Machine Knit Earwarmers/Headbands

Pattern #1 — A Bulky Machine Version by Anne Butler

This headband is fairly narrow (2 inches) in the front and flares out over the ears by changing from 1×1 rib to full fisherman’s rib. It is done in worsted weight yarn [Ed. note: 55-75 yd/oz, 180-240 m/100g]and takes 1-2 oz. [Ed. note: 28-56g ]

To knit a rib headband on the bulky (9mm)

Cast on from 8-8 (16 stitches) in 1×1 rib.
Knit 30 rows.
Change to full fisherman’s rib (tuck going left on the main bed and going right on the ribber bed)
Knit 70 rows.
Change back to 1×1 rib and knit 8 rows.
Knit a few rows with scrap and cast off.

To put the headband together, I was most pleased by a kind of grafting. I grafted the front ribber stitches to the front of the cast on row. Then I unravelled the scrap and turned the headband inside out. The inside stitches were then exposed and I grafted them to the backside of the cast on row. When I got finished, I had a nearly invisible seam with little bulk to irritate the head. I knitted my sister one of these many years ago and it’s still her favorite ski headgear.

Pattern #2 — Guidelines For A Standard Machine Version by Mary Lou Andrews

The pattern that I was using was to cast on about 20 stitches every-other-needle on both the main bed and ribber. Rib 1×1 rib for awhile (I did about 36 rows). Then switch and do a tuck/fisherman’s rib on both the main-bed and on the ribber – tucking on one side going one direction and there bed going the opposite direction. The tuck widens, so is to go over the ears. Do this about ear width. Then switch back to 1×1 rib (seems like I did about 72 rows). Ready to tuck stitch for other ear. After about the right amount for width of ear, switch back to 1×1 rib for about 36 rows. cast off. I joined the two ends using kitchner stitch – have to do both sides.

The tuck stitch is done with less tension (I rib on #4 and tuck #7) than the 1×1 rib.