This earwarmer was inspired by one I saw on the Urban Outfitters Web site. I made a few adjustments to make it less fussy for my kid who generally refuses to wear a hat unless there's a windchill warning. At first, Julia thought the one we saw on-line looked silly but then warmed up to the idea of wearing one. After trying on my first attempt, she declared it was OK but she wasn't crazy about the colour. So I asked her what colour she would like. Her reply: "Maybe a white one ... or pink. Red is nice too. Actually, Mom, can you make me a whole bunch in lots of different colours?" Sure, sweetie, I'll get right on it. Anyhow, here is the pattern to make your own. I used a chunky yarn for the one in the photo, but I used two strands of Aran-weight yarn for another. It ended up a bit wider, and I worked fewer rows. The pattern is easily adjusted to various yarn weights. I called this a "one-hour" pattern. To be totally truthful, it took me a bit over an hour, but I was watching a good episode of Battlestar Galactica while knitting it. Measurements: Width at widest part: 3.75 inches Circumference: 20 inches; stretches to 22 inches. Note: circumference can be easily adjusted. Materials: 1 85g skein Patons Shetland Chunky or other chunky-weight yarn (approx. 50-60m needed) 6mm knitting needles Gauge: 16 stitches over 4 inches using stockinette stitch Abbreviations: M1: make 1 by knitting into the previous row between current and next stitch M1P: make 1 by purling into the previous row between current and next stitch K2tog: knit 2 together P2tog: purl 2 together SSK: decrease one stitch with a slip, slip, knit Patt: continue in pattern by knitting all knit stitches and purling all purl stitches Instructions: Cast on 5 stitches. Row 1: K all stitches. Row 2: P all stitches. Rows 3 and 4: Patt. Increase to full width: Row 1: K1, M1P, K3, M1P, K1. (7 stitches) Row 2: P1, K1, P3, K1, P1. Row 3: K1, P1, K1, M1P, K1, M1P, K1, P1, K1. (9 stitches) Row 4: P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1. Rows 5 and 6: Patt. Row 7: K1, P1, M1, K1, P1, M1, K1, P1, M1, K1, P1, K1. (12 stitches) Row 8: P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P1. Rows 9 and 10: Patt. Row 11: K1, M1, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, M1, K1. (14 stitches) Row 12: P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2. Rows 13 and 14: Patt. Row 15: K2, P1, K2, M1P, P1, K2, P1, M1P, K2, P1, K2. (16 stitches) Row 16: P2, K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1, P2. Rows 17 and 18: Patt. Row 19: K2, P1, M1P, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, M1P, P1, K2. (18 stitches) Row 20: P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2. Rows 21 and 22: Patt. Row 23: K2, P2, K2, P2, M1, K2, M1, P2, K2, P2, K2. (20 stitches) Row 24: P2, K2, P2, K2, P4, K2, P2, K2, P2. Rows 25 and 26: Patt. Row 27: K2, P2, M1, K2, P2, K4, P2, K2, M1, P2, K2. (22 stitches) Place marker. Row 28: P2, K2, P3, K2, P4, K2, P3, K2, P2. Knit central portion: Patt until length from cast-on edge is 10 inches or half the desired circumference. (Final circumference should be about 2 inches less than head measurement from nape to forehead and back to nape.) You are now at the half-way point and will reverse shaping for the remainder of the earwarmer. Count the number of rows completed from marker, including the row that the marker is on, and continue in the pattern for this many rows. Decrease to end: Row 1: K2, P2, SSK, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, K2tog, P2, K2. (20 stitches) Row 2: P2, K2, P2, K2, P4, K2, P2, K2, P2. Rows 3 and 4: Patt. Row 5: K2, P2, K2, P2, SSK, K2tog, P2, K2, P2, K2. (18 stitches) Row 6: P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2. Rows 7 and 8: Patt. Row 9: K2, P2tog, K2, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2tog, K2. (16 stitches) Row 10: P2, K1, P2, K2, P2, K2, P2, K1, P2. Rows 11 and 12: Patt. Row 13: K2, P1, K2, P2tog, K2, P2tog, K2, P1, K2 (14 stitches) Row 14: P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2. Rows 15 and 16: Patt. Row 17: K2tog, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K2tog. (12 stitches) Row 18: P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P1. Rows 19 and 20: Patt. Row 21: K1, P1, K2tog, P1, K2tog, P1, K2tog, P1, K1. (9 stitches) Row 22: P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1. Rows 23 and 24: Patt. Row 25: K1, P1, SSK, K1, K2tog, P1, K1. (7 stitches) Row 26: P1, K1, P3, K1, P1. Row 27: SSK, K3, K2tog. (5 stitches) Row 28: Purl all stitches. Knit 4 more rows, knitting all knit stitches and purling all purl stitches. Cast off and sew ends together.