Monica Knits

The photo shows the cabled headband in process, after blocking, before joining in the round, since it is easier to photograph this way. This is the fourth cabled headband I've knitted, but the first in two colors. The single color headbands take me one evening and the two color, two evenings to complete. The pattern is easy to memorize. Read more .... for tips on working the headband in two colors.

The photo shows the cabled headband in process, after blocking, before joining in the round. This is the third one I've knitted. The first one was knitted with Patons Classic Wool in old gold over 2 evenings, the second gold headband was knitted for a girlfriend. This most recent one was knitted for my niece with Rich Red (#207), a color that reminds me of cherry, rope licorice. Since I have the pattern memorized, it took a single evening to knit. With 2 skeins of yarn, you can easily knit 5 women's headbands. Click here to read the blog article: Braided Headband - 2.

The J-hook or shepherd's crook cable needle offers a number of advantages for knitting cables. Because it has both a leading and trailing arm of different lengths, the chances of twisting the stitches are minimized, because you can more easily tell if the cable needle has been twisted, when compared to cable needles whose arms are equal in length and symmetrical. In addition the deep U, holds the stitches well, so that they do not slip off easily. The following photographs illustrate these advantages as well as the cable needle in use.

Earlier this year I wrote about a cool weather braided headband that I knitted using a modified Lion Brand pattern. Now that the weather has become cooler, I am wearing it again. I like the comfort, warmth and versatility so much that I decided to make another gold colored braided headband, to have an alternate. This Jennifer Hagan design has clear, concise instructions and she used the provisional cast on technique that I recommended for both the braided headband and the cabled dress.