How To: Crochet a Cable Headband / Ear Warmer

So....my aunt-in-law (is that the title for my husband's aunt?) asked me to make a few Christmas gifts for her to give to her daughters. When she said she wanted a "headband," I thought she meant the simple crochet flower or zipper headbands I make. 

I was wrong. 

She handed me a pattern book and asked me to make two earwarmers. After getting super frustrated with the pattern in this book, I finally figured out a way to adapt it. 

It crochets up pretty quickly - it took me an evening, start to finish. 

Gauge

Width should be 4 inches; height is unimportant. 

Stitches

Cable: Skip next dc, working around from front to back, *insert hook around post of dc in row below, yo and pull up a loop, (yo and pull through two loops).* Around post of skipped stitch, repeat from * to *. 

Back Post Cable (BPCable): Skip next dc, working from back to front, *insert hook around post of dc, yo and pull up a loop, (yo and pull through two loops) twice.* Around the post of the skipped stitch, repeat from * to *. 

Supplies

Worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat satin)

Size I hook, or size necessary for gauge. 

Ch 19. 

Row 1) Dc in fourth ch from hook and in each ch across. 

Row 2) Ch 2 (counts as first hdc, now and throughout); work BPdc around next 2 dc, (work FPdc around next 2 dc, work BPdc around next dc) across to last dc, hdc in last dc. 

Row 3) Ch 2, work Cable, (work BPdc around each of next 2 dc, work Cable) across, hdc in last hdc. 

Row 4) Ch 2, work BP Cable, (work FPdc in next 2 dc, work BP Cable in next 2 dc) across, work hdc in next hdc. 

Repeat Rows 3 & 4 for 20 inches, ending by working Row 3. 

Finish off, leaving long tail. Sew seam, gather up tightly and weave in ends. 

*I write down patterns I make up all the time, but usually it's in a shorthand that no one except for me would understand. This is the first time I've tried to write the pattern correctly. If you try it out and run into problems, or need explanations on the Cable stitches, I'd be happy to help! 

So Much to (Want to) Make, So Little Time

On my to-make for fun list....

I'm loving Pinterest! Instead of a long list of bookmarks that would be my to-make list, Pinterest shows me all the pretty pictures. I made the zipper flowers already (the tutorial is kind of hard to understand...or maybe I'm just dumb) and I'm saving toilet paper rolls to make Emma's Toilet Paper Roll Art. Isaac says he can't get over the fact that it's made out of toilet paper rolls so we'll see if I can make something work. Maybe on the miniscule wall space that's in the craft room? Speaking of the craft room, my goal for this weekend is to get it cleaned up and take pictures.

Oh hi, Rabbit Trail....

Back to Pinterest....I've only been using it as a style board and am only really following the front page/Best of Pinterest board. I am afraid that it will be a huge time suck as soon as I start exploring.

Updatin'

Usually on Monday I write about whatever we did over the weekend. But....we did nothing. As in n-o-t-h-i-n-g, nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was wonderful.

Well, kind of. We did whatever we wanted to without having schedules and timelines. So we went to the Holiday Market, church, lunch with the family.

And.

I updated my Etsy shop. I've been making a ton of stuff but it's been in stores or at craft shows...or in a tote that should be labeled "Things to photograph when you stop procrastinating." But since I built a handy dandy new light box, there's no excuse.

So....after hours of quality time with my camera, the lightbox, and picasa....

I've listed like 25 things to my shop and I have...like....too many more. Like 15 or 20. At least.

Crossing my fingers that those Etsy Transaction emails start coming in!

Lessons Learned: My First Craft Show

So my first craft show was last weekend.

It was awesome.

I stressed out about how to display and decorate because designing decorations is not what I'm good at. My sister-in-law rescued me and (if I do say so myself), my booth was super cute.

Isaac had the sign made for me. Isn't it so great?!"]