Little Treasures: Crochet Leaf Ear-Warmer

With the mornings getting chillier, Eva requested I make her an ear warmer and I was happy to oblige.

It's something you can make in a jiffy, and it is a perfect last minute gift.

Supplies:

50 gr of Aran yarn. I used the brand "Soufle" by Austermann and it is 100% virgin wool. 4mm hook.

Stitches: chain (ch), skip (sk), double crochet (dc), 3-dc cluster, picot.

Measurements: maker's fit.

Pattern:

Foundation and round 1: Ch6 and join to make a ring. dc9 in ring.

Round 2: ch5, turn work, sk1, dc1 in next st, ch2, sk1, dc1 in next st. Repeat this pattern two times more. Ch3 and turn work.

Round 3: make 3-dc clusters in all ch-spaces.

Round 4: ch7 and sc1 in between the second and third cluster. Ch6 and sc1 again in the same place. This will make the ring for the next leaf Ch3 (counts as the first dc) and turn work. dc8 in the ring. From here repeat the pattern from round 2-4.

Work the pattern until the warmer fits your head. It shouldn't be too tight, and work as many leaves needed to make a nice fit. When done, ch7 (for the end of the leaf), sc in-between the 2nd and 3rd cluster and sl st in the very first chain you made to close it. Whilst doing this, make sure not to twist the headband's sides and join the wrong side with the face side.

Turn the warmer inside out - the face should be inside and sc1 once more in the same ch-space.

Do not cut yarn, because we are going to decorate it by adding picots at the sides.

Ch3, turn the warmer with the face up and sl st in the big (7-ch) chain. Ch4, make a picot and sc1 in the cluster round. Ch4, make a picot and sc in the ch-space round, ch4, make a picot and sc in the 1st round. There should be 4 picots. From here, ch4, make a picot and sc in the chain of the next leaf. When this side is done, cut yarn and weave work the end.

Insert yarn in the 1st round of the leaf, ch4, make a picot in the same space, next repeat the picot pattern single crocheting them in the ch-space, first cluster side, and second cluster side. There should be 4 picots on this side too. Ch4 and make a picot in the round 2 of the next leaf.

Work this until the whole side is picoted. Sl st in the same space where you worked the very last picot. When done, cut yarn and work the tails. And that is it!