Tips for the Headwrap Patterns

LINKS TO THE PATTERNS:
Free Knitting Pattern Headwrap (thin yarn)

Free Knitting Pattern Headwrap (bulky yarn)
The pattern is also on Ravelry HERE.

TIPS:

• Either pattern is easily adaptable to any type of yarn. I will put the specifics for the thin yarn first and for the bulky yarn in parenthesis. You basically want it to be about an inch wide at either end and about 3" (3.75") wide at the widest part BEFORE the crochet border which will add about 1/4" (1/2") on each side. If you want yours to be wider, cast on a few more stitches, still increasing until you have 7" (6.25") of work, work in the rib with no increase or decrease for 4" (4.75"), then begin your decrease which will mirror your increase.

• Got a big head? or a small one? the 4" (4.75") of straight rib is a good place to add or subtract length. You want your finished knitted piece to be around 18" (17.25") long. Then you'll add the crochet border.

• It's best to CO an odd number of stitches. This saves you a lot of grief in your first increase row. Also, it's a must to end your increase rows with a row of odd numbered stitches. This ensures that your 4" or straight rib will be correct. This also saves you a lot of grief on the first row of your decrease. 

• INCREASE ROW - When your middle 3 stitches are pkp, you will kfb into the k stitch, then on the wrong side when you do the rib pattern, you will work normally in the rib, but purl the two middle stitches, then go on with the rib. This is okay because in the next RS (increase) row, you will make a stitch right between them. Since they are two knit stitches, you will want to create a purl stitch between them. You'll do this with a m1b*. When your middle 3 stitches are kpk, you will pfb into that middle p stitch. Then on the wrong side when you get to the middle two stitches, you will knit both of them. Again, it will work itself out on the next row when you make a stitch between them. Since it will be two purl stitches in a row, you will create a knit stitch between them by m1f**

• DECREASE ROWS - When your middle stitch is a purl stitch (remember we always start our decrease with a row with an odd number of stitches), you will purl the TWO stitches before the middle together (decreasing 1), then kfb on that middle stitch (making 1), then p2tog the TWO stitches after the center most stitch (decreasing 1). So you've decreased 2 and made one, which decreased 1. This way your decrease will mirror the increase. Now on your wrong side you'll have two purl stitches in a row right in the center. That's fine. On the next right side row, you'll simple k2tog. When your middle stitch is a knit stitch, you will knit the two stitches before the middle stitch together, pfb, then k2tog. Again, on your wrong side you'll have two knit stitches together right in the center--it's fine. On the next right side row, you'll p2tog.

• I like to take a contrasting yarn and thread it through the middle stitch (so it shows on both sides) and use this as a stationary marker. Makes for a little less counting. As you go, you can keep moving (and re-threading) the marker or just leave it where it started and trace the line up with your finger. You won't need a marker at all for the middle section so you can just remove it and then re-thread it when you start the decrease.

• If you're not familiar with pfb (purl front and back--purl increase). THIS youtube video is a great help.

• This all may sound complicated, but it's really not. Dive into it and you'll see that it's very intuitive and will make sense once you get going.

Please contact me with any questions, I'm happy to help!!

*m1B – From the back, lift loop between stitches with the left needle, purl into the front of loop (this is an increase that makes a purl stitch and no hole)

**m1F – From the front, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into the back of loop (this is an increase that makes a knit stitch and no hole).


For help with both of these increases, try this link. For m1B, watch the quick video called m1R ON THE PURL SIDE (it's on the left side of the screen). For m1F, watch the video called m1L (main video is the correct one for this project).