Woodstack Cable Headband: A Free Cable Knitting Pattern

What you'll make

The Woodstack Cable Headband is a warm ear-warmer headband with two cables that mirror each other. Each one is 6 stitches wide. Three stitches of garter stitch run along each edge, so the band lies flat.

It is knitted flat as a strip, then the two short ends are sewn together. It measures about 4 in (10 cm) wide and 18 in (46 cm) around after seaming. It stretches to fit a head of about 20 to 22 in (51 to 56 cm).

This is a free pattern for personal use. The full written instructions are on this page, and you can read them before you pick up your needles.

Is it right for your first cables?

Yes. It is rated advanced beginner, and it is made for first cables. If you can knit and purl, you have the stitches you need. The cable cross is the only new move.

The cables cross once every 8 rows. That leaves seven plain rows between each cross, so you have time to get comfortable with the cable needle before the next one comes round. If you are looking for how to knit cables for beginners, one slow, regular cross is a calm way to start.

Cables pull the fabric in a little, so gauge is not critical here.

Materials for the cable headband knitting pattern

You need very little. The one item that may be new is the cable needle.

• Yarn: worsted-weight (#4) wool or wool blend, about 110 yds (100 m).
• Needles: US 8 (5 mm) straight needles.
• Notions: cable needle, tapestry needle.

Size and gauge

The finished headband is about 4 in (10 cm) wide and 18 in (46 cm) around after seaming. It stretches to fit a head of about 20 to 22 in (51 to 56 cm).

Gauge is 20 sts and 28 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette. The cables pull the fabric in a little, so gauge is not critical.

The yarn is about 110 yds (100 m) of worsted-weight wool or wool blend. That is the amount the whole headband takes, 128 rows from cast on to bind off.

Abbreviations and the cable crosses

There are only two cable crosses, and they are mirror images. C6B leans one way and C6F leans the other. Row 5 uses one of each, which is how the two cables mirror each other.

• k: knit
• p: purl
• C6B: cable 6 back: slip 3 sts to the cable needle and hold at the back, k3, then k3 from the cable needle
• C6F: cable 6 front: slip 3 sts to the cable needle and hold at the front, k3, then k3 from the cable needle
• RS / WS: right side / wrong side
• st(s): stitch(es)

How a cable cross works with a cable needle

A cable cross swaps the order of two groups of stitches. The cable needle holds one group out of the way while you knit the other.

For C6B, slip 3 stitches to the cable needle and hold it at the back of your work. Knit the next 3 stitches from your left needle. Then knit the 3 stitches from the cable needle. For C6F, do the same, but hold the cable needle at the front.

You cross on the right side only, in Row 5 of each repeat. Every other row is plain knitting and purling.

On wrong side rows, knit the stitches that look like purl bumps and purl the ones that look like knit Vs. That is a quick way to read your work when you pick it up again.

The pattern: a free cable knitting pattern in full

Cast on, work the 4 edge rows, then repeat rows 5 to 12 until row 124. Finish with 4 more edge rows, bind off and seam.

• Cast on: Cast on 24 sts.
• Edge, Rows 1–4: Knit.
• Row 5 (RS): K3, p2, C6B, p2, C6F, p2, k3.
• Row 6 (WS): K5, p6, k2, p6, k5.
• Row 7 (RS): K3, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k3.
• Row 8 (WS): K5, p6, k2, p6, k5.
• Row 9 (RS): K3, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k3.
• Row 10 (WS): K5, p6, k2, p6, k5.
• Row 11 (RS): K3, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k3.
• Row 12 (WS): K5, p6, k2, p6, k5.
• Rows 13–124: Work 14 more repeats of the last 8 rows.
• Edge, Rows 125–128: Knit.
• Bind off knitwise on the RS, leaving a 12 in (30 cm) tail.
• Seaming: With the RS facing out, sew the bound-off edge to the cast-on edge with the tail. Weave in the ends and turn the seam to the inside.

Keeping track of the 8-row cable repeat over 128 rows

The cables cross on every 8th row, and the headband has 128 rows. Rows 5 to 12 are one pass of the repeat, and rows 13 to 124 are 14 more passes. That is 15 passes in all, with 4 garter rows at each end.

This is the easy place to lose count. The seven plain rows after a cross look much alike, and it is hard to say whether you are on row 9 or row 11.

Remember that the cross is always the first row of a pass. Row 5 is a cross, and the next one comes 8 rows later. Counting each pass from 1 to 8 tells you when the next cross is due.

Tips for knitting the cable headband

Keep the cable needle close before you reach a cross row, so you are not hunting for it with 3 stitches held.

Knit the 3 stitches at each edge on every row. That is what keeps the edges flat.

Bind off knitwise on the right side, and leave a 12 in (30 cm) tail for seaming. Sew with the right side facing out, then turn the seam to the inside.

Following it in Row & Round

Open the PDF in Row & Round and a highlighter bar sits on the row you are working. Tap +1 and the count and the bar move together. Undo is one tap away, and your place is saved on every tap.

For the repeat, use linked counters. In Row & Round you can link a pattern row to a repeat, so the row goes back to 1 each time the repeat goes up. Here the row counter counts 1 to 8, and the repeat counter counts the passes.

You can also set a row alert on a counter: a short note every N rows, such as "Cable cross", from the row you choose. The alert fires when you arrive on the due row, so you see it before you knit that row. Choose 8 rows and start it on a cable row.