Winter Chunky Headband with Ears (or without Ears) - Free Pattern

 

Winter Chunky Headband with Ears (or without Ears)

1 skein Chunky [6] yarn

Scrap yarn for ear lining Chunky [6]

Size 15 knitting needles

Tapestry needle with hole large enough for chunky yarn

Size N crochet hook

 

Gauge 2 st/1” and 4 rows/1” measured in moss stitch pattern

 

CO 5

 

Two Cast On options

 

Option 1: Long tail cast on and bind off end then use mattress stitch to sew ends together.

Option 2: Provisional cast on and use Kitchener’s stitch to attach starting row to ending row.

 

I’ve used the crocheted provisional cast on for this project. Use a similar weight, smooth, different colored yarn. Crochet two chain stitches then use crochet hook to pull yarn over knitting needle and pull through loop until you have 5 stitches. Crochet two more chain stitches off the needle then leave a large loop at the end to identify which end to pull when you are ready to remove provisional stitches. These stitches don’t count anywhere. They only exist to hold the first row’s stitches live.

 

The benefit of starting with a provisional cast on and then using Kitchener’s stitch to graft the two ends together is a smooth, invisible join that has nice stretchability. If you aren’t ready to do this process then just cast on as normal and bind off as normal and sew the two ends together. The join will barely be noticed since it’s at the back of the head.

 

Start knitting with main yarn.

Row 1: Knit 5

Row 2: Purl 5

Row 3: Knit 5

Row 4: Purl 5

Row 5: sl 1, KFB, K1, KFB, K1

Row 6: sl 1 wyf, P6

Row 7: sl 1, KFB, K3, KFB, K1

Row 8: sl 2 wyf, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P2

Row 9: sl 2, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K3

Repeat rows 8 and 9. The two slipped stitches at start of each row will form an icord edge.  Be sure to bring the yarn forward when slipping the first two stitches on the wrong side of the work (even numbered rows). It won’t take long to see the pattern forming. It is a moss stitch with an icord edge.

 

Work until piece measures 2” less than desired head circumference.

In general, for baby work to 15”, for toddler work to 16”, for child work to 17”, and for adult work to 18”.

 

RS Row 1x: sl2, K1, sl 2 knitwise together, K1, pass both slipped sts over last knit st, K3

WS Row 2x: sl 2 wyf, K1, P1, K1, P2

RS Row 3x:  sl 2, K1, P1, K3

WS Row 4x:  sl 2 wyf, K1, P1, K1, P2

RS Row 5x: sl 1, K1, sl 2 knitwise together, K1, pass both slipped sts over last knit st, K2

WS Row 6x: sl 1 wyf, P4

RS Row 7x: sl 1, K4

 

If you used long-tailed cast on, bind off and join two ends with mattress stitch.

 

If you used provisional cast on, remove scrap yarn and insert live stitches onto other needle.  There will be five stitches on each needle for a total of ten stitches. Needle 1 will be front needle and Needle 2 will be back needle.

 

Kitchener’s Stitch:

First, prepare for Kitchener’s stitch by sliding tapestry needle purlwise into first stitch on needle 1 then knitwise into first stitch on needle two.  Be careful to keep the working yarn from sneaking up over the needles as you work.

 

Now we begin:

Insert tapestry needle knitwise into first stitch on Needle 1 and push it off Needle 1 then insert tapestry needle into second stitch purlwise.

 

Now insert tapestry needle into first stitch purlwise on Needle 2 and push it off Needle 2 then into second stitch purlwise.

 

Let’s go back to needle 1 and insert tapestry needle knitwise into stitch 2 and push it off needle 1 then purlwise into stitch 3. Now needle 2’s turn. Insert tapestry needle purlwise into stitch 2 and push it off needle 2 then knitwise into stitch 3. Do the same for stitch 4 and 5 and that’s it. Weave in yarn end and cut off.

 

See the pattern? For stockinette stitch there’s an easy mantra I recite, “knit off purl then purl off knit”. It’s technically knitwise and purlwise but saying “knit off purl then purl off knit” kept it straight for me. The closest needle, Needle 1 will always be knit off purl and the farthest needle, Needle 2, will always be purl off knit for stockinette stitch joins.

 

Ears (Crocheted version)

Make 2 in main color

Make 2 in contrasting color

 

In magic loop, 5 hdc, slip to join (5)

2 hdc in each hdc (10)

*2 hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc, repeat from * (15)

 

Using main color, crochet together a back ear piece and lining ear piece with single crochet. Leave a tail about 12-16” to sew to headband.

 

Ears (Knit version)

Make 2 in main color

Make 2 in contrasting color

 

CO 2

 

KFB x2

K1, KFB x2, K1

K2, KFB x2, K2

K3, KFB x2, K3

K4, KFB x2, K4

 

Bind off, leaving 1 stitch on needle. Turn ear and pick up 1 stitch in center of bottom of ear and 1 stitch at other end of bottom of ear, bind off these three stitches. This is to complete the shaping of the ear but if picking up stitches is intimidating you could use yarn tail and tapestry needle and gather up bottom by stitching into center and far end of bottom of each ear back and ear lining.

 

Crochet back of ear and lining together using main color yarn and single crochet stitch. Or whipstitch for those not knowing how to crochet.

 

Attaching ear:

Fold headband in half with seam in center. Sew ears onto headband third row from the front about 1” from each side. Tack tip of ear to get a more pointed ear. To tack ear tip, after sewing on ear run yarn up back of ear between back and lining. About 1-2 stitches down from top of ear run yarn in and out from side to side about 4x then secure by weaving yarn tail a few times in the back of the ear. For rounded ear don’t tack tip of ear.

 

I used Lion Brand Hometown chunky for most headbands and Wool Ease for the white and gray multi-colored headband.

 

Legend

CO = cast on

K = knit

P = purl

Sl = slip stitch. Insert needle as if to purl but with yarn in back (unless otherwise noted with wyf) and slip stitch from left needle to right needle without working it.

KFB = knit into stitch then knit into stitch again but through back before finishing stitch by releasing from left needle.

Wyf = with yarn in front

Wyb = with yarn in back

RS = right side

WS = wrong side

Icord = knitting stitches on a straight needle but never turning work and always working from right side, which causes yarn stretched across back of work to pull work into a tube shape.

Hdc = half double crochet

SC = single crochet