How to Crochet Decreases for an Ear Warmer
An ear warmer is a special headband that is wide at the front and sides to cover your forehead and ears, but narrow at the back to fit comfortably against the nape of your neck. To shape a strip of crochet material for an ear warmer, you either increase stitches to widen it for the front or decrease stitches to narrow it for the back. Stitching two stitches together as one is the most common way to decrease in crochet.
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Things You'll Need
- Size H crochet hook
- 3.5 oz. worsted weight yarn
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Yarn needle
Instructions
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1
Review basic crochet stitches if you are new to crochet. For this project you will need to know the chain stitch and the double crochet stitch.
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2
Hold the measuring tape vertically at the center of your forehead and determine how high you want the ear warmers to be above your eyes.
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3
Start at the center front of the ear warmer. This project is worked vertically, in rows, and in two halves that you stitch together at the end.
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4
Make chain stitches until the length measures the calculation you made in Step 2. Make three more chains for your turning stitch, which acts as your first double crochet stitch. Turn your work.
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5
Double crochet into the fourth chain from the hook and in each chain across the row.
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6
Chain three stitches when you reach the end of the row and turn your work. Double crochet in each stitch across.
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7
Repeat Step 6 until your material measures approximately three inches from the start, or until it is long enough to reach from the center of your forehead to just in front of your ear. Chain three stitches and turn your work.
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8
Work a double crochet decrease in the first two stitches on the row. To do this, wrap the yarn once around the hook and insert it into the first stitch. Pull a loop through the stitch and through two loops on the hook. Wrap the yarn around the hook again and insert it into the second stitch. Pull the loop through the stitch and through two loops on the hook. Wrap the yarn around the hook one last time and pull it through the three loops still on the hook.
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9
Double crochet across the row to the last two stitches. Work a double crochet decrease as described in Step 8. Chain three stitches and turn your work.
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10
Repeat steps 8 and 9 until your material measures approximately one inch, or the width you want your ear warmer to be at the back of your neck.
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11
Measure from the center of your forehead to the center of the back of your neck to determine how long you need one half of the ear warmer to be.
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12
Double crochet even, with no decreases, across each row until your material measures the same as the value you calculated in Step 11. Chain one stitch, then pull up the loop of yarn until it is approximately eight inches long. Cut the loop at the center with the scissors to fasten off.
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13
Repeat Steps 4 to 12 to create the second half of the ear warmer. Use the yarn needle to sew the two halves together, matching stitches at the center front of each half and at the center back of each half.
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Tips & Warnings
Count the number of rows after you complete the first half to ensure your second half has the same number.
Use the yarn tails from the start of the project and the end of the project to sew the seams.
Wool yarn or a wool blend yarn has stretch, resists water and gives added warmth, which makes it ideal for ear warmers.
Avoid cotton yarn for an ear warmer project. It has little elasticity and readily soaks up water, which could chill your ears instead of protecting them.
