First try

I can't remember how long it's been since I wanted to try to crochet a hat... probably close to 15 years!  Well, I finally got some patterns and some crochet cotton, and here is my first try at it:

It looks pretty cute on the mannequin head, but when I put it on, it looks lousy!  Partly, I'm sure, because I don't have a long slender neck, but also because I think the brim is wider than it should be.  I'm half-way tempted to rip out several rows on the brim and see if it looks any better.  But the other thing is, I really wanted to find some raffia to use for this style... I have a picture I got... forget where:

This looks similar in shape, but it looks a lot lighter, and appears to have more body for shaping the brim.  I may try starching the one I made, but I really think the cotton I used is too heavy for what I'm trying to make.  I want a light, airy summer hat.  If you see this and are good at reading patterns, maybe you could let me know what stitch you think is used on the lower hat.  It almost looks like straight double crochet to me, but my eyes are much less familiar with crochet than anyone who crochets a lot, so I can use suggestions!