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Well hello there! Welcome to the first pattern in my Winter Sparkle Series - the Winter Sparkle Ear Warmer!

Towards the end of November, when the days started to get real short and dark, I was sitting in my craft room one gloomy afternoon. I felt bleh, you know, lots I should be doing, no motivation to do anything. Yeah, that was me. Up on my shelf, I caught a glimpse of some Winter Nights yarn and thought, heck yes, gimme some sparkle!

The Winter Sparkle patterns are really fun, because they use two yarns held double to create a unique texture and colour look. And because you don’t need very much yardage, the Winter Sparkle Ear Warmer makes a great stash buster and gift item! The possibilities are endless.

I used Lion Brand Winter Nights for the sparkly yarn, and paired it with Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca. This gives the ear warmer warmth and comfort.

The pattern uses the Tunisian Simple Stitch, which is the basic Tunisian crochet stitch. It is the perfect stitch to introduce yourself to the fabulous world of Tunisian crochet!

Materials

Hook - US 10mm, or size needed to meet gauge (no special Tunisian hook required for this pattern!.

Yarn - Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca (I used the colour Oxford Grey) and Lion Brand Winter Nights (I used the colour Chinchilly). You will need approx. 50 yds of each yarn. You may also combine any two worsted (4) weight yarns, or use a bulky (5) yarn on its own, as long as you can meet gauge.

Notions - scissors, tape measure, yarn needle.

Sizing

Gauge - 4” = 8.5 sts x 8 rows in tss unblocked.

Finished measurements - approximately 4.5"” wide x variable circumference (customizable based on your own head circumference)

Terminology/Abbreviations

This pattern uses standard US terms as detailed by the Craft Yarn Council:

Ch - chain

St(s) - stitch(es)

Sl st - slip stitch

Tss - Tunisian Simple Stitch (see HERE for an excellent tutorial!)

Lts - Last Tunisian Stitch (insert hook under both bars)

RetP - Return Pass (Ch 1, *yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * until 1 loop remains on your hook)

Notes

Measure your own head circumference and record the number somewhere.

Pattern Instructions

Row 1. Ch 10. Working in the back bumps (see Picture 1, below), pull up a loop in the second ch from hook, and each ch across. Work a RetP.

Row 2. Tss in each st across, Lts, RetP.

Repeat Row 2 until your work measures approximately 2.5” less than your head circumference. For a looser fit, work until it measures 1.5” less.

Bind off row: Ch 1, *sl st next st (see Picture 2, below). Repeat from * until last st. Insert your hook as for Lts and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through both loops. Fasten off, leaving an 8” tail for seaming.

Finishing

Fold your work so that the two short ends are matched up. Seam the short ends together using your preferred seaming method (I like to use the Mattress Stitch technique). Weave in all ends.

Variations

You can adjust the width of this piece by starting with fewer or more ch sts.

Congratulations on finishing your Winter Sparkle Ear Warmer! I hope you have enjoyed this simple, beginner-friendly Tunisian crochet pattern. Share your pics on social media and tag me @capital.crochet and use the hashtag #WinterSparkleEarWarmer!

You may sell finished items made from this pattern, but please credit me as the designer by linking back to this blog post.

Thank you so much for your support! Watch for the next pattern in the Winter Sparkle series, coming Monday, 14 December!

If you enjoyed this pattern, I thought you might be interested in a few other easy Tunisian crochet patterns, too! Shown below are the Juliet Ear Warmer and the Stashdown Pillow, both available in my pattern shop, or on Etsy and Ravelry.