A fine headband with crocheted flowers, worked in size 10 crochet thread with a 1.6 mm (US 6) steel hook. The sample uses peach, green and white, but the design works in any colours – a soft lilac is a particularly good alternative.
Working with thread
Size 10 thread and a steel hook are a considerable step down from yarn, and worth a word of warning if you have not used them. The stitches are small, the hook is thin, and it is slower than it looks.
It is also very rewarding. Thread crochet produces a fineness and definition that yarn simply cannot, and a floral headband is exactly the kind of piece that justifies it – the flowers stay small and delicate rather than becoming chunky ornaments.
Work in good light. This is the single most useful piece of advice for thread crochet, and the most often ignored.
Getting used to the hook
Steel hooks have a much shallower throat than aluminium ones and can feel unforgiving at first. Work a few practice rows before starting the headband; the motion adjusts quickly.
If your hands cramp, you are gripping too tightly. Thread crochet needs a lighter hold than yarn, not a firmer one.
Sizing
Measure the head the headband is for and work to that measurement less about half an inch, since thread has very little stretch. Unlike a yarn headband, this one will not give much – so measure rather than estimating.
If you want it adjustable, finish with a short length of narrow elastic or a ribbon tie at the back rather than trying to build stretch into the crochet.
Stiffening
A light spray starch will make the flowers hold their shape and stand away from the band. Do it after assembly, not before, so the flowers sit at the angle you have set them.
Colours
Thread comes in a very wide range and a small ball goes a long way. This is a good project for buying one ball each of several colours and making a set.
