JuliChu V-stitch Headband Re-created

About 10 years ago I discovered a lovely pattern for a V-Stitch Headband by JuliChu Crochet. JuliChu had a pattern page for it on Ravelry, which linked to the actual pattern on her blog site. I made the headband several times, loved it, and then moved on to other things for a while. 

In 2019 I decided I wanted to make another one of these headbands, but when I tried to go to JuliChu's blog from her Ravelry pattern page, to my dismay I discovered that her blog had been taken down. NOoooOOooOOOooo!!! 

Long story short: I learned from this experience that if I ever again find myself in love with a pattern that's only available on the designer's blog, I will always download a copy of the instructions to keep in my personal files, just in case. But I hadn't done that with JuliChu's V-stitch headband pattern.

I reached out to manmadecreationz on Ravelry, since he had project pages showing that he had also made JuliChu's V-stitch headband many times, with the hope that maybe he had been smarter than I and had downloaded a copy of JuliChu's pattern. Alas, although he replied to my message and thought that perhaps he might have a copy of the pattern saved, which he would share with me if he could find it, he never got back to me with the actual pattern, so I had to conclude that he hadn't downloaded it either. 

I even tried using the Internet Wayback Machine to see if it would recover the pattern page from Juli's blog, but no luck there, either.

It took me a few more years to find the time (and many failed attempts) to try to re-create JuliChu's design, but I think I just might have finally cracked it. I'm not saying this is an exact replica of JuliChu's design, but after carefully examining the stitches of a headband I made previously from her pattern, I believe this comes pretty close. You can give it a go and decide for yourself.

I like the way the shorter height of the edge stitches (versus the height of the V-stitches in the center of each row) creates a curve in the fabric, which conforms to the roundness of the human head nicely.

In my sample photos, the variegated blue headband is made from JuliChu's original pattern, and the solid blue headband is my re-creation of her pattern. As you can see, the solid blue headband turned out a bit wider than the original. But bear in mind that my original headband has also been repeatedly washed and worn, whereas my new headband is fresh off the hook, so those factors have an effect on the current appearance of the pieces.

This pattern re-creation is dedicated to JuliChu Crochet. We may never know why she took down her blog, but whatever her reasons, we still love her brilliant designs and hope to continue sharing them for many years to come.

JuliChu's V-stitch Headband Re-created

US crochet terms
5mm hook
Worsted/aran-weight yarn

Special stitches:
V-stitch: In st indicated - DC, ch 1, DC.
HDC2tog: HDC two together to decrease by 1 HDC. YO, insert hook in indicated st, YO and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), YO, insert hook in next st, YO and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook), YO and pull through all loops. (1 HDC decreased)

Note: The “ch 1; turn” never counts as a stitch.

Increasing section:

Row 1: Starting with a long (12-14 inches)  tail below your slipknot (you can use this length to sew the button on later), FHDC 6. Alternatively, if you don’t like working FHDC stitches, chain 7, turn, HDC in 2rd ch from hook and in each ch to end. Ch 1; turn. (6 HDC)

Row 2: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (7 HDC)

Row 3: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (8 HDC)

Row 4: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (9 HDC)

Row 5: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (10 HDC)

Row 6: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (11 HDC)

Row 7: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (12 HDC)

Now we will begin the V-stitch section:

Row 8: SC in first 2 sts; [V-stitch in next st; SC in next st]. Repeat [] to last 3 st; SC in each st to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (8 SCs and 4 V-stitches)

Row 9: SC in first 2 sts; V-stitch in next SC; [SC in next ch space from V-stitch in row below; V-stitch in next SC from row below]. Repeat [] until last V-stitch and 2 SC remain from previous row; SC in ch space of V-stitch, SC in last 2 sts. Ch 1; turn. (8 SCs and 4 V-stitches)

Repeat row 9 until headband length measures about 18 inches from the first row (unstretched), then begin decreasing section. Even better: If you have the intended wearer’s head circumference measurement, use that to determine how many times to repeat row 9 before working the decrease section. The length of the initial increasing section you made will be about the same as the length of the decreasing section. Therefore, to estimate the total length of your headband (before you work the decreasing section) add the length of the increasing section to the total length you have, and compare that to the wearer’s head measurement to determine when you should begin working the decreasing section. Keep in mind that the headband will stretch a bit when worn, so if you want the headband to fit snugly, aim to make the total length about 1 inch less than the wearer’s head circumference.

