This earflap is so confusing to me.
Why is it asymmetrical? The left edge is significantly longer than the right edge; the needle isn't perpendicular to the rows but is rather significantly further away from the cast on at the left end (this happens every time I knit it. I have knit this swatch seven times). And the rows curve at the bottom. I'm doing a right lifted increase one stitch away from each end, because it's the only increase I can do easily with this fluffy yarn.
And why does my gauge get looser the further away I get from my cast on? Or does it? I swear I'm being careful too make my increase stitches the same size as the others. My earflap is going to have a completely different gauge than the hat itself!
This polyester yarn (Red Heart Boutique Chic, essentially identical to Bernat Blanket) is very grippy, hence the swatch on the metal needle (I hate straight needles). It's also very grippy on the hands, making the stitches very tight on the needle, so I'm going to try knitting Norwegian for a bit. Or come up with an even looser way to tension my yarn English?
ETA: I'm gonna knit up a few swatches in a more familiar yarn just to learn how these increases are supposed to behave.