What is Thrumming? Link to blog with video.

Thrumming was born in Newfoundland, off the east coast of Canada. It is a technique for adding a layer of wool roving to create a very warm and almost totally wind and waterproof item. Pieces of roving are knit in to individual stitches with the extra length of the roving remaining inside. With wear, these rovings’ felt, creating the barrier needed to protect us from the icy winds.

The Twillingate Headband is knit flat with garter stitch edges and a stockinette center. The headband is shaped with a narrow back band to allow the band to rest under the hair or over top as desired. The band is thrummed from one ear to the other to keep ears and forehead protected from the wind and cold. The inside (stockinette part of the band) has been shaped with easy (no wrap with the turn) short rows to keep the garter stitches tight to the skin and give room for the thrums to sit comfortably on the head.

The headband is 2.75 inches wide at the narrowest point and 6.5 inches wide at the widest point.

This pattern is written and charted.

Materials: approx. 125 yds, worsted weight wool, non-superwash, and approx. 25 grs of roving (we recommend merino for its softness); 3.75mm US #5 needles, straight or circular, scissors, markers and the regular notions.

Gauge: in garter st, 6 sts in 1 inch; in stockinette with thrums – lightly stretched – 19 sts is 3.75 inches; 8 rows in 1 inch

Size: variable, should be at least 1 inch shorter than the head measurement – easy to adjust – brown/blue sample is 21 inches around and fits a 22-inch head comfortably

There are two sections of the headband that can be adjusted for length - the center thrumming section, every repeat adds or takes away 2 inches of length - and the finishing at the end of the headband, the garter stitch section can be lengthened or shortened to fine tune the basic fit.

Full instructions for the Garter Stitch Grafting technique are included in the pattern.