Working with blender means always trying to figure out how to do things differently. There are different ways to approach modeling in a 3D app. Box modeling, rotoscoping, and sculpting/retopology are three methods. I like to start with a box and modeling my way into a human figure, then gradually add details as the poly count increases. To make the ear I can model it separately and attach it to the head mesh, the problem with that is matching up the vertices with the ones on the ear. If they are not even then you end up trying to figure out how to re-work edge loops to make it work. I prefer to cap the hole, or as blender calls it 'Grid fill' and model the ear out directly on the head. It feels like sculpting without sculpting.
With Grid Fill you must select the same number of vertices on opposite ends so it can correctly close the hole in a grid pattern. There is another option above called Fill that will fill the hole automatically without making a grid.
To make the ear start with a grid and work with the big shapes of the ear. By using sculpt mode you can push the ear outward from the head to bring it from a 2d dimensional shape to a 3D dimensional shape. Then you can follow the path around the ear with edge loops. The ear isn't a perfect grid or box shape, it's round. By following the shape of the ear and creating grids you can get closer to an ear shape. It takes steps and it's not going to happen all in one go, but that's why you start with the bigger shapes. You can have a basic cartoon ear that is complete and you can always go back and add more detail. It's a better way to approach it than working on a detailed ear from the start.
There are going to be triangles as you work because of the nature of organic surfaces. As you work more details into it you will find that you need another edge loop to create a sharper edge or more detail. That's where the triangles come in handy. It's an opportunity to rework the mesh. Keep in mind that this becomes more difficult as you add more polygons to your model. The less polygons the better. You can save yourself time and pain by modeling with less polygons. Once you achieve the desired surface you can continue to add more edge loops and it becomes easier to work with something you're adding onto rather than editing and reworking. This workflow can be thought of as working with traditional clay.
To complete the legs I tried to make them as simple as possible and re-attach them to the torso. I have removed the feet when I began modeling Kim because I didn't need them. They may be removed again when I create the outfit for this character. If the character wears shoes then there's no need for a complex foot model because the feet will be hidden by the shoes. There are blue lines on the model where it needs a 'mesh cleanup' (a Modo thing). This is done before rigging to clean up the model from overlappping edges or vertices that go unnoticed while modeling. This can cause issues further down the line in game development or rigging and animation if they are not removed.