How To Knit A Headband

Knitting a thin headband is fast and easy on condition that you have basic skills in knitting. Such a headband implies that there will be wide and tight parts, knitting and there will be a need to create a twine. Such like headbands are quite convenient. You may choose any colour for them that you like and also use various pieces of threads to make an accessory look more impressive. So, let’s start.

Stages

1. Chose yarn and knitting needles. The main rule here is that the needles should be approximately as thick as the yarn is. However, if you want to create a mesh pattern on your item, you’d better use the knitting needles that are thicker. If you work on a complicated pattern, choose a more tough yarn. It stretches out less. For example, cotton yarn will be great.

2. Cast on from 2 to 5 loops. The less loops you cast the thinner is the knitting. The more loops you cast the wider is the knitting. Leave the tail-ends of the yarn, the length is approximately 7,5-10 cm.

3. Knit a round twine, the length is approximately 17 cm. The length should be enough for the twine to stretch from the back of the head to the back side of an ear. (If you’re knitting the item for somebody, you may make it a bit longer) If you like the way the twine looks, you may knit the whole headband this way. However, in this article, we suppose that you’ll go on following our instructions.

4. Start turning your work in the end of each row and go on making the wide parts of the item. If you started with 3 loops, knit the 1st loop, knit the front and the back side of the second loop and knit the third loop. Then, knit the wrong side of the headband with purl loops. Go on casting more loops in the middle and knitting the front loops knit-wise and the wrong side of the headband with purl loops. The more loops you cast on in one row the faster will the headband become wider. Anyway, cast from 6 to 10 more lops in one row.

5. Start knitting the pattern. Plain knitting (the front loops on the outer side and the purl ones on the inside) is not quite appropriate since the edges will intertwine. Here are some ideas and suggestions on appropriate patterns:

The pattern that makes the item look like an elastic band will be quite good if there is an even number of loops; 1 front loop, 1 purl loop, one front loop. This is the way you go on knitting till the end of the row. Then, you need to turn over your work and do the same. As a result, there will be a vertical cord effect.

The “rice” pattern requires an even number of loops. The front side is knitted the following way: 1 front loop, 1 purl loop, go on repeating it. On the wrong side, a purl loop, a front loop, go on repeating it. Such a pattern creates a shaggy texture.

The “moss” pattern requires a number of loops that is divisible by 4. For a thin headband, 12 loops will be enough. On the front side: 2 front loops, 2 purl loops, go on repeating it. On the wrong side: 2 purl loops, 2 front loops, go on repeating it till the end of the row.

A simple cable and knitting of the edge: start with casting on an even number of loops; In our case, you need to cast on 8 loops. It is expected that you start from the front side:

• 2 front loops, drop 2 loops on the needle, 2 front loops, knit 2 loops that you’ve dropped, 2 front loops.
• 2 front loops, 4 purl loops, 2 front loops.
• 8 front loops.
• 2 front loops, 4 purl loops, 2 front loops.
• 8 front loops.
• 2 front loops, 4 purl loops, 2 front loops.
• 8 front loops.
• 2 front loops, 4 purl loops, 2 front loops.

You may also look for a pattern you like on the Internet! Look through the gallery of patterns in the section “Resources and links” below.

6. Go on repeating the pattern until you get the desired length of the headband. Try it on – its length should be enough so that to stretch from one ear to the other. When you try it on, stretch it out a bit.

7. Decrease the number of loops in order to get the number of loops equal to the one you did when knitting the round twine. For example, if you have 8 loops, knit 1 front loop, 2 front loops together, 1 front loop, 2 front loops together, 1 front loop and, again, 2 front loops together. Knit the purl loops on the wrong side. Go on knitting as it is said until there is 3 loops left on the left side. Find out the information on how to decrease the number of loops so that to find out how it is done.

8. Knit the round twine until the length of it is a bit bigger than the distance between the back of the head and an ear.

9. Bind off the loops and cut off the threads of the yarn. Leave a tail-end of approximately 7,5-10 cm.

10. Get the end of the yarn thread (a tail-end of the twine) through the eye of a darning-needle. Get it a little bit inside of the round twine, catch the thread a bit and cut it off. Then, stretch the twine itself out so that the tail-end got concealed inside it. Do the same with the other tail-end.

11. Put on this beautiful headband! Make sure that the front side is up and tie the ends of the round twine in a square knot.