Mountain Laurel Ear Warmer by Alexis Winslow

Mountain Laurel Ear Warmer

Knitting
February 2013
Bulky (7 wpi) ?
14 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
in garter stitch
US 10 - 6.0 mm
100 - 110 yards (91 - 101 m)
5.5 (7)” wide
English
This pattern is available from knitpicks.com for $4.99.

From Winsome Knits Pattern Collection
ebook (includes 6 patterns) $9.99
individual pattern (pdf download) $4.99

DESCRIPTION
Somewhere between earmuffs and a hat, this beautiful vintage looking ear warmer works great with hairstyles like buns and ponytails. It was inspired by the mountain laurel shrubs that keep their handsome leafy foliage year round, even on the coldest winter day.
The pattern includes a base headband in two widths and additional instructions for the knitted embellishments. The embellishments can also be knitted in a contrasting color for a bolder look.
The ear-warmer is begun at one end with a length of i-cord, from which stitches are increased to form an ear-flap, then decreased down to form the other ear-flap and three-stitch i-cord tie. This is a great project for beginners to learn how to increase/decrease and how to make an i-cord.

YARN
This pattern is highly adaptable and though bulky yarn is used here, a range of yarn weights are suitable (worsted to super chunky). Select a needle 1 or 2 sizes smaller than the yarn label suggests or whatever you need for a dense enough fabric to keep the wind out of your ears. 50g of worsted to 100g of super bulky.