🎶 Summer leaves make me feel fine 🎶
It's 90°F on my patio and officially "keep my hair off my neck or I'm going to lose it" weather. I've found myself wearing my crochet Fishtail lace headband pretty frequently and thought it would be nice to have one in a different color. While I was at it, might as well make a fun new pattern. I dug into my stash and found the yarn which I'm 90% sure I bought with the intention of using for a headband anyway and off I went!
I'm a big fan of crochet headbands because the fabric tends to grip my hair well (important if you have type 1 hair like I do) and so stays where I put it. I also like the vibe of the tails at the end; it feels vintage which fits right in with my current cottage core kick. Bonus - the headband is nice and wide and hides the grease for when you just couldn't be bothered to wash your hair!
Q: What do I need for this project?
A: To make this headband, you will need:
Weight 3 or smaller yarn - I used Patons Grace (100% mercerized cotton) in Citadel blue
2.5 mm crochet hook (again, see notes below)
Snips
Tapestry needle
Q: How long does it take to make?
A: This pattern took just under 3.5 hours, including weaving in the ends. I made it a big longer than strictly necessary as I wanted to use the whole ball of yarn. If you want to make a wrap version instead of a tied version, it will take even less time.
Q: How difficult is this pattern?
A: Not very - this pattern is a good step up from my last filet headband as it has more rows to work through, but it's overall straightforward. The most difficult part is working with such a small hook and yarn weight. Using a hook with an ergonomic grip helps immensely. Skills needed: ch, dc.
Q: What size is the final headband?
A: Any size! The way I've made it, the headband is fully adjustable because it is tied when worn. This also means it can be used to hold hair in a bun. If you prefer to make an around the head type headband, I've included notes below on how to adjust based on head measurement, accounting for negative ease.
Tips, Notes, & Learnings
(Yarn & Hook) For the example shown, I used Patons Grace 100% mercerized cotton yarn in Citadel blue. This yarn is a weight 3 (light) and is comparable to a heavy crochet thread. After doing a few swatches, I determined the 2.5 mm hook to produce the nice wide headband I wanted. If you prefer very tight stitches with little vertical stretch, I'd recommend going down at least one hook size.
The filet pattern itself was originally written for this headband, but you can absolutely use a heavier weight yarn to make a scarf or repeat the pattern across to make a wider garment like a shawl or even a blanket or throw.
With the yarn above, I used the entire ball, ending on a row of solid double crochet. The final length is 50 inches.
(Tension) When working with a fine weight yarns and threads in crochet, tension becomes very important as it can dramatically change the final size of your project. Working in filet, it becomes even more important because a loose tension can make it difficult to see the pattern.
If you are using crochet thread, try to keep your tension on the tighter side. Crochet thread is not prone to splitting as many more weightier yarns are, so don't be afraid to keep the stitches on the tight side. Once you've done a few rows, you will be able to spot pretty quickly if anything was looser than the stitches around it because the top of the double crochet will stick out like a sore thumb.
I will say my tension could have been more consistent across this headband and the final resulting stretch is just a bit much for how I envisioned it. But it's still a fully functional headband and you can still see the pattern - as long as you like the way it looks, you did it right.
(Adding Repeats) The pattern below creates a leaf shape via the lace holes left by the open filet squares. If you want to repeat the pattern across, I recommend adding a few dcs between the leaves to make the pattern pop. Let's say I will add 4 solid blocks between each leaf repeat. The pattern is 7 blocks wide + 4 blocks between = 11 blocks. Each block is 2 sts wide so we have 22 sts. Plus the turning chain (counts as a dc) means we will chain a multiple of 22 + 3 sts and begin by working a dc into the 4th chain from the hook. Repeat the pattern across, remembering to add the 4 solid blocks between each leaf.
This could make for a nice light summer wrap or even a bedspread. The great thing about the filet technique is that once you get into it a ways, you won't even need to read the pattern anymore, just look at the squares.
