Helter Skelter Headband

You might remember that I was one of the lucky five to have been chosen to have a go at the February Cygnet Yarnstars Challenge http://selkiecrochet.blogspot.ie/2018/01/helter-skelter.html

Sadly I didn't win - I wasn't expecting to anyway, even before I'd seen the other entrants work; but it was a fabulous opportunity to try a new wool and to put me outside of my comfort level for a bit.

 A couple of photos -- I LOVED the colours in the wool: I'm at my happiest when I'm using either self-striping or multicoloured yarns and I really liked the contrast between the blues and reds in this particular shade...they look like they shouldn't 'go' together but they do!

It's a 100% acrylic, chunky yarn and was really good quality - no squeaky or scratchy acrylic.

I decided to make a headband in double 'rib' - it was very quick to make up and used virtually all of the 100g ball of yarn.

I'll write up the pattern in case anyone else would like to try - any questions please leave me a comment below and I'll try to help!

Join with a slip stitch at the end of every round. 

• Using a 5.5mm hook chain 80.
• Join carefully with a slip stitch to form a loop (without twisting the chain)
• Work 1 double crochet into each stitch
• Ch. 3 then treble all round - you should have 80 trebles 
• Ch. 3, work 2 front-post trebles then 2 ordinary trebles all round to create a 'double rib' effect
• make 6 more rounds in the 'rib' pattern
• finish with a round of double crochet again

make edging (see photo above) by working double crochet into the row below the last row at the top and bottom of the headband. You don't have to do this but it gives a neat edge. 

For the flower embellishment I chose a chrysanthemum as I love the crazy texture! 

• Use a 4.5mm hook.
• Chain 5 and join with a slip stitch, forming a ring.
• Ch 1, work 10 double crochet (dc) into the ring (join with sl st) 
• work the front loops of the ring *ch 6, sl st into next chain from the hook, dc into the next 3 ch and sl st into last chain - making a short petal. Sl st into the next front loop and repeat from * all around the stitches in the ring.
• working in the back loops of the ring *ch 8, sl st into next chain from the hook, dc into the next 5 ch and sl st into last chain - making a longer petal. Sl st into the next back loop in the ring and repeat from * all around the remaining stitches.  Break off yarn.
•  For the second layer of petals: chain 8 and join with a sl st, forming a ring
• Ch 3, and work 19 trebles into the ring (join with a sl st)
• Using the front loops only *ch 10, sl st into next ch from the hook, dc into next 7 ch and then sl st into last chain - making a longer petal. Repeat from * as you did for the petals in the other layer
• working into the back loops as before *ch 12, sl st into next chain from the hook, dc into the next 9 ch and then sl st into the last ch - making an even longer petal!
• break off leaving a long end for sewing in. 

To complete the headband: 

•  Sew in the loose ends on the headband (at the start finish and from the edging)
• Sew the two layers of petals together to give a nicely textured flower with twisty petals
• Securely attach the flower to the headband, positioning it over the start/end of the edging so that it looks neat.