How to Crochet a Chunky Twisted Ear Warmer

Last updated: 23 October 2025

crochet ear warmer with a twist in the front and ribbing

A Cosy Little Make for Chilly Days

If you’re after a super quick and satisfying crochet project, the Drifter Ear Warmer is perfect. It’s warm, chunky, and just the thing to keep your ears cosy when the temperature drops. This pattern works up fast and makes a brilliant gift or market make — you can whip one up in no time, and it looks fantastic in self-striping or gently colour-changing yarns.

I love how simple yet stylish this piece is. It has that handmade charm without being overcomplicated — just relaxing, easy crochet with lovely results.

Why I Love Making Ear Warmers

As soon as the weather starts to cool, I always feel it in my ears first—they’re really sensitive and I tend to get earache even when it’s only a little chilly. I wanted something warm and snuggly to keep them covered, but still simple and quick to make. Using bulky yarn made perfect sense—it works up fast, feels wonderfully soft, and gives that lovely cushioned warmth I was after. The Drifter Ear Warmer was originally one of my older patterns, but I’ve recently updated and simplified it to make it even easier to follow.

Get the PDF Pattern
If you’d like to have a beautifully designed, ad-free version of this pattern, you can grab the PDF from my online stores. The downloadable version includes all the sizes from toddler to adult large, along with handy printable project pages, charts, and diagrams to make your crochet experience even easier. It’s perfect for keeping a tidy, easy-to-follow copy on hand while you work.

excerpts from the pdf crochet pattern for the drifter ear warmer

2 balls of drifter chunky yarn used to crocheting the drifter chunky ear warmer

Let’s Talk Yarn

For this project, I used King Cole Drifter Chunky, which has become one of my go-to yarns for cosy winter accessories. It’s a gorgeous blend of 69% premium acrylic, 25% cotton, and 6% wool, giving it the perfect balance of softness, warmth, and durability. The gentle colour transitions create a beautiful, blended look without any effort — no switching yarns or weaving in extra ends!

If you’d like to use the same yarn or try a similar substitute, here are a few great options:

All of these yarns work beautifully for this pattern and have that same cosy, slightly marled texture.

What You’ll Need

Yarn: Chunky weight yarn (bulky)
Hook sizes: 5 mm and 6 mm
Other items: Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker

Finding Your Perfect Fit

To get the right fit, measure around the fullest part of your head — just above your eyebrows and ears.

This pattern is designed with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of negative ease, which means the finished earwarmer should be slightly smaller than your head for a snug but comfortable fit.

If you’re making one for a child or baby, you might want to go up a size to allow room for growth (baby - adult sizes are included in the pdf version of this pattern).

Drifter Ear Warmer Video Tutorial

If you’d like to crochet along with me, you can find the full step-by-step video tutorial here.

The video walks you through the entire process, from starting your chain to forming the twist and adding the ribbing — perfect if you prefer visual guidance.

Pin it!

a pinterest pin of a model wearing a crochet twisted headband made with chunky yarn

Drifter Ear Warmer

Hooks

5.00 mm
6.00 mm

Yarn
King Cole Drifter Chunky

Other Items

Yarn needle
Scissors
Stitch marker

Abbreviations US Terms (UK Terms)
sc - single crochet (double crochet)
blsc – back loop single crochet (back loop double crochet)
dc – double crochet (treble crochet)
hdc – half double crochet (half treble crochet)
fpdc – front post double crochet (front post treble crochet)
fpsc - front post single crochet (front post double crochet)
ch - chain
st(s) - stitch(es)
pm – place marker

Sizes
S Adult, [L Adult]

Gauge
12 sts x 10 rows in pattern = 4x4 inches

Pattern Notes

Read the pattern all the way through before starting.
A video tutorial is provided to guide you through each step.
The head band is worked flat and then seamed to form the twist.
Ribbing is then added to the bottom of headband, worked sideways.
Ch1 at the start of a row does not count as a stitch.

Headband

With 6.00 mm hook, chain 67, [70]

Row 1 (Right side) sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (66, [69] sc)

Row 2 ch1, hdc in 1st st, fpdc in each st across until last st, hdc in last st. Turn. (2 hdc, 62, [65] fpdc)

Row 3 ch1, sc in 1st st, sc in each st across. Turn. (66, [69] sc)

Repeat rows 2 and 3, 3 more times.

Final row ch1, sl st in 1st st, fpsc in each st across, ending with sl st in last st. Fasten off leaving a long tail.

Forming the Twist

Lay your crochet strip flat with the right side facing up.
Bring the two short ends in towards the centre so they meet.
Fold each short end in half, right sides together.
Slot the folded ends together so the layers interlock.
Sew through all 4 layers securely to hold the twist.
Turn right side out — your twist will now be on the outside.
See diagram on page 4.

Ribbing
Pm on final row edge, where twist crosses over on headband, through both layers. See diagram on page 4.

Set up round: With slip knot on hook, join with sc to centre st at bottom, back edge (foundation edge will be the top as this is less stretchy). Sc in each st around until marked st, 3 hdc in marked st, sc in all remaining sts, join with sl st to 1st sc.

Switch to 5.00 mm hook and ch7, [9].

Row 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch, sl st in next 2 sts on earwarmer. Turn.

Row 2 sk sl sts, blsc in each st across. Turn.

Row 3 ch1, blsc in each st across, sl st in next 2 sts on earwarmer.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until ribbing has been worked around entire earwarmer.

Turn inside out and sl st last row to foundation row to join ribbing. Fasten off and weave in ends.

And that’s it — your Drifter Ear Warmer is ready to wear! I love how quickly this one comes together, and it’s a brilliant stash-buster too. You can make a whole batch in different colours for gifts or markets.