Introduction: Cozy Headband Made From Leftover Yarn
I found some leftover yarn at home and decided to make myself a headband. I used relatively thick yarn (Odin by Viking of Norway) and 5.5mm knitting needles, because it makes the headband nice and warm. You can use similar yarn and needles, or use double thread of thinner yarn. You can also adjust the knitting pattern to the yarn and needles you have, see below.
Step 1: Get the Right Size
Do a small test first to find the gauge of the leftover yarn. Cast on 20 stitches or so and do stockinette for 2-3cm. Try smaller or larger needles if the knitted patch looks too loose or compact. Then measure the number of stitches per 10cm. I have used the yarn Odin (Viking of Norway), and had 16 stitches per 10cm on 5.5mm needles. My head is approximately 56cm around, which means that I needed 89 stitches for the headband to fit. The knitted work is streatchy, so I subducted 4 stitches from the estimate for a nice fit.
Step 2: The Start of the Headband
Cast on 85 stitches, or the number of stitches that will fit your head according to the gauge. Just make sure you cast on odd number of stitches. Then knit around using moss stitches. This means "1knit, 1purl", repeat while knitting all rounds. When you start a new round, you'll notice that you knit stitches that were purled on the previous round, and purl stitches that were knitted on the previous round. Soon you will see the nice pattern of the moss stitch!
Step 3: The Final Touches of the Headband
When the knitted headband is high enough or you almost run out of yarn, it's time to bind off. Knit two stitches. Then use the left needle to lift the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle. The second stitch remains on the needle. Continue by knitting one more stitch so that there are two stitches on the needle again, and lift one stitch over the other. Repeat until all stitches are done. Sew in the ends. Now you can wear your amazing headband!