Glorious autumn days are made for bundling up in our favorite woolly layers and long walks to watch the leaves change colour.  

This project knits up beautifully (and quick!) in just over an hour. And guess what?  Because LOLL yarn balls have more yarn in them (25% to be exact) you can easily get two headbands out of just one. With four pattern sizes to choose from you can easily make one for yourself and one for a friend as a gift for the holiday season. 

Our LOLL yarn features a special blend of Merino Wool and Baby Alpaca fibers creating soft-as-a-kitten warmth and squishiness. Sustainably sourced and 100% naturally soft, (not chemically softened), LOLL is grown in the beautiful highlands of Peru and Argentina and spun in a Fair Trade Certified facility.

With cashmere-like softness, LOLL is not too chunky or hot, making it a perfect choice for all of your upcoming projects (hats, scarves, sweaters, blankets, cowls, interiors accessories). And because it's naturally anti-itch, it's perfect for all those baby gifts you want to make or for anyone who is sensitive to the itch of natural wool.

SKILL LEVEL : BEGINNER

This pattern is designed for anyone who has tried a Learn-To-Knit project before or who is an adventurous newbie and wants to try creating a project using a repeating pattern of a knit and a purl stitch.  

TECHNIQUES YOU WILL LEARN

• How To Hold Your Needles & Yarn
• Making a Gauge Swatch
• The Slip-Knot
• Casting-On Stitches (using the Longtail Cast-On Method)
• The Knit Stitch
• The Purl Stitch
• Binding Off 
• Weaving In Loose Ends
• Seaming your work together

TIME TO MAKE 

1-2 Hours

PATTERN SIZE

Baby, Child, (Youth), Adult

PROJECT MEASUREMENTS

Finished Circumference:
Baby: 16.5”
Child: 17.5"
(Youth): 18.5"
Adult: 19.5"

Finished Height (at back neck):
Baby: 3"
Child: 3.5"
(Youth): 3.75"
Adult: 3.75"

GAUGE

21 stitches in 1x1 rib x 16 rows = 4" x 4" square

TECHNIQUE TUTORIAL VIDEOS & ILLUSTRATIONS

Not sure how to knit a specific technique? No worries, we've got your back! We've created videos and step-by-step illustrations for you to reference, so your project won't miss a beat. They are conveniently located throughout and at the end of the pattern for you to click and learn from.
Happy Knitting!

LET'S BEGIN

Before getting into it, let's familiarize ourselves with how we hold our needles and yarn. 

GAUGE SWATCH
WHAT IS IT & WHY MAKE ONE

A gauge swatch is a little test square of fabric that you knit before each project using the exact stitches in your pattern. Once complete, it will tell you if you are knitting too tight or too loose for the pattern that you are creating.  This is a great tool because it helps you make sure that what you are knitting will measure out perfectly to the pattern and ultimately fit right.

Gauge swatches only take a half hour or so to make. yet a lot of people either rush through this process or skip it all together because they're so excited to get into knitting their project. 

Please learn from our experience.....there is nothing more frustrating than knitting someone a sweater only to realize at the end (and after many invested  hours of knitting) that if only we had made a gauge swatch, our beautiful sweater wouldn't have ended up fitting two sizes too small. 

If you are new to knitting, think of the gauge swatch as a great opportunity to learn how to create your stitches before you start your main project.  

GETTING GAUGE

Every knit project will have gauge swatch instructions. The pattern details and materials list will indicate what size needle you need for each project and it will call out how many stitches per row by how many rows you need to knit to create your swatch to achieve the correct gauge.

As you can see, the Holden Collar requires a 7mm sized knitting needle and you will need to cast-on 21 stitches and knit 16 rows of 1x1 rib stitch to achieve gauge. Once you complete this, your finished swatch should measure 4” x 4” (10cm x 10cm).

