The design for this came along due to sloppy knitting really – I decided not to bother working out the rate of increases and ended up with a long tail at the start. Instead of ripping back I decided this long tail would be knotted to form a “button”, and a “buttonhole” at the other end would complete the fastening. That way it is also adjustable, and when it stretches from being worn you can just tie a knot further up, or use a figure-of-eight knot. It is reversible too.

The headband is knitted lengthways, using increases to make it wider in the middle than the ends. It doesn’t really matter what the tension of the yarn you are using is – you could just start off with 4 stitches and increase until it’s the width you want, then decrease.

I used some lovely Italian yarn I was given called Arianna Grignasco, and knit it on smaller needles than recommended to get a nice rib. I used 4mm needles. (It recommended 6-7mm)

Gauge:

On 4mm needles, using k2, p4 rib;

16sts or 28 rows = 4”

CO – cast on

st/s stitch/es

k – knit

p - purl

m1 – make one

kfb – knit into front and back of next st

Pattern:

CO 4 sts

k all sts

p all sts

k2, m1, k2

(p2, k1, p2

k2, p1, k2) do these 2 rows 3 times

p2, kfb, p2

(k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2) three times

k2, p2, k2

p2, k1, m1, k1, p2

(k2, p3, k2

p2, k3, p2) twice

(k2, p1, k1, p1, k2

p2, k1, p1, k1, p2) twice

k2, p1, kfb, p1, k2

(p2, k1, p2, k1,p2

k2, p1, k2, p1, k2) twice

p2, kfb, p2, kfb, p2

(k2, p2, k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2, k2, p2) twice

k2, p2, k2, p2, k2,

p2, k1, kfb, p2, kfb, k1, p2

(k2, p3, k2, p3, k2

p2, k3, p2, k3, p2) twice

k2, p1, kfb, p1, k2, p1, kfb, p1, k2

(p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2

k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2) twice

p2, kfb, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, kfb, p2

(k2, p2, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, k2, p2) twice

k2, p2, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2, kfb, p2, kfb, p2, k2, p2

(k2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2) twice

k2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2, k1, kfb, p2, kfb, k1, p2, k2, p2

(k2, p2, k2, p3, k2, p3, k2, p2, k2

p2, k2, p2, k3, p2, k3, p2, k2, p2) twice

k2, p2, k2, p3, k2, p3, k2, p2, k2

p2, k1, kfb, p2, k3, p2, k3, p2, kfb, k1, p2

(k2, p3, k2, p3, k2, p3, k2, p3, k2

p2, k3, p2, k3, p2, k3, p2, k3, p2) twice

k2, p3, k2, p3, k2, p3, k2, p3, k2

p2, k3, p2, k2, kfb, p2, kfb, k2, p2, k3, p2

(k2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2

p2, k3, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k3, p2) twice

k2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2

p2, k2, kfb, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, kfb, k2, p2

Hooray, finally finished the end of the increases. Mark the end of the increases with a safety pin. Tie a knot in the beginning of your knitting. Measure the distance around your head. Divide this number in two (I was making mine 22” long, so half that is 11”) Now measure the distance from the end of your knot (see picture) to the end of the increases. This is x. The distance from the end of the increases to the middle of the hat is y.

2x + 2y = Circumference

So, if the circumference of your head is 22, and x is 5” (as in my case), then 10 + 2y = 22, so 2y = 12. So now continue is pattern for 2y (12” in my case), then start reducing. I hope that makes sense!!!