Earwarmers are a great project that cover a lot of bases. They usually knit up quickly, use small amounts of yarn, and provide a great way to try out new stitches.
There are many choices. You can use a yarn with lots of texture and/or color variations. You can keep it simple when you have a yarn with lots of texture or use a pattern stitch when the yarn is flat with lots of color.
Try this pattern to get you started. Use an easy fiber to work with such as Classic Elite’s paintbox or similar. After you have done one, use a good stitch dictionary and your imagination to try out endless possibilities and variations.