My first design!

I have been horribly negligent.
I last posted about the bibs I was cranking out for my daughter.  What seemed like days after I made all of them, she figured out how to untie them and really didn't have much need for them anymore.
Lots has happened in the last year.  I got really sick, eventually needing surgery to remove my jerk of a diseased gallbladder.  I felt better almost immediately, but then needed to take it easy since I had just, you know, got cut open.
Then, I busted my hump for 6 weeks to get all my handmade Christmas stuff made in time.
I did get everything finished... And designed a few things in the process!

I will eventually get some pictures up in here...  But for now, here's the pattern for the Earwarmer that I just whipped together... Just cause.

Needles : sz US7
Yarn : Worsted - I used knitpicks comfy worsted in Hawk
Other materials : Darning needle

Key:
M1R - lift bar between stitches with L needle from back to front, k into front of stitch
M1L - left bar between stitches with L needle from front to back, k into back of stitch
(How I remember which one is which : M1R is knitted how you would normally make a knit stitch, so its knitted "right".  Also, once you do a few, you can recognize how the yarn is suppose to look for each. Admittedly, this took me a while)
ssk - slip one stitch k wise, slip 1 stitch p wise, insert L needle back thru both stitches and k
k2tog - knit next 2 stitches together


Cast on 12 stitches
Row#1 - knit
Row#2 k3, p6, k3
Row#3 knit
Row#4 k3, p6, k3
Row#5 k3, m1R, knit to last 3 stitches, M1L, k3 (14 stitches)
Row#6 k3, p to last 3 stitches, k3
Row#7 k all
Row#8 rep row 6
Row#9 k all
Row #10 rep row 6

Repeat Rows 5-10 five more times (you'll have 24 stitches on the needle, the whole earwarmer will be stockinette with 3 rows of garter stitch on each side to prevent curling under)

Continue in the bordered stockinette for another 6-10 inches (I measured the work after increases, then doubled it, then subtracted from 20".  This is how much you knit for the middle.  You could use a locking stitch marker to mark where the decreases stop to further keep track of progress)

Decreases :
Row#1 k3, ssk, knit to 5 stitches from end, k2tog, k3 (22 stitches)
Row#2 k3, p to 3 stitches from end, k3
Row#3 k all
Row#4 k3, p to 3 stitches from end, k3
Row#5 k all
Row#6 k3, p to 3 stitches from end, k3

Repeat rows 1-6 Five more times (You'll have 12 stitches after all the decreases are complete.
Bind off, (block iffen you want) stitch ends together

Finishing can be done however you wish!  I found some fun patterns on Ravelry for knitted or crocheted flowers.  I finished mine with a bow. (pattern here)

Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of the finished earwarmer, but rest assured that It's adorable!