This headband is the perfect project for a brand new knitter-- no experience necessary! It's quick and easy to make using just one ball of yarn and garter stitch. (Garter stitch just means you'll knit every row, so you only need to know the knit stitch. Have no fear; we'll show you how.)
Once you get the hang of it, make one for you and one for a friend; there's enough yarn for at least two headbands!
Ready to start knitting? This easy beginner knitting project is a great way to learn. Check out this video for a quick intro to the project, then dive into the step-by-step instructions and techniques (below) to get going! Supply note: we chose a smooth yarn in a light color, so it's easy to see your stitches.
To get the yarn onto your knitting needles, you start with a slip knot. Tip: leave a "tail" of yarn approximately 4 inches (10cm) long. (Just let it hang for now; you'll weave it in when you finish your headband.)
To make a headband just wide enought to keep your ears warm, we cast on12 stitches. (This headband is about 3inch/7.5mm wide, so that makes it approximately 4 stitches per inch. You can start with more stitches if you want a wider band.)
To create the ribbed texture, knit every row. (This is called the "garter" stitch.) Continue until your piece is long enough to wrap snugly around your head. You want it to be a little bit tight, because it will become a bit looser with wear. Our headband measures approximately 16"/40.5cm around.
Once it's long enough, to get your knitting off the knitting needles, you "cast off" or "bind off" stitches. When you cast off your last stitch, leave yourself a tail of yarn, roughly three times the width of your project. (You'll use this tail to sew or seam your hedband together.)
In preparation for seaming the ends of your headband together, thread the tail of your yarn through a darning (or tapestry) needle. This video tutorial shows you how: push the eye of the needle down onto the folded yarn tail, pressed between your thumb and index finger.
To finish off your headband, you'll need to seam the ends together (joining the cast-on edge and the bind-off edge of your knitted rectangle).This video shows you how to create an invisible seam and weave the tails of your yarn into the inside of your headband, for a neat finish.
Now that you've got the tools you need to make your first rad knitting project, make sure to put your own unique spin on it! Upload your finished version of the Newbie Knitted Headband to share with the Kollabora community; we'd love to see it!
The videos look good! Go Lindsey!
I'm so excited to watch the videos and get started! Thanks for teaching me to knit Kollabora :)