If you are looking for a beginner-friendly headband pattern with a fun texture to keep your ears warm this winter, look no further than the Made with Love Headband. Made in a continuous spiral with a 2-stitch, 1-row repeat and finished with a cute cinch, this ear warmer pattern is easy to make and available to view free here on the blog. Ready to get started? Keep scrolling for the free pattern!
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If you’ve been here before, then this stitch pattern may look familiar. The Made with Love Headband crochet pattern is a sister pattern to the Made with Love Beanie (also available free on the blog – check it out HERE!). The beanie was my contribution to this year’s Crochet Cancer Challenge hosted by Christine at Sweet Potato 3. Because the goal of the challenge is to encourage people to make and donate beanies to cancer patients and survivors, I wanted to keep the stitches fairly beginner-friendly, but I didn’t want it to be too basic. I think the combination of the half double crochet in the back loop and the herringbone half double crochet gives it the perfect amount of texture.
But of course, I can’t stop at just one pattern in a collection if I really like the stitch combination. Enter, the Made with Love Headband. Here’s why you are going to love it:
- It is made in a continuous round. This means there are no unsightly seams!
- It’s a 2-stitch repeat made with simple stitches. Perfect for a meditative project while listening to your favorite podcast or watching your favorite show.
- It’s quick to make, easy, and beginner-friendly.
- Instructions for 5 sizes from Baby through Adult Large (and they are all available free here on the blog!)
- The cinch is absolutely adorable.
Yarn Suggestions
I typically work with natural fibers, but because the beanie pattern was designed with cancer patients in mind, I decided to work with acrylic yarn instead (easy to care for and no need to worry about wool allergies). I like to keep patterns in the same collection in similar yarns (who doesn’t love a matching set?), so I opted to make these in acrylic as well. For this project, I used two of my favorites: Heartland from Lion Brand and Brava Tweed from WeCrochet. However, any worsted weight yarn should work, so long as you can meet gauge.
(Follower exclusive: Shopping WeCrochet? Use code “AWCFROMNICOLE” for 15% off your order!).
So, ready to make your headband? You’ll find the pattern below.
While the pattern can be viewed for free here on the blog, an ad-free PDF can be purchased on Etsy or Ravelry. In addition to being print optimized, the PDF has color coded stitch/row counts so you can easily follow the size you are making and additional photos for several of the steps.
Plus, in the spirit of the Crochet Cancer Challenge, $1 from each pattern sale in the Made with Love collection (including the beanie and headband) will be donated to Cancer Support Community Delaware. I love a good crochet for a cause!
Made with Love Headband:
FREE Crochet Ear Warmer Pattern
Pattern Difficulty
Advanced Beginner
Skills used: working in a continuous spiral, half double crochet, herringbone half double crochet, working in the back loop
Materials
Crochet Hook: I/5.5 mm hook, or size required to match gauge
Yarn: yards of #4/worsted weight yarn
- Samples made using Lion Brand Heartland and WeCrochet Brava Tweed
Yarn needle for sewing seams and weaving in ends
Scissors
Measuring tape
Stitch markers
Abbreviations
st(s): stitch(es)
sm: stitch marker
ch: chain
slst: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
fsc: foundation single crochet (optional)
sc blo: single crochet in the back loop only
hdc: half double crochet
hdc blo: half double crochet in the back loop only
h-hdc: herringbone half double crochet
- Yarn over, insert your hook into the designated stitch and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook). Without yarning over, pull the first loop through the second. Then, yarn over and pull through remaining loops. Need additional help? Click here for a post from my blog with more on this stitch, including step by step pictures and video.
Sizing
The sizes below are guidelines. Every head is different and the person you are making the headband for may not match their age category. If you are able to measure their head before you start, use your measurements as your guide to choose the correct size.
| IMPERIAL (Inches) | Approximate Head Circumference | Finished Headband Width | Finished Headband Height | Approximate Yardage |
| Baby | 15-17 in | 7 in | 2.5 in | 35 yards |
| Toddler | 17-19 in | 7.75 in | 3 in | 45 yards |
| Child | 19-20 in | 8.5 in | 3.5 in | 55 yards |
| Small Adult | 20-22 in | 9.5 in | 4 in | 70 yards |
| Large Adult | 22-24 in | 10.25 in | 4.5 in | 85 yards |
Gauge
13.5 sts x 10 rows of hdc = 4 in x 4 in (10 cm x 10 cm)
- NOTE: If you are having trouble matching gauge for both stitches and rows, match the number of stitches as this determines the headband’s circumference. Because this pattern is a one round repeat, you can easily add or remove rounds as needed to get to your desired height.
