Have you ever tried crocheting an I-cord? They’re usually knitted on double-pointed needles, but, like cables and the stockinette stitch and likely more things that I don’t know about, crocheters can do them too! I love that it stands for Idiot Cord, too. 🙂
Here’s a headband that I designed using this technique. I think it looks a bit like a knitted cable…but it’s made entirely with I-cords, nothing else!
Materials
- Yarn: cotton would work well since it doesn’t stretch, to develop the pattern I used ‘I Love This Yarn’ which is acrylic and which worked just fine.
- Hook: A size below the one recommended for your yarn – I used H, or 5 MM.
Making an I-Cord: You’ll need to know how to do them for this pattern, naturally…here’s a great tutorial from PlanetJune, in both right- and left-handed versions. (That’s where I learned it.)
Pattern
Ch 9. Pull up a loop in the 2nd ch from the hook and in next ch (3 loops on hook). Begin working an I-cord until it’s the length you would like the braided section of your headband to be. Now fasten off as follows: wait until you have 3 loops on your hook, then YO, pull through 1, (YO, pull through 2) two times. Then cut the yarn and pull it through.
Go to the next three unworked chains and work an I-cord in the same method as you did the first one. Do this in the last three chains as well, fastening off on both.
Braid the headband and put a safety pin at the end to secure it. Pull up a loop in the ends of each of the I-cords (at the safety-pin end). Do an I-cord with those 3 loops until your tie is as long as you like, keeping in mind that it needs to be long enough to tie, and it will stretch a bit. The below picture might help you visualize the ties:
Make another I-cord tie at the other end of the headband by pulling up loops at the end of each of the I-cords and continuing in the same way. Fasten off, and you’re done! Then you can go put it on the nearest Beethoven. 🙂
Have you done I-cords before? I love how so many things can be transitioned from knitting to crochet…it makes me wonder what will be discovered in the future!