Happy first Friday in November! This month is going to be full of freebies because I am participating in not one, not two, but THREE different blog hop events, PLUS I have a brand new design that will be featured for FREE on a popular blog later this month. On top of that, my birthday is coming up, and I will be celebrating with all of my yarny friends (that’s you) with something extra special!
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To kick off November, I am so excited to share my first pattern release of the month. Presenting the Ice Cap Headband- the 3rd pattern in the Ice Cap Collection. It goes perfectly with the Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves pattern, which was released last month.
The Ice Cap series features my signature stitch, the Dolphin Stitch, which creates gorgeous texture and works up quickly. For my design sample above, I used less than one hank of ALC Yarns Superwash Merino in sport weight to make both the Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves and the Ice Cap Headband. If you have not yet tried this amazing yarn, I highly recommend that you do. It is so soft and buttery, works up like a dream, barely tangles even when your little doggy decides to take a nap in the hank as you’re trying to cake it, and looks so fabulous both in the hank and in your finished project. (I don’t get any compensation for telling you all about this yarn, by the way. I just love it so much and I know you will love it too). You can grab some for yourself HERE.
Have you noticed that crocheted headbands stretch out and end up too loose? I have what my husband refers to as a “pinhead” (meaning my head is tiny), and my crocheted headbands still stretched out. Drove me nuts, because in my opinion, the whole purpose of a headband is to keep your hair out of your face, right? How’s that supposed to happen if the dang headband keeps sliding off? I came up with what I think is a brilliant solution to this problem, and my design is made smaller than your head and includes the use of an elastic hairtie to allow for the stretching. My Ice Cap Headband doesn’t get too loose and stays on all day long!
You can snag your copy of the Ice Cap Headband below
Get the Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves pattern here:
Want to snag BOTH the Ice Cap Headband AND the Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves patterns at a discounted price? Get the pattern bundle below:
The Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves and Ice Cap Headband patterns feature my signature Dolphin Stitch, which is a stitch I proudly invented and feature in several of my designs. You can learn how to to the Dolphin Stitch by either downloading the PDF tutorial available for free in the Straight Hooked shop or by viewing my video tutorials on my Rumble channel.
I have posted one of the Dolphin Stitch videos below. There are also full step-by-step tutorial photos included in the Ice Cap pattern PDFs 🙂
Ice Cap Headband FREE Crochet Pattern
Materials:
3 weight yarn
5mm crochet hook
No-break elastic hair tie
Finishing needle
Scissors
Abbreviations:
ch-chain
sc-single crochet
dc- double crochet
st- stitch
slst- slip stitch
dst- dolphin stitch
Gauge:
4dst x 5 rows =2” square
Notes:
The headband should fit snugly. The use of the hair tie makes your headband stretchy and secure. If you feel you need to adjust the length, you may eliminate or add R4 as needed.
The ch2 at the beginning of a row does not count as a stitch unless specifically noted.
Special Stitches:
The Dolphin Stitch is a modified cluster of tc, dc, hdc, and sc across 4 sts:
Yo 2x, insert hook in first st,(or in ch- space if indicated) yo, pull up a loop,[yo, pull through 2loops] twice. (2 loops on hook)
Yo, insert hook in next st, (or in ch- space if indicated) yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops. (3loops on hook)
Yo, insert hook in next st, (or in ch- space if indicated) yo, pull up a loop (5 loops on hook)
Insert hook in next st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through all 6 loops, ch 1 to complete stitch.
Pattern Instructions: (worked in rows)
R1. Attach yarn to hairtie, ch2 (counts as dc), dc 7 around hairtie, turn. (8)
R2. Ch2, dc in each st, turn. (8)
R3. Ch2, dst 4 across, placing your first 5 loops in the first st and your anchor st in the next, dc in top of ch2, turn. (4dst and 1dc)
R4. Ch2, dst 4 across, placing your first 5 loops in the ch sp and your anchor st in the loop of the dst below, dc in top of ch2, turn. (4dst and 1dc)
R5-R19. Repeat R4
R20. Ch2 (counts as dc, dc 11 evenly across, turn. (12)
R21. Ch2 (counts as dc), sk 5 sts, dc 5, dc 5 in skipped sts, dc in top of ch2, turn. (12)
R22. Ch2 (counts as dc), dc 11 across, turn. (12)
R23. Ch2, dst 4 evenly across, dc in top of ch2, turn. (4dst and 1dc)
R24-R39. Repeat R4
R40. Ch2 (counts as dc), dc 7 across, turn. (8)
R41. Repeat R40
R42. Fold in half, making sure you have not twisted your headband. Ch1, sc 8 over hairtie (8)
Pinch hairtie together and slst over, alternating your hook from bottom to top. Make as many slsts as you need to completely cover the hairtie, even when gently stretching. Finish off, leaving a 6″ tail. With your finishing needle, sew end to R1 securely. Weave in ends.