Decreasing section:

Row 1: Working ONLY into the SC and ch-1 spaces of the previous row, HDC in each st across. Ch 1; turn. (12 HDC)

Row 2: HDC2tog over first 2 sts; HDC in each st across. Ch 1; turn. (11 HDC)

Row 3: HDC2tog over first 2 sts; HDC in each st across. Ch 1; turn. (10 HDC)

Row 4: HDC2tog over first 2 sts; HDC in each st across. Ch 1; turn. (9 HDC)

Row 5: HDC2tog over first 2 sts; HDC in each st across. Ch 1; turn. (8 HDC)

Row 6: HDC2tog over first 2 sts; HDC in each st across. Ch 1; turn. (7 HDC)

Row 7: HDC2tog over first 2 sts; HDC in each st across. (6 HDC) Do not ch 1-turn. Instead, we will now make a chain space for the buttonhole. Ch 4; turn. Join end of ch to top of 1st HDC of row 7 with a sl st. Ch 1; turn.

Edging: Now we will work a row of HDC around the entire headband to give the edges a clean, finished look. Begin by working 10 HDC in the ch-6 space for the buttonhole. Continue working HDCs around the sides of the headband, placing stitches as evenly as possible. When you get to the “corners” at the end where the project began, work 2 to 3 HDCs in the corners. When you have worked all the way around back to the start of the HDC edging stitches, join using the invisible join method and finish off. (On my sample, I got 8 to 9 HDCs along the side of the increase/decrease sections and 46 HDCs along each side of the V-stitch section.)

Use the long starting tail to sew a 1-inch button on the end opposite the buttonhole, weave in ends, button the headband closed, and enjoy wearing your new headband.

Honeydripper Boomerang Scarf free pattern

I’m living with a lot of stress right now, so I needed a project that could not only use up some of my yarn stash but also was relatively simple to execute without needing a lot of concentration.

I enjoyed seeing all the various shawls people created during Marly Bird’s 2019 Tournament of Stitches, so I decided to adopt the boomerang shape used for that project, but instead of incorporating the mosaic sections I decided to keep it simple by working the entire piece in a two-color garter stitch stripe.

The two yarns I used here are both vintage skeins that date back to my mother’s stash. She very likely purchased these before I was even born. Even though the colors aren’t my favorite, I think they work well together and hopefully will result in a nice-looking scarf that my daughter will enjoy wearing.

My plan was just to keep knitting until I was about to run out of yarn, then cast off. I figured the two full skeins of yarn ought to produce a nice-sized scarf when it was all finished.

Just to mix things up a bit and make the long stretches of garter stitch more interesting toward the end (as well as to add visual interest on one side of the triangle in keeping with the scarf’s Honeydripper theme), when my yarn was about 75% gone I started working occasional honeycomb lace rows. This did add an additional level of detail to the process, but it was easy enough for me to read my knitting and see when it was time to work the lace rows, so I didn’t think this would be too much for my overtaxed brain to cope with.

Continuing with the increases/decreases on every RS row and alternating stripes of color as established, every sixth row (always a WS return row) I would work in honeycomb lace. Placing the lace rows this way ensured that the lace rows would be produced in alternating yarn colors, helping to keep the overall usage of each color as even as possible.

