Knitted Headbands with Cable Patterns

5 min read

Knitted headbands are a fast, satisfying project that keeps your ears warm without the bulk of a hat, and cable patterns give them a polished look. A headband takes one evening, uses a small amount of yarn, and teaches you cabling, which is the technique behind fisherman sweaters and cabled scarves. Cables look complicated, but they are just stitches worked out of order, and once you try one cable cross, the mystery disappears. A hand-knit headband also makes a great gift, since one size fits most people.

Start with a medium weight yarn in a solid color, knitting needles one size smaller than the yarn label suggests, a cable needle, and a yarn needle for seaming. Wool or a wool blend gives the best stitch definition for cables, because the stitches stand out crisply.

Choosing Yarn That Shows Cables

Cable patterns need smooth, springy yarn to look their best, so avoid fuzzy or bumpy yarns for your first cabled headband. A plain wool or acrylic yarn with a tight twist shows every cable cross sharply, while a fluffy mohair blend hides the pattern completely. Medium weight yarn, often labeled worsted, works well for headbands because it knits up quickly and makes cables that are big enough to see. Check the ball band for the recommended needle size, then go down one size for a firmer fabric that holds its shape around your head.

Pick a yarn color that contrasts with your hair if you want the headband to stand out, or match your coat for a coordinated winter look. Solid colors show cables far better than variegated yarns, which break up the pattern with color changes. Buy one skein of about one hundred grams, which is enough for two headbands, so you have yarn for a second try.

Reading a Cable Chart

Cable patterns are often written as charts, and a chart is easier to follow than a paragraph once you learn the symbols. Each square on the chart stands for one stitch, and you read the chart from bottom to top, right to left on right-side rows. A cable symbol shows you how many stitches cross and in which direction, with the stitches held to the front or the back. Mark the row you are on with a sticky note or a row counter, since losing your place in a cable chart is the most common mistake.

Start with a simple two-over-two cable, which crosses two stitches over two stitches, before you try wider cables. Work the cable rows slowly and check that each cross leans the right way, since a cable that leans left instead of right changes the whole pattern.

Working the Cable Cross

To work a cable cross, slip the first two stitches onto a cable needle and hold it in front of your work, knit the next two stitches, then knit the two stitches from the cable needle. This swaps the order of the stitches and makes them cross over each other, forming the twist. Keep the cable needle close to your work so the stitches do not stretch, and pull the yarn snug after the cross so the cable looks tight. The first few crosses feel awkward, but by the tenth one your hands will know the motion.

Count your stitches after every cable row to make sure you have not gained or lost one, since a missing stitch throws off the whole pattern. If the cable looks loose, your cable needle stitches are stretching, so hold the needle closer and knit those stitches firmly.

Shaping a Headband That Fits

A headband should be wide enough to cover your ears and snug enough to stay put without squeezing. Most adult headbands are about four inches wide and twenty inches long before seaming, which fits a head circumference of twenty-one to twenty-three inches. Measure your own head with a tape measure and knit to that length minus one inch, since the band stretches a little with wear. If the headband is for someone else, twenty inches is a safe middle size.

Work the headband flat until it reaches your target length, then bind off loosely so the edge can stretch. Join the ends with a mattress stitch or a three-needle bind-off for a neat seam, and weave in the ends on the wrong side. Try the headband on before you finish the seam, since it is easy to add or remove rows at this point.

Finishing and Blocking

Block the finished headband by soaking it in lukewarm water with a drop of wool wash, then laying it flat to dry. Pin the headband to the right width and length, and let it dry completely before you wear it, since blocking evens out the stitches and sets the cable pattern. Do not wring a wool headband, because wringing felts the fibers and shrinks the band. Press it gently in a towel to remove water, then shape it flat on a clean towel.

Weave in all yarn ends with a yarn needle, threading each end through several stitches on the wrong side so it cannot work loose. If the seam feels bulky, press it lightly with a warm iron through a cloth, which flattens the join without damaging the wool. Make a second headband in a different color right away, since the second one always goes faster and the cables come out more even.

More ideas, fewer dead ends: the related guides below continue this thread, beginning with Circular Knitting Machine Hats for Charity Donations.

Reference: Headbands — Wikipedia

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