Friday, March 12, 2010

Free Pattern: Yulia

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This braided headband was inspired by former Ukranian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Known for her sense of style, Tymoshenko sported Victorian-inspired clothing and a signature blonde braid, wrapped around her head in traditional Ukranian style. Not just a fashion statement, though, the braid has been called “a calculated political tool with significant cultural resonance” by the New York Times.

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Regardless of whether you want to evoke a Slavic peasant look or run for office, though, you’ll find Yulia both cute and practical. You can wear it behind your ears as a headband, or use it as a ear warmer in cooler weather.

Materials:

Needles: Size 15/10 mm straight or circular needle

7.0 mm crochet hook

Yarn: Rowan Big Wool (or any super-bulky yarn), 1 skein (87 yards/) Color shown is #27 (Best Brown)

Notions:

1” button

Yarn needle (for weaving in ends)

Matching thread (for button)

Sewing needle (for sewing on button)

Gauge:

Not crucial, but approximately 2.5 sts/inch

Abbreviations:

C4B – Cable 4 back: slip next 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then knit sts from cable needle.

C4F – Cable 4 front: slip next 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then knit sts from cable needle.

Kfb – knit front and back

Yo – yarn over

K2tog – knit two together

K2tog tbl – knit two together through the back loop

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Directions:

Cast on 3 sts.

Row 1 (RS): Kfb, k1, kfb

Row 2 (WS): kfb, k1, kfb, k1, kfb. 8 sts total

Row 3: kfb, k2, kfb, kfb, k2, kfb. 12 sts. Total

Row 4 -6 knit

Row 7: k4, C4B, k4

Row 8&10: k4, p4, k4

Row 9&11: knit

Row 12: k4, C4F, k4

Row 13&15: k4, p4, k4

Row 14&16: knit

Repeat rows 7-16 until your band is long enough to wrap around your head (Approx. 16”)

Beginning on a RS row, begin decreases as follows:

Row 1: k2tog, k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, k2tog. (This creates a buttonhole).

Row 2: k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog.

Row 3: k2tog, k1, k2tog. (3 sts remaining)

Do not break yarn. Pick up stitches all the way around the band.

Knit one round.

Bind off using this stretchy bind off method: *k2tog tbl, sl st back onto left hand needle; rep from * to end of round.

Finishing:

Sew on button. Weave in ends. Block if desired.

6 comments:

Katarina said...

Interesting inspiration :)

Lazy Knits said...

I really like the headband, very feminine and pretty.

loompuppy said...

I knitted this pattern and I love the result, but you may want to double-check the pattern instructions. There might be a little confusion between RS & WS rows--as I read it, it looked like it called for purl stitches in the middle of the cable.

Anonymous said...

Very pretty headband! The only thing to change is to add one row of k4, p4, k4 before row 12 and one row of k4, p4, k4 after row 16

Anonymous said...

I'm finding the pattern does not produce a cable as pictured. Does anyone know what to do to correct it?

Unknown said...

There is an error in the pattern. The cable rows should all be on the rs (odd rows). For people having trouble with this, to fix it, you can add another ws row between the cables, like this:

Row 1 (RS): Kfb, k1, kfb

Row 2 (WS): kfb, k1, kfb, k1, kfb. 8 sts total

Row 3: kfb, k2, kfb, kfb, k2, kfb. 12 sts. Total

Row 4 -6 knit

Row 7: k4, C4B, k4

Row 8&10&12: k4, p4, k4

Row 9&11: knit

Row 13: k4, C4F, k4

Row 14&16&18: k4, p4, k4

Row 15&17: knit