I think I can hear what you’re wondering: Why didn’t I work the whole scarf with the lovely honeycomb lace, or if not the whole scarf, why didn’t I at least start working the lace sooner - like around the halfway point? My only reply to this is: I just did it this way. End of story. If you want to copy my idea you can work as much lace (or as little) as you like. 😊

After finishing the scarf (wingspan is about 78 inches) I ended up with a bit more of the darker Inca Gold yarn left than the lighter gold. I decided to see if it was enough to crochet a coordinating Chic Aran Headband to go with the scarf. 😁

Well, I didn’t have quite enough Inca Gold to do the entire headband, and I didn’t have enough of the pale gold to do an entire stripe, so I subbed in some aran white for the center rows 6, 3, 4, and 5. That left me enough Inca Gold to finish the headband, and I embroidered a simple chain stitch as an accent down the center of the white stripe with the pale gold to add a touch of that color to the headband as well. Yay!

Chic Aran Headband free pattern

I simply love this pattern for the Chic Aran Headband by Kinga Erdem. It’s very quick to make once you get the hang of the technique of the crossed stitches. The finished item has gorgeous texture and is comfortable to wear.

This is an intermediate pattern because of a couple of techniques it utilizes: crossed stitches and yarn-over slip stitches. But once you get a feel for these techniques the pattern itself is quite easy and intuitive.

Chic Aran Headband free pattern

I made this Chic Aran Headband to keep my ears warm. The pattern by Kinga Erdem is free on her blog at My Hobby Is Crochet! (Big cat ears not included. Bah-ha-ha.)

I would say this is an intermediate-level pattern because of a couple of techniques it utilizes: crossed stitches and yarn-over slip stitches. But once you get a feel for these techniques, the pattern itself is quite easy and intuitive.

Double Warm Headband pattern modification

The first time I made the 1898 Hat, I thought the lower band portion of the hat would make a great (and warm!) headband. The only tricky part was going to be figuring out how to finish off the top edge to mirror the look of the modified i-cord used on the hat's bottom edge.

So I browsed through the hat's gallery of finished projects until I found one by Sal, who had worked the hat band as a headband, just the way I had pictured it! :-) Sal said all it takes is to work an i-cord bindoff to make the top edge of the headband look like the bottom edge.

Following the hat pattern's directions, work through the part where you pickup the stitches at the top of the band. Then, instead of knitting a crown for a hat, work an i-cord bindoff. To invisibly join the ends of the i-cord bindoff, see this video.

Fandom Headband commission

My friend Pam messaged me to ask if I knew of a pattern for a headband similar to the ones made by crochet artist Sydne Elam of Simply Squid on Etsy. Pam said she had looked but couldn't find one made with stripes that go around the head the long way instead of up and down, and she also wanted a layered flower on the headband like the Simply Squid ones have. (The flower part was not going to be difficult, as I already had bookmarked a favorite layered flower pattern designed by Melissa of Action Hero.)

I searched around but had the same difficulty Pam had in not being able to find a nice headband pattern online that looked similar to what Pam showed me, and Simply Squid only sells the finished headbands in her shop (no headband patterns for sale there).

It didn't take long for me to realize that I would need to write up my own pattern for a striped headband for Pam and then write a blog post about how oddly difficult it was to find a pattern for this particular type of item!

As I set out to design a pattern for Pam, my first question was whether she wanted the headband to button in the back the way the Simply Squid ones do, and she said yes. Then I crocheted a prototype, sans flower, with some green, white, and black yarn scraps out of my stash so she could see what I came up with. (When I made the prototype I didn't know what colors Pam wanted for the headband she had in mind.)

My prototype photos show how the green headband fits on a 21-inch wig form head:

Pam said my prototype looked like it would be perfect (with a flower added, of course!). For the colors she wanted brown, orange and white -- Cleveland Browns colors. She said her sister's family goes to all the Browns' home games, and it is really cold up there during football season.

It took me a couple of days to find time to work up the headband again in Cleveland Browns colors, but eventually this is what I came up with:

I didn't have good lighting for this photo, so the main color looks more black than brown, but it really is brown. I set out an assortment of buttons to see if Pam liked any of them for the button closure, but she ended up deciding to sew on a button herself.  I think Pam also was going to add a decorative football type of button to the center of the flower, similar to what Simply Squid adds to the headbands in her Etsy shop.

