Friday, December 30, 2011

Urban-Inspired Ear Warmer - Free Pattern!




I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! It's so nice to be home and to have a break from school for a bit. I've been using my extra free time to finish up some of the year's knitting projects and also design this new one. This is the first time I've actually wrote down instructions for something I made up and I'm excited to share it will you!






This ear warmer is inspired by one I saw on the Urban Outfitters website. It was so simple and looked so nice I had to give it a shot at making my own.


(clicking on the photo will bring you to the product page)

Ravelry Pattern Page

This pattern uses the provisional cast on and grafting. Below are some links to tutorials to make the process easier:
Provisional Cast-On
Grafting/Kitchener's Stitch



Materials:
Less than one skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted (Feel free to substitute any other worsted weight yarn. Just make sure it has some wool content so it can be blocked)
Size 8 (5mm) straight needles

Pattern:
Provisionally cast on 27 stitches.
Row 1: Slip first stitch, K to second to last stitch, P last stitch.
Row 2: Slip first stitch, P to end.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until piece measures about 18" from beginning. (If you're worried about fit/tightness, I always find the best way is to put the band around your head, measuring it to your particular fit, and ending when it feels right for you).

Finishing:

1. Graft the two ends together to create a seamless finish. (If you're like me and are terrible a seaming, the braided gather is a great way to cover up a messy seam)



2. Weave in ends.

3. Block! The earmwarmer will have the tendancy to curl, but blocking will slightly reduce this.




4. Cut three long strands from the same yarn. Using a crochet hook, fold the strands in half and draw them through the edge of the earwarmer. Leaving a loop at the top, draw the ends through the loop, attaching the strands to the earwarmer.

5. Braid two braids from the 6 strings, hold them together, and wrap them around the width of the earwarmer. Continue wrapping until the gather is as big as you like. On the wrong side, tie the braids off and hide the ends in the wrap.





You're done! Enjoy your new earwarmer!

This is my first pattern so if anything is unclear or you need any help please feel free to contact me.


7 comments

  1. I love this look! Some ideas: using a 1x1 rib should yield a very similar look with reduced (or no) curl. In addition, if you knit in the round, there will be no seaming.

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  2. I did make a version with a 1x1 rib but in the process of gathering it it made too big of a bump (?) for my tastes under the gather. It definitely adds a more finished look, though! I also wanted the Vs of the stockinette to be going the long way around, which is why I opted for the kitchener's/grafting.

    And thank you for your compliment and you comments! Your ideas are great and I appreciate you stopping by!

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  3. This looks like such a simple and fun pattern! I want to make one for myself! I would love to publish it for you on FaveCrafts.com! Let me know if you're interested :)
    Melissa

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  4. I love this! I'm a bit intimidated by the provisional cast on and the grafting - especially given how close to Christmas we are. Do you think it would look as good knitting in the round? What about crochet? Thanks!

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  5. Hi Karen! You've got a couple of options. You could knit it flat using the same instructions, and just put the braided portion around the seam that you sew up so no one sees it. You could also knit it in the round but the v's will be going up and down rather than around. Just calculate your gauge and cast on for the final measurements given. Crochet also works really well, too, but the look will be slightly different than what you see here. I hope that helps - let me know if you have any more questions and about how it turns out!

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  6. Thanks! I think I'll go with the seam...

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