How to Knit a Skinny Headband

Knitting a skinny headband is a quick and easy project provided you have a few basic knitting skills. This headband will involve increasing, decreasing, knits, purls, and making an i-cord. These headbands are super comfortable and you can make one in every color of the rainbow, and use up odd yarn scraps while you're at it. Let's get started.

1. Choose your yarn and needles. As a general rule of thumb, the needles should be close to the thickness of the yarn. But if you want easy lacy holes in the headband, use large needles with thin yarn. Choose a stiffer yarn if you're working with an intricate patternthat you do not want to stretch out; cotton yarn works well.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Cast on two to five stitches. The fewer stitches, the skinnier the headband; the more stitches, the thicker. Leave approximately 3-4 inches (7.5cm-10cm) of tail yarn.
3. Work in i-cord for about seven inches (17cm) or when the cord reaches from the nape of your head to the back of your ear. (You also want a little extra in case you are knitting this for someone else.) If you like the i-cord, you can make the whole headband in this fashion, but for this article we will assume you're going on.
   
   
   

    An i-cord twice as long, to create a Grecian look.
   
   
   • See How to knit an i-cord to learn how.
4. Begin to turn the work at the end of each row, and start your increases. If you began with three stitches, knit the first stitch, knit the front and the back of the second stitch, and knit the third stitch. Then purl the wrong side of the headband. Continue to increase in the middle of the stitches and knit the outside stitches, while purling on the other side. The more times your increase in one row, the faster the headband will grow in width. Increase to anywhere between six to ten stitches.
   • See How to knit increases for more details.
5. 

    A lace stitch pattern
   Begin your stitch pattern. Stockinette (knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side) would not be best because the edges will curl. Here are some more ideas that would work well:
   • Garter stitch (knitting every single stitch) is very stretchy and does not curl. It creates a horizontal rib. You may use any number of stitches.
   • Ribbing will work well with an even number of stitches; knit one stitch then purl one stitch, until the end of the row, turn, and repeat. It creates a vertical rib.
   • Seed stitch requires an even number of stitches. On the right side, knit one, purl one, and repeat. On the wrong side, purl one, knit one, and repeat. This creates a bumpy texture.
   • Moss stitch requires multiples of four; twelve stitches would be good for a skinny headband. On the right side knit two, purl two, and repeat. On the wrong side, purl two, knit two, and repeat until the end of the row.
   • Simple cable and garter border: Begin with an even number of stitches; for this example we will use eight stitches. Assuming you are starting on the right side:
     
     
     • Knit 2, slip 2 stitches onto the cable needle and hold in back, knit 2, knit 2 stitches of cable needle, knit 2.
     • Knit 2, purl 4, knit 2.
     • Knit 8.
     • Knit 2, purl 4, knit 2.
     • Knit 8.
     • Knit 2, purl 4, knit 2.
     • Knit 8.
     • Knit 2, purl 4, knit 2.
   • Or use the internet to find your own! Check out the stitch gallery noted in the "Sources and Citations" below.
6. Repeat your stitch pattern until it measures from one ear lobe to the other across the top of your head. Remember to stretch the yarn while fitting.
   
   
   

    Another cable stitch pattern
   
   
7. Decrease until you have the correct number of stitches for your i-cord. For example if you had eight stitches, knit one, knit two together, knit one, knit two together, knit one, knit two together. Purl the wrong side and continue in a similar fashion until you have for example, three stitches left. See Knit Decreases to learn how.
8. Knit the i-cord until it measures a little longer than the distance from behind your other ear to the nape of your neck.
9. Bind off and break the yarn. Leave approximately 3-4 inches (7.5cm to 10cm) of tail yarn on this end as well.
10. Use a darning needle to thread the end of the tail yarn into the i-cord from its end. Pull it out some distance along the i-cord, pull it so it's very taunt and snip it. Then pull at the i-cord so that the yarn end shrinks into the i-cord. Repeat this at the other end.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Wear your fabulous headband! Wrap it around your head, making sure the right side is facing outwards, and tie the i-cords together at the nape of your neck. You can leave the headband tied from now on.
    
    
    
    
    

• 
  Try changing yarn colors to liven up a simple stitch pattern.
• Add a flower to the side of a headband for a decorative touch. Flowers can be made bycrocheting or knitting. You can also knit a long i-cord and sew it into a flower shape.
• If you already know how to crochet a chain, you can use this instead of an i-cord.

• Make sure the stitches don't slip off your needles!
• You should have enough yarn before starting your project, although skinny headbands require very little yarn.

• Any worsted weight yarn
• Size 4-8 needles
• Darning needle
• Scissors