Couldn't wait to try the Fraga Headband free pattern

Like a lot of crafters, I have a form of project ADHD - meaning I usually have several (or lots) of projects in the works at all times. And even though I have a good overall record of completion, that doesn't necessarily mean I won't start another project before finishing what I already have on my needles or hooks.

Anyway, you can see in the photos that I was pretty desperate to start working on the Fraga Headband by Needlework + Seedlings -- I used a set of needle tips WITHOUT a joining cable (because I have more needles than cables!!), and I didn't want to steal a cable from another project in progress. And I didn't want to wait to order more cables. And at a mere 20 stitches wide, the headband is narrow enough that it worked. :-)

Here's a close-up of the braided cable effect:

Desert twilight headwrap free pattern

When you just don't want to wear a full hat, a wide headband or headwrap is a great alternative to keep your ears warm and your hair out of your face.

This is the 86-10 Headband by DROPS Design. I made it with Red Heart Super Saver yarn in the Artist Print colorway. The colors remind me of sunsets in the desert, hence I named it: desert twilight headwrap.

V-stitch Headband a favorite free pattern

I've actually made this pattern several times. It's a great headband with lovely texture, quick and easy to make. Love it.

BUT ... several years after I first discovered her lovely V-Stitch Headband pattern Juli Chu unfortunately at some point took down her blog and stopped sharing the pattern. AUGH!!!

I tried to send Juli a message through Ravelry to ask if she'd still be willing to share her pattern but got an error saying she had turned off the messaging system. So that was a dead end.

Then I wrote to Tim of manmadecreationz to ask if he might have saved a copy of Juli's pattern, since he has project pages on Ravelry showing that he had made the headband several times. Unfortunately I didn't hear back from Tim.

I even tried using the Internet Wayback Machine to see if it would recover the pattern page from Juli's blog, but no luck there, either.

It really distressed me to think I'd never be able to make this headband again, so I took it upon myself to reverse engineer Juli's pattern from one of the existing headbands I had made ... because I LOVE this headband, and I just didn't want to leave it behind forever. Out of all the eleventy-bazillion headbands I've made over the years, I only love the Chic Aran Headband just a tiny bit more than this one. So this one is still strongly in second place in my list of favorites, and I just had to find a way to make it again.
 

V-stitch Headband Re-created

5mm hook
Worsted/Aran yarn
V-stitch: In st indicated - DC, ch 1, DC.
 

Row 1: Starting with a long tail below your slipknot (you can use this length to sew the button on later), FHDC 3. Ch 1; turn. (3 HDC)

Row 2: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (4 HDC)

Row 3: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (5 HDC)

Row 4: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (6 HDC)

Row 5: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (7 HDC)

Row 6: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (8 HDC)

Row 7: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (9 HDC)

Row 8: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 1; turn. (10 HDC)

Row 9: 2 HDC in first st; HDC to end of row. Ch 2; turn. (11 HDC)

Now we will begin the V-stitch section.

Row 10: DC in first st; [V-stitch in next st; DC in next st]. Repeat [] to last st; DC. Ch 2; turn. (6 DCs and 5 V-stitches)

Row 11: DC in first st; [DC in next ch space from V-stitch in row below; V-stitch in next DC from row below]. Repeat [] until 2 sts remain; DC in last 2 sts. Ch 2; turn. (7 DCs and 4 V-stitches)

Row 12: DC in first st; [V-stitch in next DC from row below; DC in next ch space from V-stitch in row below]. Repeat [] to last st; DC. Ch 2; turn. (6 DCs and 5 V-stitches) 

Repeat rows 11 and 12 until headband length measures about 18 inches, then begin decreases to buttonhole.

I JUST CAN'T GET THE V-STITCH SECTION TO LOOK THE SAME AS JULI DID!!! CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP?!? 😭

Wide headband free pattern

I got a hankering to make some wide headbands in crochet, and the first pattern I tried was the Nadie wide headband pattern designed by Susan Iacuone.

It has a nice open weave and closes with a button. I made this blue one in Lily Sugar-n-Cream cotton.

But this design also looks cute in this Mini Mochi yarn in the Intense Rainbow colorway.