Orange is the New Black??

So ... my mom had gone to Taiwan last year and bought me "some" yarn (even though I specifically asked her to buy me no more than two (2!!) skeins of sock yarn).  Nevertheless, of "some" of that yarn she got me, there were two that she got that was orange and a multi-striped orange:

For the life of me, I have no idea why she picked this colour.  I highly suspect that my dad picked it (I think he's colour blind; he tends to always pick garish colours like this - it's scary).  So, it sat in my yarn bin knowing it would probably never be knitted.

Then, one day, I was speaking to my co-worker, Fran and we were discussing her son's college ambitions.  He's planning to go to a college in the mainland, hopefully in Colorado and she's really excited for him to go so she can learn how to ski. :P  She then jokingly said that I could make a ski hat for her.  As soon as she said that, the orange yarn popped into my mind!  So, I brought it to work to show her what it looked like and she actually liked it!  Actually, I could totally see that it would go well with a creamish white color aded in and would look great on her fair complexion.  I showed her a hat pattern that I thought she'd love (she did!!) and another project was born! :P  So, I went searching for the perfect creamish white color and found it at Wal-Mart: Red Heart's With Love White.  I picked up three (3) skeins hoping that would be (more than) enough to also make a scarf and fingerless mitts as 1) I wanted to use up all my yarn and 2) c'mon - she's going skiing; she can't just have a hat!  She needs a whole winter ensemble! ;) 

Then, I measured her head (60cm circumference) and started the top-down pattern using all three (3) yarns.  I used my Chiagoo US 8 twist needles and the yarns in the following sequence: solid orange (O) first, then the multi-stripped orange (M) next, then the cream (C) color.  This is the exact pattern from Olives and Mermaids, just with my color sequence added in (to remind me to change colors):
CO 4 sts with color O using figure 8 cast on
M1 in each stitch; 4 stitches on each needle (8 sts)
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: Using color M, M1 in each stitch (16 sts)
Round 3: Knit.
Round 4: Using color C, *K1, M1; rep from * around (24 sts)
Round 5: Knit
Round 6: Using color O, *K2, M1; rep from * around (32 sts)
Round 7: Knit
Round 8: Using color M, *K3, M1; rep from * around (40 sts)
Round 9: Knit
Round 10: Using color C, *K4, M1; rep from * around (48 sts)
Round 11: Knit
Round 12: Using color O, *K5, M1; rep from * around (56 sts)
Round 13: Knit
Round 14: Using color M, *K6, M1; rep from * around (64 sts)
Round 15: Knit
Round 16: Using color C, *K7, M1; rep from * around (72 sts)
Round 17: Knit
Round 18: Using color O, *K8, M1; rep from * around. (80 sts)
Round 19: Knit
Round 20: Using color M, *K9, M1; rep from * around (88 sts)
Round 21: Knit
Round 22: Using color C, *K10, M1; rep from * around (96 sts) - skipped this step; just knitted in the 2 rows
Knit 22 rounds even starting with color C (2 round), *color O (2 rounds), color M (2 rounds), color C (2 rounds), * 3 times, ending with color C (2 additional rows)
Work 6 rounds in seed stitch starting with color O (2 rounds), color M (2 rounds), color C (2 rounds)

Set up for Earflaps, using color C:
· Work 12 sts in seed stitch; BO to end of first needle
· Work first 6 sts of second needle in seed stitch; BO to end of this needle
· You should have 12 sts remaining on each opposite side of the hat in seed stitch

Earflaps:
Work in seed stitch back and forth for 6 rows starting with color O (2 rounds), color M (2 rounds), color C (2 rounds)
Row 7: Using color O, work 4 sts in seed stitch; K2tog or P2tog to maintain seed stitch twice; work remaining 4 sts in seed stitch
Row 8: Work in seed stitch
Row 9: Using color M, work 3 sts in seed stitch; K2tog or P2tog to maintain seed stitch twice; work remaining 3 sts in seed stitch
Row 10: Work in seed stitch
Row 11: Using color C, work 2 sts in seed stitch; K2tog or P2tog to maintain seed stitch twice; work remaining 2 sts in seed stitch
Row 12: Work in seed stitch
Row 13: work 1 st in seed stitch; K2tog or P2tog to maintain seed stitch twice; work remaining st in seed stitch (I added this in as I felt like it would look nicer on my hat)
Row 14: BO in seed stitch
*Connect yarn to other side of hat and repeat for second earflap.

