I recently finished my second knitting project of the season: an ear warmer headband for my mom’s birthday!  It was a fun project because I was able to try out a new stitch and create my own pattern based on styles I saw online.  Before I gave it to my mom, I snapped a few pictures of the final product.The name of the stitch I used here is the seed stitch.  It is a most magnificent stitch that I will certainly use for future knitting projects.  It is so delicate and beautiful!  Once again, Knitting Tips By Judy helped me learn and become comfortable with my knitting skills.  The trick to using the seed stitch is to cast on an odd number of stitches.  Here are my own step-by-step directions:

What You’ll Need:

• 1 skein of yarn (I used 50% wool/50% alpaca in charcoal grey)
• Size 8 knitting needles
• Hand sewing needle
• Scissors

How-To:

1. Cast on 15 stitches
2. Alternate every stitch: knit-purl-knit-purl-etc.
3. Make sure you start and end every row with a knit stitch
4. Continue knitting until the headband fits comfortably around your head
5. Cast off and sew in the yarn ends
6. Whipstitch the headband closed
7. For the small band, cast on 15 stitches and knit about 10 rows
8. Cast off, sew in the yarn ends, and whipstitch the band closed around the ear warmer headband (this will produce the pleated look)
9. Put it on and ENJOY!

For those of you who are looking to tidy up your own yarn collection, here is one way to do so.  I’ve started collecting toilet paper tubes to wind my yarn!

Have questions?  Any suggestions for future projects?  Leave a comment!