Warm Blonde – A Headband

I’ve been wanting a twisty turban style headband ever since it got cold and they became stylish (like 5 years back, I’m a bit slow on the uptake).  When the Big Bulky Alpaca from Estelle went on Clearance, I figured this was as good a time as any to crank one out.  This pattern can get two headbands out of one skein, if you’re careful, so it’s an extremely quick, extremely inexpensive present for the cold ears in your life.

Materials:

1 skein, or a minimum of 30 metres,  of super bulky yarn (pictured here in Big Bulky Alpaca, colour 12 “Grey”), we also recommend Cascade Lana Grande
12.75mm (US 17) needles, straight or circular, whichever is handiest
a bigish cable needle (or a pencil, a DPN, a popsicle stitck, a friend’s finger, you get the gist)
a bigish darning needle

Gauge:

10 stitches in 1×1 ribbing = 10cm/4″

Pattern:

Cast on 10 stitches (or desired width but keep it to an even number) using your desired cast on.  If you’re playing yarn chicken, it’s a good idea to leave a tail here that is long enough to sew this end to the cast off edge.

Row 1: slip first stitch purlwise, *purl 1, knit 1.  Repeat from * to end, finishing with a purl stitch.

Repeat row 1 until your piece is 24cm (9.5″) long.

The twist:
Slip the first 5 (or half) of your stitches purlwise onto your cable needle (or clever cable needle substitute).
Holding these stitches in front of your work, work the remaining 5 (or half) of your stitches as follows: purl 1, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1. (if you’re working with a multiple of 4 stitches, the second half will begin with a k1 instead of a p1, but if you’re confident enough to change the CO number, then I’m betting you are confident enough to follow the established stitches).
Then work the stitches on the cable needle as follows: knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1.

Row 2: slip first stitch purlwise, *knit 1, purl 1.  Repeat from * to end, finishing with a knit stitch.

Repeat row 2 until headband reaches almost all the way around your head, or another 24cm.

Bind off all stitches and sew the cast on and bind off ends together.  I like a good kitchener stitch myself, but if you’re feeling less than ambitious, anything that neatly-ish closes the circle will do.

If the intended wearer has a much smaller or much larger head than the average ~22″, adjust length and placement of twist accordingly.