Finishing: Single crochet around brim and earflaps if desired (I used a size H hook to do this with the O color.)
Attach I-cord or braid to tips of earflaps. (I actually learned how to knit an I-cord and added tassels using the M color; it was 24 cm (9.5 in) long, including the tassels.)
Weave in ends and block if desired
I must admit, I had quite a difficult time with this hat.  I casted on three (3) times (and literally ripped it out twice!!) before I finally figured it out.  The first time I ripped it out was because I realized that I wasn't reading the pattern correctly (the hat was this wonky curly lettuce like thing (kind of like my first foray in making a water bottle holder); I wasn't sure how it would turn into a hat - that's when I realized that what I did was not what the pattern was saying. :'( - duh!!); the second time I ripped it out was because I finally realized that the number at the end of each row was the total number of stitches, not the number of stitches needed on each side (the hat in this version laid flat nicely when it was folded in half but when I opened it up, it was slowly getting wonky again and after a while, it became clear that I had an extra panel or two which lead me to reassess the pattern (again), which, in turn made me realize that I was supposed to knit xx as the total number of stitches, not make xx stitches on each side. 8S - it was a total V8 moment! :P).  Clearly, pattern reading and understanding is still something I need to keep practicing! :P  Then, I got to the ear flap part and realized the hat was way too big!  So, I ripped it back to Round 22, skipped that step and just knitted in the round.  Nevertheless, I finally managed to actually replicate the hat! *yay*

In hind sight, I think I would've made the earflaps 4 sts bigger as after I had finished it, it looked a bit small (although it covered her ears just fine).  Also, I was surprised how little yarn it took; it didn't seem liked I used much of the C color; I used most of 1 skein of the O color and about 75% of 1 skein of the M color.  So the "leftovers" went into making the rest of the "winter" ensemble. ;)

And, here's the pattern for:
Fingerless Mitts (cuff up) (uses the remainder of the skeins for color O & M from the hat, about 2/3 of the new skeins for color O & 1/3 of color M & barely anything of color C - there's still a lot of color C from the original skein).  I wanted the pattern for the mitts to more or less reflect the hat since I figured Fran might want to use it more with her hat.
Using my US 8 Chiagoo Twist needles & new Denise Short Sharp Tips, cast on 28 sts using the German Twisted method with color O.
*With color O, follow the seed stitch pattern, working 2 rows.
Switching to color M, work 4 rows.
Switching to color C, work 1 row in garter stitch.
Continue following * color pattern for 15 more repeats in garter stitch.
Place 8 sts on a stitch holder for the thumb, switched to my US 9 Denise Short Sharp tips and continue * color pattern for the remaining 10 sts for 9 repeats in garter stitch, ending with color C.
Knit 1 row with color C.
Knit 2 rows in color M.
Seed stitch 2 tows in color M.
Seed stitch 2 rows in color O.
Bind off in pattern with color O.
Using color O, going back to the thumb, pick up 2 sts for a total of 12 sts (6 sts on each side).
Following the garter stitch pattern, knit 1 row with color O (total of 2 rows).
Switch to color M, knit to the 2nd to the last st, k2tog for a total of 10 sts (5 sts on each side)
Knit 3 rows with color M.
Knit 2 rows with color O.
Bind off in pattern with color O.

and a Scarf (uses: the remainder of color O & M and 1+remainder of color C).  For the scarf, I wanted it to be different from everything else as she might want to use it separately from her other items so, the only similar thing was keeping in the seed stitch pattern; otherwise it was in huge color blocks.
Using my new Denise US 9 needles, cast on 48 sts using a long tail cast on with color O
With color O, follow the seed stitch pattern, working 66 rows (24.5 cm (9 3/4 in) long)
Switching to color M, work 89 rows (36 cm (14 3/16 in) long) 
Switching to color C, work 190 rows (xx cm (xx in))
Switching to color M, work 89 rows (36 cm (14 3/16 in) long)  
Switching to color O, work 66 rows (24.5 cm (9 3/4 in) long) 
Bind off.

Here's what the complete set looks like:

Thank you, Fran for helping me use up my yarn! :D  I hope this set keeps you warm! ♡  If anything, at least you'll look cute in it!! ;)