…do you ear what I ear….

Over the last couple of months, I’ve been getting back into a long-forgotten habit of getting out the door and into the world first thing of a morning for a spot of exercise in the fresh air. As the weeks pass, the air is getting fresher and fresher, and within the last week or two, it has gotten fresh to the point I end up with an ear ache by the time I get home, from the cool air as I walk.

Back in 2014, I crocheted myself up a headband/ear warmer, and it’s been fabulous, so I decided it was time to expand the collection. To be fair, my main motivation was to have something to knit, as much as an actual need. While on a video call with the quilt camp crew last night, filled with queenslanders who’s main way of tackling winter attire is to put some socks on with their thongs, I was asked why an ear warmer, and not a beanie. I don’t think they really understood the concept of ear-ache cold but not cold cold. Year round shorts weather doesn’t predispose one to understand the value of not jumping the beanie gun too early in the season, I guess?

I hit up pinterest, and after a couple of false starts, came across a cute pattern, in seed stitch with a twist at the front that was supposedly free…except when I followed through to the actual post, the free part was how to do seed stitch, and you had to pay for a pattern to get the details on creating the twist at the front. Annoying, for sure, so I got hooked in, and figured I could work out the twist myself at the end.

It took a couple of goes to get right – I was 6″ into knitting it when I decided it was too wide, and frogged it to start again. In the end, it only needed 9 stitches with the super chunky yarn I was using, so it knitted up really quickly, and two Netflix episodes later, I was happily sandwiching the ends together to stitch into the feature twist. It is super comfy and cozy, so I’m predicting it will get a lot of use this winter!

Today has been a bit of a flat day after a productive start to the week. I’m feeling a bit off, so after racing around quickly to get the house tidied up for the weekend, I’ve treated myself to a day of rest. I did a spot of sewing to get a sewing machine cover started. The kids did an art class. We’re about to go for a walk and then maybe play a board game to wind down towards movie night (for them) and netflix and craft (for me). It might even be a minecraft kind of afternoon for the smalls as a special treat while I hook into my cross-stitch. Huzzah for Fridays! Have a fabulously crafty weekend, friends.