Confused by pattern for hat on Circularls-can someone please help?

[Frisby0]

Here is a link to the free pattern I'm attempting: http://www.knitlist.com/95gift/ski.htm I have knit the ear flaps seperately on dpns. I left the work on the dpns and cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Now the instructions tell me to CO stitches for the back, K the sts from one ear flap, CO more stitechs for front, then K the stitches from other ear flap. HUH? How do I CO and then K off of other needles? My brain just can't wrap around this. I'd sure be grateful if someone could help clear up my confusion!! TIA!
Dain

[suzeeq]

The earflaps should be on another needle or stitch holders which you use just like a left hand needle. With a new end of yarn and circular needles, CO the sts for the back, then knit the sts of one flap, CO more sts for the front, knit the other flap sts and join to the first CO st to knit in the round.

[MerigoldinWA]

Here are your instructions:

Using circular needle, cast on 14(15) sts for back. From RS, K all stitches
18(20) from one dpn for earflap. Cast on 26(28) sts for front. From RS, K all
stitches 18(20) from other dpn for other earflap.

I would use my 16 inch long circular and with a knitted or cable cast on (see the video section if you don't know these) cast on to the 16"er 14 (15) stitches. Now hold one of your earflaps up, with the outside facing up, in position to knit off the dpn that you have the earflap resting on. That dpn will be your left hand needle at this time. Using the 16" circular as the right hand needle, knit the earflap stitches onto it right next to the 14 (15) stitches you have cast on. The working yarn will be the same one you were using for the cast on.

Then use the same type of cast on you used at the beginning to knit on the 26 (28) stitches for the front. To do that just put the end of the 16"er with all the stitches on it in your left hand and use the empty end as your right needle to knit on the stitches, adding them right next to your earflap.

Now put the end of the circular with the yarn attached to it back in your right hand and repeat the earflap part.

Now you have all the stitches and you join and start working in the round.

[Abbily]

You're going to join everything into a circle at the bottom of the hat, with the ear flaps attached. So you cast on the back stitches, then with the same working yarn, and right next to your newly cast on stitches, knit the earflap stitches off of the dpn (just one earflap, of course). Then with the same working yarn and right next to the earflap, cast on more stitches for the front of the hat, then knit the other earflap off the other dpn, then join the circle so that the last stitch you cast on and the first stitch you cast on are right next to each other. If you're using dpns you'll have to spread your stitches out evenly between your needles. If you're using a circular needle at this point, you can cast the stitches onto the circ, then use the same circ to knit the earflap stitches off the dpn, etc.