Category: Crochet

Cabled Headband – Free Pattern

goingslightlymad 21 Comments

Not too long ago, a friend of mine asked me to make her an earwarmer/headband. Of course, the picture she found was of a knitted headband. I figured I’d be able to find a similar crocheted version, but after scouring Pinterest and Ravelry, I realized that I was out of luck. There were a couple patterns for crocheted cabled headbands, but they looked nothing like what she wanted. I started watching tutorials on how to crochet cables and studied the patterns that were out there, and came up with this! My first pattern.

Cabled Headband

Materials:

  • I/9 5.5MM Hook
  • Worsted Weight Yarn (I used Red Heart Super Saver Aran Fleck)
  • Tapestry Needle

Stitches/Abbreviations:

  • CH: Chain
  • DC: Double Crochet
  • BPDC: Back Post Double Crochet
  • FPDC: Front Post Double Crochet
  • FPTC: Front Post Triple Crochet

Pattern:

Chain 16

Row 1: DC in the 2nd chain from hook and DC across the chain (14 stitches)

Row 2: Chain 2 (counts as first stitch, so it looks like you’re skipping the first stitch), DC in the next two stitches, BPDC in the next 8 stitches, DC in the next 3 stitches. The last stitch will be in the top of the turning chain.

Row 3: Ch 2, DC in the next 2 stitches, Skip four stitches, FPTC around the next four stitches. Go back and FPTC around the skipped four stitches. DC in the last three stitches

Row 4: Ch 2, DC in the next 2 stitches, BPDC around the next 8 stitches, DC in the last three stitches.

*** Rows 3 & 4 can get tricky. This is the tutorial from The Crochet Crowd that I used to help me figure it out!

Row 5: Ch 2, DC in the next 2 stitches, FPDC around the next 8 stitches, DC in the last three stitches.

Row 6: Ch 2, DC in the next 2 stitches, BPDC around the next 8 stitches, DC in the last three stitches.

Repeat rows 3 – 6 until your headband is the desired length. Mine are usually a total of ten cables. I find that the seam looks less noticeable if you end after row 5.

Whip stitch the ends together being careful to match up each stitch, so the seam isn’t too noticeable. (Whip Stitch Seam Tutorial from New Stitch A Day)

Let me know if you see any problems with this pattern. It’s the first I’ve posted!

Click HERE for a printable version!

Feel free to sell what you make from this pattern. All I ask is that if you post anything online, give me some credit/love with a link to the pattern/blog post!

Amigurami Tips & Tricks

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I have a love/hate relationship with amigurami. I love the finished product, but making them can be incredibly tedious and painstaking. Over the years, I’ve compiled a number of tricks to make my life easier and my finished projects look more polished and professional.

TIP #1: USE THE MAGIC RING TO START YOUR ROUNDS

If you don’t want holes in your critter’s head, NEVER crochet into a chain. Use the magic ring instead. I use this method every time I crochet anything that’s in the round.

WikiHow has great instructions with videos HERE.

TIP #2: MARK YOUR STITCHES VERY CAREFULLY

I have two things working against me when it comes to making amigurami. I’m easily distracted and I can’t count, so I learned (the hard way) that I not only need to use a traditional stitch marker, but I also need to mark the beginning of each round. I do this with a contrasting piece of yarn. This also makes in easier to keep track of the number of rows you’ve crocheted.

TIP #3: STREAMLINE YOUR COLOR CHANGES

I’m a perfectionist, and I hate sloppy color changes. Fortunately, there are some methods to make your color changes smooth and unobtrusive when you’re crocheting in the round.

Here is my favorite tutorial: Oomanoot: The Perfect Color Change

TIP #4: WEIGHT THE BOTTOMS

I don’t like it when my poor little critters fall down, so I’ve started to weight the bottoms of them, when necessary. To do this, I cut a piece of tulle or scrap fabric, fill it with Poly Pellets, and tie it off tightly with a piece of scrap yarn.

Just be careful not to spill the Poly Pellets all over the floor!

TIP #5: HAVE FUN AND BE CREATIVE!

Once you get the hang of making basic body parts, it’s so easy to create your own patterns. Here are two of my own inventions!

I based Batman and Einstein off of patterns and instructions in Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden. It’s one of my favorite pattern books.

I hope these tips are helpful. Let me know of any other ideas in the comments!