Notes
* This pattern is written using US terminology.
* Numbers in ( ) at the beginning of the instruction refer to row number. Numbers in ( ) at the end of the instruction refers to stitch count for that row.
* Information pertaining to sizing will always be in the following order: (Baby, Toddler, Child, Small Adult, Large Adult). Want color coded stitch/row counts and customization instructions? Check out the PDF in my shops: Etsy, Ravelry
* Stitch counts are only listed when they change. If no stitch count is listed, assume it is the same as the last listed stitch count.
Pattern
Round 1: To start, fsc (48, 52, 58, 64, 70) OR ch (49, 53, 59, 65, 71). Then, working into the “back bump” of your ch, sc in each ch across, starting in the 2nd ch from your hook (48, 52, 58, 64, 70).
Making sure your row hasn’t twisted, bring the ends together to make a circle. The first st of the next round is worked directly into the top of the first st of the first round. You will NOT do a traditional slst to join. This will create a stair step-like jag and look uneven – that is normal. When finished with your headband, you can use your tail to sew the gap closed. This area gets hidden in the cinch.
Round 2: hdc blo into the first st of the round, h-hdc into the next st, *hdc blo, h-hdc** repeat from * to ** around
- NOTE: Since this pattern is worked in continuous rounds, to keep track of where each round starts/ends, place a sm in the first st and move it up to the next first st when you start a new round.
Round 3: *hdc blo, h-hdc** repeat from * to ** around
- NOTE: The hdc blo will always stack on top of hdc blo and your h-hdc will always stack on top of h-hdc from the prior round.
Rounds (4-6, 4-7, 4-8, 4-9, 4-10): Repeat Round 3 until you have reached the number of rounds written OR until you have reached your desired headband height.
- NOTE: : If you are moving a sm up to the first st of each round, you may notice at the end of your last round, the last st does not stack over top of the first st of the first round (where your yarn tail is). This is because hdc sts lean. I recommend continuing to alternate sts per the st pattern until you are approximately over top your first st. It should only be a few sts. This will ensure the uneven ends from working in a continuous round get hidden in the cinch. Make sure to end on a h-hdc st. (Having a hard time visualizing this? The PDF has a photo to help. Get it here: Etsy, Ravelry)
Last Round (All Sizes): *sc blo, sc** repeat from * to ** around until 1 st remains, slst into final stitch and fasten off, leaving approximately 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) of yarn to make the cinch.
- NOTE: The sc blo will stack on top of hdc blo and your sc will stack on top of h-hdc from the prior round.
- Helpful Hint: Before cinching, use the tail at the start of your headband to sew the jag closed by stitching into the bottom of the round on the opposite side of the jag
Creating the Cinch
1. Using your yarn needle, weave your long tail downward through several of the horizontal bars created by the sts until you get to the bottom of the headband (see the photo below). You can weave through the loops on either the front side or back side of your headband. Each way gives a slightly different look. Use whichever you prefer to get the look you like.
2. Holding the bottom of your headband, pull downward on your yarn tail to create the cinch.
- NOTE: It may take some trial and error to get the headband cinch to lay the way you want. Try using more or less tension/scrunch until you are happy with the way it looks. Sometimes it can help to weave the tail through stitches on the wrong side of the headband instead.
3. Tie off to secure and weave in all of your ends.
Want an ad-free, print optimized version of this pattern with color coded rows and stitch counts? Purchase the PDF in one of my shops: Etsy, Ravelry
A big THANK YOU to my testers:
| Danielle: imadeitfiberarts | Katie: bliss_fulstitches |
| Valerie: valstitchniche | Laurie: Laurieleeca |
| Beanie__Bum | Leeah: one_in_custody |
| Carrie: crazy.cat.lady.creations | Marlesa: smileymarle |
| Maritza: 3Lovely_Loops | Breana: by.lovemadeline |
| Sydney: nightmarestitchesbysyd | Mary: Mlbrown07 |
| Tara: Snuggledupinyarn |
When you make one, I want to see it! When posting on social media, be sure to tag @fromnicolescreations and use hashtags #madewithloveheadband and #fromnicolescreations.
Happy stitching!
