I met Nancy Brown at the Crochet Guild of America Conference 1998 and was immediately impressed with her and her work.  Of course I had to have my own signed copy of her latest how-to patterns for crocheted hats.

Abbreviations and symbols plus general directions and yarn information are included.   Brown used Lion Brand yarns for these patterns.  The stitches are basic crochet and a stitch guide is included with figure and instructions to refresh your memory.

You can make berets, hats with brims, fedora, bowler, pea cap and a chenille cloche.   There are several patterns for floral embellishments such as a chrysanthemum, leaves, and other large and small flowers.  You can add these embellishments to other items besides the hats.

What I like the very BEST is each round or row is listed separately so you can take a paper clip and work down the side as you crochet.  Most magazine patterns and many books have the whole pattern listed in a paragraph and is a real bother to follow.     I am sure this is to conserve space but most crocheters I know state they sit down and rewrite the whole pattern with the rounds /rows separately so they can follow it without loosing their place.  With the newer yarns available such as Lion Brand, it is easy to make these lovely hats in wonderful colors and in synthetics, which is a real help for those who are allergic to animal fibers.