in a/the land down under – free headband pattern

I can’t get that bloody song by Men at Work out of my head, every time I think of Sharon in Melbourne and my headbands! I’m only really sure about three of the words and the order they’re in  — “land”, “down” and “under” — the rest I make up on an ad hoc basis.

So, with great thanks to Sharon down under, this pattern is good to go.  It’s going to feature in a kit (watch this space) but I also want to share it on my blog. The original stitch pattern is called Palm Leaves, and I’ve used it for blankets and scarves and other things, it’s very versatile. I’ve made these bands with Vinni’s Nikkim cotton and a 4mm hook.  The red violet is a new addition to Vinni’s colour range, and it’s divine.

I made this to fit an average adult woman’s head (e.g. mine! I hope you don’t think I have a big head!) but I’ve included an adjustment to the number of beginning chains if you need it smaller or bigger.

Note: I’m using British crochet terms here. 

Ch 73 (small),  76 (medium) or  79 (large).

Row 1   1ch, miss 1, *1dc in next st, 2ch, miss 2 sts*, repeat from * to * to end, 1dc in last st. Turn.

Row 2   3ch, 1tr in 1^st dc, then 3tr in every following dc, and 2tr in last dc. Turn.

Row 3   1ch, 1dc in first tr, *2ch, 1dc in central tr of group*, repeat from * to *, 2ch 1dc in 3ch. Turn.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 twice.  Fasten off, leaving a long end.  With the yarn needle, use the long end of cotton to stitch the short sides of the band together. Weave the other end in neatly.

Sharon has her own blog, too, called Gentle Stitches.  She’s big on amigurumi (pun alert, get it?!!!) and does a lot of teaching, something I’ll never be good at, haha. She’s also a pretty fine tester :-)

Back soon x