How to Knit a Men's Headband
A headband is a useful winter accessory that allows the wearer to keep his ears warm without flattening his hairdo. Knitting a headband is a quick, easy project requiring only basic knitting stitches and a simple seam. Use wool yarn to create a warm headband suitable for a man to wear during the cold winter months. Once you have mastered the basic headband, you can add colored stripes or more advanced stitches to create different looks.
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Worsted weight yarn
- Knitting needles, size 7
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
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Measure the circumference of the wearer's head using a measuring tape. If you can't take a measurement or if the headband is a gift, use the recipient's hat size to determine the number of inches to knit the headband. The average size for the circumference of a man's head is between 22 inches and 24 inches.
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Cast on 12 stitches. To cast on, make a slipknot on the end of one of the needles. Make a backward loop in the working yarn so the yarn extends between the loop and the needle. Place the loop on the needle and tighten. Repeat the backward loop cast on method until you have 12 stitches, including the slipknot, on the needle.
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3
Knit in every stitch across the first row. To knit, hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the working yarn behind the needles. Insert the right needle from front to back through the first stitch on the left needle. Wrap the working yarn around the back of the right needle and draw a loop through the left stitch onto the right needle. Drop the left stitch off the needle.
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4
Purl into every stitch across the second row. To purl, hold the working yarn in front of the needles and insert the right needle from back to front into the first stitch on the left needle. Wrap the working yarn around the right needle and draw a loop through the stitch on the left needle onto the right needle. Drop the stitch off the left needle.
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Alternate knit and purl rows until your headband reaches the desired length.
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Bind off all stitches. To bind off, knit two stitches onto the right needle and use the tip of the left needle to lift the first stitch on the right needle over the second stitch and off the needle. Knit another stitch onto the right needle and lift the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. Repeat until one stitch remains on the right needle. Cut the yarn, leaving a 12-inch tail, and pull the tail through the remaining stitch. Tighten to secure the yarn.
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7
Thread the tail yarn onto a tapestry needle.
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8
Line up the cast-on and bind-off edges of the headband. Each stitch on one edge should correspond with a stitch on the other edge.
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Begin seaming the edges together. Bring the tail yarn from back to front through the center of the first stitch on the bind-off row. Then, insert the needle into the right side of the first stitch on the cast-on edge and pull the tail yarn through the left side of the stitch. The needle and yarn should still be to the front of the work. Insert the needle from front to back into the center of the same stitch on the bind-off row that you brought the yarn up through at the beginning of the seam. This makes a triangle that mimics a knit stitch and will create an invisible seam.
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Bring the yarn up through the center of the next stitch to the left and continue making triangular seam stitches in this fashion until the headband edges are seamed. Weave the tail yarn through stitches on the wrong side of the work to secure the end and trim the excess yarn.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want a wider headband, cast on extra stitches. Knit in garter stitch to create a stretchier headband. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row rather than alternating knit and purl rows.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Michael Turek/Photodisc/Getty Images
