GENEie Plasmid - A DNA Cable Headband

GENEie Plasmid - A DNA Cable Headband Knitting Pattern

The GENEie Hat Collection was missing something.  These cable and colorwork hats and headbands didn't have a cable headband!  I wanted to make a small cable project that could be worn to show knitter and science pride at the March for Science on April 22, 2017.

Unlike the other patterns in the GENEie collection, the GENEie Plasmid can be knit flat.  This makes the knitting chart slightly more complicated because there are cables on both wrong side (WS) and right side (RS) rows.  There is also a version knit in the round.  Since the GENEie Plasmid is knit until it is long enough and then the ends are joined together, this pattern is really easy to adapt to any gauge and yarn weight.

Materials

• Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) needles
• Yarn: Worsted weight yarn.  The sample was knit with KnitPicks Comfy Worsted (20 g, 44 yards)
• Gauge (blocked): 13 sts/2", 14 rows/2" over cable pattern.  Gauge isn't super important for this pattern since you can just keep knitting until the headband is the length you want.  
• Notions (optional):  cable needle, tapestry needle. 
• Finished Sizes: Adult S/M- 18" around (fits with negative ease), 2.25" wide
• Model Head Sizes: Rebecca - 22" head (normally wears a S/M hat)

Abbreviations Used in this Pattern - Updated with links to video tutorials!  I have a whole playlist of videos to help with the construction of the GENEie collection.  Make sure you check out an introduction to 1x1 cables if you want extra help with the GENEie DNA cable stitches.

• K – Knit
• P – Purl
• Sts – Stitches
• S1 – Slip one stitch purlwise
• K-tbl– Knit through the back loop
• P-tbl - Purl through the back loop
• CN – cable needle 
• M1 – Make One. Make a new stitch by picking up the yarn between two stitches, twisting it and knitting.
• WS - Wrong Side
• RS - Right Side
• C1-fkk:  S1 st on CN and hold in front.  K1, K1 from CN
• C2-bkk:  S1 st on CN and hold in back.   K1, K1 from CN
• C3-fpk:  S1 st on CN and hold in front.  P1, K1 from CN
• C4-bkp: S1 st on CN and hold in back.   K1, P1 from CN
• C5-fpp: S1 st on CN and hold in front.  P1, P1 from CN
• C6-bpp: S1 st on CN and hold in back.  P1, P1 from CN

Geneie Plasmid Knitting Pattern - Knit Flat - I am not a big fan of the Provisional Cast on so I decided to sew the ends of the headband together.  However, if you prefer you can start with a provisional cast on and then graft the beginning and end of the headband together.

• Cast on 15 sts.  
• Next Row (WS), K2, P11, K2
• Next Row, start Chart Round 1 (knit the chart right to left or follow the written instructions below the chart.)
• Continue knitting the chart.  Odd rows are the RS (read the chart right to left) and even rows are the WS (read the chart left to right) of the fabric.  
• Repeat rows 1-26 five times or until the piece measures 18".  (Note, I designed this headband to fit my 22" head.  The headband has negative ease so it will stretch to fit your head.  If you need more length keep knitting.)  
• Bind off while knitting Row 1 (or whatever row you are on next in the pattern.)  
• Block the headband.  (The edge of my headband curled significantly and I knew it would be easier to block the headband while it was still flat then once I had sewn the edges together.)  
• Sew the cast on edge to the bind off edge.  Weave in loose ends.  

The Chart - Odd Rows are the RS (knit right to left), Even Rows are the WS (knit left to right).  

Written instructions - Flat Plasmid

1. K8, C2-bkk, K5
2. K2, P2, C5-fpp, C6-bpp, P5, K2
3. K6, C2-bkk, K2, K-tbl, K4
4. K2, P1, C3-fpk, K3, C4-bkp, P3, K2
5. K4, C2-bkk, K5, K-tbl, K3
6. K2, P1, P-tbl, P6, P-tbl, P2, K2
7. K3, C4-bkp, P6, K-tbl, K3
8. K2, P1, C6-bpp, p6, P-tbl, P1, K2
9. K3, K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, K4
10. K2, P2, C6-bpp, K5, P-tbl, P1, K2
11. K3, C1-fkk, K3, C2-bkk, K5
12. K2, P4, C6-bpp, P2, P-tbl, P2, K2
13. K4, C1-fkk, C2-bkk, K7
14. K2, P6, C6-bpp, P3, K2
15. K4, C2-bkk, C1-FKK, K7
16. K2, P4, C5-fpp, P2, P-tbl, P2, K2
17. K3, C4-bkp, P3, C3-fpk, K5
18. K2, P2, C5-fpp, P5, P-tbl, P1, K2
19. K3, K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, K4
20. K2, P1, C3-fpk, K6, P-tbl, P1, K2
21. K3, C1-fkk, K6, K-tbl, K3
22. K2, P1, P-tbl, P6, P-tbl, P2, K2
23. K4, C1-fkk, P5, K-tbl, K3
24. K2, P1, C6-bpp, P3, C5-fpp, P3, K2
25. K6, C1-fkk, K2, K-tbl, K4
26. K2, P2, C6-bpp, C5-fpp, P5, K2

Working cables on the wrong side of knit fabric is not my favorite thing to do.  It is much easier for me to keep track of where I am in a project when I can follow the chart in the same direction each time.  Therefore, I also wanted to provide instructions to create a GENEie Plasmid headband in-the-round.

GENEie Plasmid Knit Flat (top) and in-the-round approximation (bottom)

GENEie Plasmid - Knit in the Round - I didn't knit a sample of this version of the GENEie Plasmid headband, the picture is an approximation of what this would look like.   This knit headband will have double layer of knit fabric versus the single layer in the flat version.

• Cast on 26 stitches.  Divide the stitches onto 3 double pointed needles as follows: 13, 7, 6. Join to knit in the round.
• Round 1: K2, Knit the 9 chart stitches, K14.  
• Continue knitting chart rows 1-26 five times or until the headband measures 18"
• Bind off while knitting round 1.  
• Stitch the cast on edge to the bind off edge and weave in loose ends.  Block if desired.  

GENEie DNA Cable Knitting Chart (for in the Round) - This the chart that was originally found in the GENEie Pussyhat knitting pattern.  Check out that pattern for line by line written instructions.

Chart Key

Approximation of what the GENEie Plasmid Headband (in the round) would look like.  There would be a little more space on either side of the double helix. 

I am so glad that I finally designed a cable headband.  In Boston, where I plan to march, the weather can either be really warm or cold and raw at the end of April.  I am glad that I have options to show my craftivism at the March for Science.

Scale comparison of the GENEie Plasmid Headband and the GENEie Next Generations Colorwork Headband.  

 Designing the GENEie Collection has been a whirlwind. Since the end of January, I have designed 6 different GENEie variants to support the March for Science  I also designed the Ice Cap Aquacessories knitting patterns which have H2O molecules around the brim of a headband and hat (not pictured).

The updated GENEie Collection designed by ChemKnits in support of the March for Science:

GENEie (Cable Version)

GENEie (Colorwork Version)

GENEie Pussyhat

GENEie Next Generations Headband and Hat (Colorwork - bottom left and right)

GENEie Plasmid Headband (Cable)

GENEie Plasmid Knitting Pattern © 2017 ChemKnits & Rebecca Roush Brown.  This pattern is available for free via www.ChemKnits.com for your personal or charity use.  You are not to copy or distribute this pattern without the permission of the publisher, ChemKnits.


This post contains some KnitPicks affiliate links.  I became an affiliate in October 2018 after using KnitPicks yarns for many years.  All yarn selections and options are my own.