Knit an Easy Twisted Headband, By Hand or Machine

I love knitting headbands, maybe more than I love wearing knit headbands, but I’m trying to get them into the rotation more often this year.

Knit headbands are generally pretty quick and easy to knit, they don’t take a lot of yarn, and they can be great stash-busting projects. They’re also effective at keeping your hair out of your face and making a messy hair day a little bit better.

I was recently cleaning up some yarn leftovers and made this two-toned twisted headband knitting pattern.

The twisted headband look is super popular and it’s really easy to do.

I made a wider version a couple of years ago using a circular knitting machine, so if you want your headband in a hurry, that’s always an option, too. And while this one is wide and the one I knit by hand is narrower, you can make a hand-knit version wider if you like by casting on more stitches. You can also make a narrower one on a knitting machine if you have a 22-pin machine. I haven’t tried that yet but I think it would be a great size for summer.

And once you know the basics of the twist, you can make all sorts of variations on this headband. Add stripes instead of doing color blocking. Make it in sock yarn instead of worsted weight. Throw in a simple stitch pattern like moss stitch. If you use a stitch pattern that doesn’t curl and looks good on both sides, you don’t even have to start with a tube, just knit it flat.

And if you don’t like the twist, or don’t always want a twisted version, just sew the ends together flat.

You get the idea. I feel like there are going to be a lot more knit headbands in my summer plans. I’d love to know if you knit them or if I’ve inspired you to try!

Knit Legwarmers on a Circular Knitting Machine

Make a Drop Stitch Scarf with a Circular Knitting Machine

Knit a Shrug on a Circular Knitting Machine

Circular Knitting Machine FAQs

It feels like it’s too early to be thinking about back to school, but as I write this my daughter has just a couple of weeks of summer left! So let’s get in that school and fall knitting spirit by looking at some apple knitting projects.

If you have a 22 needle circular knitting machine, knitting an apple is one of the easiest things you can do. I have an apple pattern over at Our Daily Craft that will take you just a few minutes to knit and they’re a great addition to your fall decor.

Apple hats are a classic, and whether you want to knit a hat that looks like an apple or one with apples on it, we’ve got you covered. For hats that look like apples check out the rolled brim version from Emma Crochet Design 4 U, which uses worsted weight yarn and comes in sizes for kids of all ages; and the ribbed brim version from Hand Knit Hugs. This one also calls for worsted weight yarn and comes in four kids sizes. Both include a stem and leaf.

If you’d rather have apples on your hat, try the Red Apple Hat from Little Red Window. This one is sized from newborn to 2T and calls for four colors of worsted weight yarn.

How about apple socks? You’ll find Ariel Chang’s Apple Picnic Socks as a free download on Ravelry. These use three colors of sock yarn and come in three sizes. Stone Knits also a pair of stripey apple socks that show the inside of the apple. These also have three sizes but they use six colors total, with the main color being a self-striping yarn.

If you want a little apple accessory for the house, the apple potholder from Nifty Knitter Designs is cute and a great way to practice double knitting. It uses two colors and you’ll find the colors in the reverse on the other side. The pattern only uses about 50 yards of each color of worsted weight yarn, so it’s a great use for odd balls, too.

Once you’ve got your double knitting skills sorted you can also try the double knit apple scarf from Crow and Chai Shop. The Winter Apples scarf is shown in red and gold, but you can use whatever colors you like. There are apples, stars and random stitches in the design, which calls for DK weight yarn. There’s also a matching fingerless glove pattern.

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