Cabled Headband Knitting Pattern

Cabled Headband Knitting Pattern by Plymouth Yarn

Project Overview

This downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn creates an elegant cabled headband suitable for adding texture and warmth to your winter accessories collection. The design combines lace and cable techniques to produce an openwork headband that stretches comfortably around the head while maintaining its decorative structure.

Materials and Gauge

The Cabled Headband is designed to be worked in Baby Alpaca DK yarn, requiring just 1 ball of yarn in color 753. This makes it an economical project perfect for using leftover yarn or creating a coordinating accessory. The pattern calls for US Size 5 needles and specifies a gauge of 24 stitches over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the headband to fit correctly around the head.

Finished Measurements

The completed headband measures approximately 20 inches around the circumference by 5.5 inches wide, providing generous coverage across the forehead and ears. The pattern is designed to be worn stretched slightly, allowing the lace pattern to open up and display its delicate construction.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This pattern employs several intermediate knitting techniques that create visual interest and texture:

• Cable stitch (C6B): The primary decorative element involves slipping 3 stitches to a cable needle and holding them to the back, knitting the next 3 stitches, then knitting the 3 stitches from the cable needle. This creates the characteristic twisted rope effect that gives the headband its dimensional appearance.
• Yarn overs (YO): Used throughout the pattern to create lace holes and increase stitches, contributing to the openwork aesthetic.
• Decreases (k2tog and ssk): Knit 2 stitches together and slip, slip, knit decreases balance the yarn overs and maintain stitch count while shaping the lace pattern.
• Garter stitch edges: The first and last stitch of each row are worked in knit, creating neat selvage edges that frame the pattern.

Pattern Construction

The headband is worked flat in rows using an 8-row repeat pattern. The first row is cast on with 36 stitches using a loose cast-on method to ensure flexibility. Rows 1 through 8 establish the pattern repeat, which combines lace elements with a cable twist on row 7. The pattern is worked until the piece reaches approximately 20 inches in length, at which point it will fit around the head when gently stretched. The cast-on edge is then sewn to the bind-off edge to create a seamless circular headband.

Finishing

After binding off loosely to maintain elasticity, the headband is blocked to open up and display the lace pattern fully. Blocking helps even out the stitches and allows the delicate openwork sections to bloom, creating the intended finished appearance.