You can get an ad-free copy of the Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves and Ice Cap Headband pattern set on 1/13/25 as part of the Winter Crochet Sets Blog Hop hosted by Sandra Stitches.
Find the discount code here:
Grab the pattern set here:
Ice Cap Fingerless Gloves FREE Crochet Pattern
Materials:
3 weight yarn
5mm hook
Stitch markers
Finishing needle
Scissors
Abbreviations:
ch- chain
slst- slip stitch
dst- dolphin stitch
decdst- decrease dolphin stitch
hdc- half double crochet
hdc3l- half double crochet in the 3rd loop
Special Stitches:
The Dolphin Stitch is a modified cluster of tc, dc, hdc, and sc across 4 sts:
Yo 2x, insert hook in first st,(or in ch- space if indicated) yo, pull up a loop,[yo, pull through 2loops] twice. (2 loops on hook)
Yo, insert hook in next st, (or in ch- space if indicated) yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops. (3loops on hook)
Yo, insert hook in next st, (or in ch- space if indicated) yo, pull up a loop (5 loops on hook)
Insert hook in next st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through all 6 loops, ch 1 to complete stitch.
See Dolphin Stitch tutorial video in the pattern above.
To make a decdst, you will work your dst across 2 ch spaces, anchoring your last loop in the top of the second dst. (I like to insert my hook first into the ch space, then into the top of the first dst, then into the next ch space and finally into the top of the second dst)
I used this technique in my Dolphin Stitch Square video:
Pattern Instructions: (Make 2)
Body: (Worked in the round)
Rnd1. ch40, slst to first ch, ch2, 10 dst, slst to ch2, turn (10 dst)
Rnd2-Rnd4.ch2, 10 dst, slst to ch2, turn (10 dst)
Rnd5. ch2, 10 dst, dst in last ch, slst to ch2, turn (11 dst)
Rnd6. ch2, 11 dst, dst in last ch, slst to ch2, turn (12 dst)
Rnd7. ch2, 12 dst, dst in last ch, slst to ch2, turn (13 dst)
Rnd8. ch2, 13 dst, slst to ch2, turn (13 dst)
Rnd9. ch2, 13 dst, dc in ch2 from R8, ch8, slst to ch2, turn (13 dst and 1 dc+8ch)
Rnd10. ch2, 2 dst across ch8, 13 dst, slst to ch2, turn (15 dst)
Rnd11. ch2, 15 dst, slst to ch2, turn (15 dst)
Rnd12. ch2, 12 dst, decdst, dst, slst to ch2, turn. (14 dst)
Rnd13. ch2, 11 dst, decdst, dst, slst to ch2, turn (13 dst)
Rnd14. ch2, 4 dst, decdst, 4 dst, decdst, dst, slst to ch2, turn (11 dst)
Rnd15.ch2, 5 dst, decdst, 4 dst, slst to ch2, turn (10 dst)
Rnd16. ch2, 10 dst, slst to ch2 (10 dst)
Ribbing: (Worked in rows)
R1. ch10, hdc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across, slst to body (9)
R2. slst to next st on body, turn, 9 hdc3l (3rd loop will be in front), turn. (9)
R3. ch1, 9 hdc3l, slst to body (9)
R4. repeat R2
R5. repeat R3
R6-R10 repeat alternating R2 and R3
R11. join R10 to R1 by slst-ing across, finish off.
Thumbs:
Rnd1. Starting at R9, attach yarn and ch2, 4dst, dc, turn.
Rnd2. Ch2, 4 dst, dst down ch3, 2 dst on body, slst to ch2, finish off. Weave in all ends.
Weave in all ends.
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Until next time,
Happy Hooking!
~Malena