(Open or closed) I worked this pattern to be a sturdy headband so there are more closed squares than open. However, if you want a lighter, lacier look, try reversing the chart shown! That is, work the black squares as closed and the white squares as open. If working in crochet thread or other hefty yarn, there should still be little stretch in the final project.
Fishtail Lace Headband Pattern in Filet Crochet
Abbreviations
ch - chain
dc - double crochet
st - stitch
sk - skip
sp - space
Gauge
6 dc = 1 inch
3 rows = 1 inch
Use whatever size hook is needed to achieve the gauge.
Determine Headband Length
For my headband, I simply crocheted until I was just about out of thread before doing the final row of all double crochets. If you prefer an around the head headband, use the math below to determine the best sizing.
To figure out how long to make your headband, first measure around the head of the person who will wear it. If you're not sure, check out this table from the Craft Yarn Council of standard head sizes for reference.
Crochet lace is not very stretchy - that's one of the attributes that made it so popular for things like curtains, bedspreads, and tablecloths. For a headband to stay in place, it does need to be a little bit snug. Since we don't have a lot of stretch to work with, you'll want to use a very small amount of negative ease, about 5-10%.
To figure out how long to make your headband, take your head size and multiply by 0.9 or 0.95, this gives 90 or 95% of the total size.
For example, my head measured 23 inches, times 0.9 = 20.7 inches OR 23 x 0.95 = 21.85 inches. These are then the measurements I'll aim to be between when working up the headband. Remember that the final row is all double crochets and will add a bit less than 1/2 inch to the total length.
Once you've reached the length desired, bind off at the end of the row, leaving a long tail for sewing. Sew the ends together using your preferred method.
Pattern - written out
Ch 17.
Foundation R1: Working into the 4th ch from hook, 1 dc in each st across (15 dc - note that the 3 unworked chs count as 1 dc).
For subsequent R1s - use R2 instructions.
R2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc here and throughout), 1 dc in each st across, turn. (15 dc).
R3: Repeat R2.
R4: Ch 3, dc in each of next 6 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in each st across, turn. (14 dc + 1 ch sp).
R5: Repeat R4.
R6: Ch 3, dc in each of next 4 sts, (ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in next st) 3 times, dc in each st across, turn. (12 dc + 3 ch sp)
R7: Ch 3, (dc in each of next 2 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in next st) 3 times, dc in last 2 sts, turn. (12 dc + 3 ch sp)
R8: Ch 4, sk 1 st, dc in next 5 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in next 5 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in last st, turn. (12 dc + 3 ch sp)
R9: Ch 4, sk 1 st, dc in next 11 st, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in last st, turn. (13 dc + 2 ch sp).
R10: Repeat R9.
R11: Ch 3, dc in each of next 2 st, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in each of next 7 st, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in last 3 sts, turn. (13 dc + 2 ch sp)
R12: Ch 3, dc in each of next 4 st, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in each of next 3 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in next 5 sts, turn. (13 dc + 2 ch sp)
R13: Repeat R4.
Repeat R1 - R13 until you reach the desired length (see above). End on any of R1-R3 for a symmetric finish.
Bind off and weave in ends.
Pattern - chart
Ch 17.
Foundation R1: Working into the 4th ch from hook, 1 dc in each st across (15 dc - note that the 3 unworked chs count as 1 dc).
**Foundation row counts as first R1 (see chart below).
Follow chart for R1 - R13, chain 3 to begin each row (counts as 1 dc).
Note that to begin R8-R10, this means you will chain 4 sts because the first square is open.
For closed/black squares: ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 dc in next st.
For open/white squares: 1 dc in each of next 2 sts.
Note: Yes, I know the notation above is backwards from typical filet patterns. This is purposeful as it's easier to look at when the pattern is made up of black squares. It's also more printer-friendly.
Repeat R1 - R13 until you reach the desired length (see above). End on any of R1-R3 for a symmetric finish.
Bind off and weave in ends.
That's all, friends!
I hope you enjoy this week's pattern and share photos of your creations here in the comments and on your favorite social media platforms!
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