using the leftover yarn from hubby's hat.  If I run out of yarn the plan is to have the strap be red.  I am loving it so far.  

I have heard attaching the strap and bill is a little tough.  I will document it here.

So you will notice the peanut gallery in the back ground I am loving this hat I may even make others with just this design it didn't take much yarn and it is really comfy and stretchy.  I was thinking at first I didn't need to do the called for 7 inches I am glad I did now.  The first picture was at 5 inches before I started decreasing to close in the top.

So I have finished the bill.  As I was making it I was also reading on Ravelry the comments about the hat and was starting to think it would be harder than it was.

so this is how I did it: I made a chart to help my very visual mind figure things out and it did.

You do just need to add three stitches to each row after you do the turn at 25 as you start it. When you do the turn make sure to slip the next stitch with the yarn on the opposing side; if knitting the next row have the yarn behind. If purling the next row have the yarn in front.  Slip the stitch and then turn your knitting to go the same way you just came.  It makes shorter rows but it increases them to make the bill wider.  It seems confusing but makes sense when you get started on it.  Hope you can read the chart and it helps.  Remember when casting off to leave a large tail as you can use this to seal in the lid or whatever up are using for the bill.

This the piece blocked.

This is it after blocking and then formed to measure for the bill.  I will be using so craft foam sheets.  Cutting a little smaller than the piece.

So I have the foam piece inside and now I need to figure out how to attach it to the hat... hmm

so even though the brim was cut correctly that doesn't actually mean I put it in right.  I ended up twisting it around so that the straight piece actually had the seam not the portion that will be to the outside.  

I have since attached the hat to the bill along the bottom of the cap.  I was able to find some buttons today and will be sewing them on shortly.

Woohoo all done.  I love it the bill adding needed my son so that I could sew it on on with his head inside.  He was nervous but I didn't stab him.  :)  loving the way it looks.

It is better with hair down or at least braids I think.

So now I need to get one of the pieces to my Aunt so she can finish my cousins too.  Hopefully she 

hasn't lost too much motivation.