Have a Circular Knitting Machine? Make a Twisted Headband!

Over the holidays I started getting into using my circular knitting machine more, and though I would never give up on knitting and crocheting with real needles and hooks, I’ve got to say it’s a lot of fun for quick little projects. I have a Sentro 40 pin (and a 22 pin that I actually haven’t used yet!) and it’s been a lot of fun learning what they can do.

One of the classic early projects that a lot of people do when they first get a machine is to knit a twisted headband. It’s a really quick and easy project, and when you do it on a 40 or 48 pin it’s wide enough that it can double as earwarmers when you need it.

I shared my method for making a twisted headband over at Our Daily Craft, and this project comes in clutch for bad hair days or when you’re growing out your bangs like I (still) am. It’s almost like a messy bun hat.

They’re really quick and easy to make and this would be a great gift to stockpile for the holidays. You can make it on whatever machine you have, using whatever weight 3 or 4 yarn you have lying around. The one pictured here is Berroco Ultra Alpaca, which is great for a winter headband, but you could use an acrylic or a blend with less wool for headbands to wear year round.

Use the same pattern to make one on a 22-pin and it would be great to wear any time regardless of fiber.

Don’t have a knitting machine and you want to make one of these? It’s just a knit tube so you can cast on 22, 40, or any number of stitches you like, knit in the round until it is almost as long as your head is around where you would want to wear it (I did 20 inches/51 cm). Bind off and follow the instructions in the pattern to make the twist.

Grab the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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