one day project

I was reading blogs the other day (as I am apt to do...) and I came across Tanis' post on the Anthropologie-inspired braided headband.
Timing is everything. I am not a hat person. At least, I am not a winter hat person - I wear baseball and straw cowboy hats in the summer, mostly at the cottage. But I don't like toques. (note that I'm also not stupid - I DO wear them in times of extreme cold and extended outdoor periods.) I made the hood a while back, but I've always been a headband girl - they keep my ears warm and my hair out of my face. I've been doodling around some fair isle patterns, trying to work out a headband using up my bits and bobs of Cascade and Zara, but I haven't really had the time to spend REALLY working it out. Then I see Tanis' braided one, and the brain all of a sudden clicked. (It might have been the sound of the dryer finishing, but there was a click.)

I was working at home of Friday, so in between running spreadsheets, and putting out fires over the phone, I sat at my knitting machine and cranked out a length of stockinette, using a fabulous skein of Fleece Artist, gifted to me by the wonderful LuckyCanuck. (Lengths of stockinette are about all I crank out on my LK-150 - I'm not that fond of using my machine, and in return, it hates me - it likes to drop the edge stitches, and yes, I use the weights and move them often. Whatever).
Then I took an even bigger and most horrible shortcut - I sewed up the tube using my... SEWING MACHINE!! (I wanted this NOW, and mattress stitching takes too long) Obviously, I was totally embarrassed by these actions (or just reaaaaallllllyyyyy lazy, because there is no photographic evidence of the dastardly deeds).
I then braided it, sewed the edges together, and voila - a headband in less than half a day! I love it. I love the colours, the fit, the concept, everything. I'll make more, and play with the proportions - maybe a bit wider (but then I'll need more than one skein).

the colours are actually brighter than they appear here - the green is almost electric in places. It looks great peeking out under my hair.

It keeps my ears warm, which is the main reason, and it's somewhat stylish, in my opinion. Of which value, I am aware - not to worry.