Q: Do 5 chain stitches, then make a slip stitch into the first chain to close the ring. Use a size H/8 or 5.0mm crochet hook and medium worsted weight yarn for this. Start with 2 chain stitches. This will count as your first double crochet stitch. Next, do 11 more double crochets, pulling each one through the center of the circle. Close the round off with a slip stitch into the top of your first stitch (the double chain stitch). This completes round 1.  Do not turn your project. Mark the beginning and end of your round with a stitch marker. If you can't find one, you can use a piece of yarn in a contrasting color or a safety pin. Start 2 chain stitches. Next, do 2 double crochets in each stitch for the rest of the round. Close with a slip stitch into the top of your first stitch. This completes round 2. Start with 2 chain stitches and 1 double crochet in the first stitch. Do 2 double crochet stitches in the second stitch. Next, do 1 double crochet stitch for the next 2 stitches. Repeat the last 4 stitches (2 double crochet in the same stitch, 1 double crochet for the next 2 stitches) until you reach the end of the round. Close the round with a slip stitch. This completes your third round. Start each round with 2 chain stitches; this will count as your first "double crochet." Do 1 double crochet in the first stitch, and 2 double crochets in the second stitch. Next, do x-number of double crochets over x-number of stitches. Repeat the last few stitches (2 double crochets in 1 stitch, x-number of double crochets), until you reach the end of the round. Close each round with a slip stitch. The number "x" will increase with each round. For example:  Round 4: After 2 chain stitches and 1 double crochet, repeat 2 double crochets in the same stitch, then 1 double crochet over the next 3 stitches. Round 5: After 2 chain stitches and 1 double crochet, repeat 2 double crochets in the same stitch, then 1 double crochet over the next 4 stitches. Round 6: After 2 chain stitches and 1 double crochet, repeat 2 double crochets in the same stitch, then 1 double crochet over the next 5 stitches. Round 7: After 2 chain stitches and 1 double crochet, repeat 2 double crochets in the same stitch, then 1 double crochet over the next 6 stitches. Round 8: After 2 chain stitches and 1 double crochet, repeat 2 double crochets in the same stitch, then 1 double crochet over the next 7 stitches. On your 9th round, chain stitch 2, then do 1 double crochet in each stitch for the rest of the round. Close with a slip stitch. Keep doing this for the next 18 rounds or so (until round 28). If this is for a child, consider doing 10 rounds. Begin with 1 chain stitch, then do single crochets for the rest of the round. Close the round off with a slip stitch. Start with 1 chain stitch. Next, do 1 single crochet for the next 5 stitches. Do 1 single crochet decrease over your 6th stitch. Continue doing 5 single crochets, 1 single crochet decrease, for the rest of the round. Close the round with a slip stitch. Here are some extra sizing tips:  If this is for a child, do 5 single crochets, then 2 single crochet decreases. If this is for a larger head, do 10 single crochet stitches, then 1 single crochet decrease. If this is for an extra large head, don't do any decreases. Simply work more single crochets into the round. Start with 1 chain stitch, then do a single crochet into each stitch for the rest of the round. Close the round off with a slip stitch. Your slouchy hat is now complete! You can leave it as is, or add some embroidery into the brim using contrasting yarn and a yarn needle. You can also sew a large, decorative button, bow, or flower into the band instead.
A: Begin with a chain circle. Make 11 double crochet stitches into the middle of your circle. Do a round of 2 double crochets. Start doing your first increasing round. Continue doing your increases for rounds 4 through 8. Work the body of your hat. Start doing the band of your hat with single crochets. Work on your decreasing round. Finish the round off with a single crochet into each stitch. Tie the end off, then use a yarn needle to weave the tail end into the brim of your hat.

Q: In a simple substitution cipher, you can assigning letter values to other letters. For example, A may equal C and and F might equal J. Make sure you don’t choose easy combinations like A = B or A = Z. They’ll be easily broken.  Make decoder rings. Those decoder rings you got in a box of cereal years ago may come in handy, but you can make your own too if you want. Write your letters, A through Z, in a large circle. Then, write the substituted letters inside the large circle to form their own smaller circle. Now you’ll have a key for your cipher. Randomize the cipher. Once you’ve got your keys and your friends have theirs too, you can cut out both rings from the paper. Turn the smaller ring inside the larger outer ring to create new substitutions. When you pass your note, write what A equals, and the reader will know where to set their rings. To make a slightly more complicated substitution cipher, you can make your own simple symbols to stand in for letters. The more each symbol looks different than the letter it represents, the harder the code will be to crack. Make sure each symbol is also simple and easy to draw quickly.  Create a key for your new language. Make a master key that shows which letter matches up with each symbol. As you practice writing in your new script, you’ll become more familiar with the symbols, but you’ll need a key at first to remember which is which. Share the key with friends. Your language won’t be of much use if only you can read the notes you pass! Share the key with your friends, advising them to keep it safe so that no one else finds and learns the symbols. Write your messages in the new language. Practice the symbols until you can read and write them as quickly as your native language. It’ll take a while, but you’ll get to know the symbols well over time. For example, swap A with (α) Alpha, B with (β) Beta, C with (Χ) Chi, etc. from the Greek alphabet..  Use similar characters for missing letters. Some foreign alphabets may not contain all the letters in your language. Greek doesn't have Y, but there's a visually similar Upsilon (Y in capitals), so you might use that instead. Make sure your reader knows that you’re going to be substituting some letters for others not in the language. Test some examples.  For example: "See you tonight" becomes "ΣΕΕ ΤΗΟΥ ΤΟΝΙΓΗΤ,” with “you” subbed out for “thou” because Greek doesn’t have a character for “Y”. Numbers tend to stick out in messages with a lot of text, so try to find a better way to to hide them in your cipher. For example, replace the "8" in "See you tonight, 8 o'clock" with "√(128/2)". The 8 is replaced by a simple math: the square root of (128/2=64)=8. It’s relatively easy to crack a substitution code, because you’re still using your native language and only swapping out the letters for other letters or symbols. Words like “and”, “you” and “the”, which will show up frequently in your messages, and can be found out and used to piece together parts of a key. Common letters like E, T and A also help code-breakers to decipher your message.
A:
Substitute letters for other letters. Substitute your own symbols for letters. Substitute letters from another language. Substitute equations for numbers. Be aware that substitution ciphers can be broken.