STEP-BY-STEP : MAKING A GAUGE SWATCH 

1. With a yarn tail approximately 20” long, create a SLIP-KNOT and place it onto one of your knitting needles. This slip-knot is considered your first stitch.   

HOW TO MAKE A SLIP KNOT

2. Holding that needle in your right hand, CAST-ON another 20 more stitches using the LONG-TAIL CAST-ON METHOD. You should now have 21 stitches on your needle.

HOW TO CAST-ON USING THE LONGTAIL CAST-ON METHOD

3. Row 1: Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. With the yarn tail behind your right needle, KNIT the first stitch. Now, bring the yarn tail to the front of your right needle and PURL the second stitch. Repeat the last two stitch pattern (Knit 1, Purl 1) until you reach the end of your row (because you cast-on 21  stitches and it's an odd number, your last stitch on the row should be a Knit Stitch)

TIP: When you repeat Knit 1 and Purl 1 over and over, you are creating a stitch pattern called 1x1 RIB.  

HOW TO KNIT THE KNIT STITCH

HOW TO KNIT THE PURL STITCH

HOW TO KNIT THE 1x1 Rib Stitch

4. Switching needles again, hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. This is called turning your work and you will do this after each time you knit to the end of row.

5. Row 2: Beginning with a PURL stitch again, Purl 1, then Knit 1 stitch.  Repeat this two stitch pattern  (Purl 1, Knit 1) to the end of the row. Your last stitch should be a Purl stitch.

6. Turn your work

7. For all remaining odd numbered rows: repeat ROW 1

8. For all remaining even numbered rows; repeat ROW 2

7. Once you have knit a total of 16 rows, BIND-OFF your stitches.   (Do not cut yarn after binding off, you'll be using this yarn for your main project.)

7. Lay your swatch flat and measure the length and the width. If your swatch comes out smaller than 4”x4”, it means you are knitting too tightly, so unravel your swatch and start again, this time loosen up your stitch tension a bit.

If your swatch comes out larger than 4”x 4”, you are knitting too loosely, so tighten up your stitch a little bit when knitting.

Once you create a swatch that measures 4”x4”, Congratulations! You have found your gauge tension,  so go ahead, unravel that swatch (you're going to need that yarn for your project!)  and begin your pattern. 

MEASUREMENTS OFF BY A TINY BIT?

No stress! When you’re working on beginner projects like this, it’s ok to be a bit off on measurements. So, if you’re just a bit (+/- 0.25" ),   go ahead, start that project!

THE PATTERN : LARKSPUR HEADBAND

1. With a yarn tail approximately 20” long, create a SLIP-KNOT and place it onto one of your knitting needles. This slip-knot is considered your first stitch.

2. Holding that needle in your right hand, CAST-ON another 15, 17, (19), 19 more stitches using the LONG-TAIL CAST-ON METHOD. You will now have 16, 18, (20), 20  stitches on your needle.

3. Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.

4. ROW 1: Holding the yarn tail behind your right needle, KNIT the first stitch. Bring the yarn tail to the front of your right needle and PURL the second stitch. Repeat the last two stitch pattern (Knit 1, Purl 1)  until you reach the end of your row.  Because you cast-on an even number of  stitches, your last stitch on the row should be a Purl Stitch.

TIP: When you repeat Knit 1 and Purl 1 over and over, you are creating a stitch pattern called 1x1 RIB.

5. Switching needles again, hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. This is called turning your work and you will do this each time you knit to the end of each row.

6. Row 2 and all remaining rows: Repeat Row 1 for each row (Knit 1, Purl 1)  until your work measures 17", 18", (19"), 20"  from the cast-on edge.

7.  BIND-OFF your stitches for 1x1 Rib pattern.  Trim a yarn tail approximately 8" long.

8. Weave in all loose ends.

9. Cut a piece of yarn 12-14" long and weave it through your knitters' sewing needle. You will use this to sew your headband twist together.

9. Follow the picture diagrams to create the twist.