Ok- the 'flat is better

original 'flat on left - modified one on right. 

The shape is better - but the next one will have to start the bee stitch in the row above the first purl row.  Not sure when I'll get to that.

Somebody squished the bee.

This is another of the off-puff pattern on Ravelry, in the Tiny Owl Knits (TOK) group. It's called the "Bee Stitch Puff. Maybe its because I don't stuff mine, but it looks like somebody sat on it. I even did 2 rows knit at the beginning, because puffs tend to be taller on the top than bottom .  I also noticed an issue with the back being taller than the front - probably because of the pearl stitch rows. I actually knit across the front an extra time.

I'm going to try it again with a few modifications. I'm going to knit 2 rows knit. Then knit on front & increase on back. Purl front knit back. Then knit in front increase in back. Purl in front knit on back. Then do the pattern. Since I'll have 20 stitches on back before row 10 in pattern, I'll just knit the back until row 12 in pattern.  I think row 11, I'll just come back across the front and skip the back to try to catch up the height. I'll see how the top looks before I decide if I need to modify that.

Before & after pictures when I'm done.