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# Fjellrose Headband
### A Beginner's Norwegian Colourwork Ear-Warmer

A cosy, on-trend headband featuring the traditional Norwegian **selburose** (eight-petal rose) — a folk motif first knitted in Selbu in the 1850s and beloved again in 2026's "new folk" revival. Worked flat in simple stocking stitch with a small stranded colourwork panel, this is the perfect first foray into Nordic knitting.

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## Materials

**Yarn**
- **MC (Main Colour) — White:** 100% wool, chunky weight, approx. 100 m / 50 g. You will use **approx. 60–70 g** (1½ skeins).
- **CC (Contrast Colour) — Blue:** 100% merino, approx. 175 m / 50 g. You will use **approx. 15–20 g** (well under one skein — plenty left for a matching project).

**Needles**
- 3.5 mm (UK 9 / US 4) straight or circular needles — *or size needed to obtain tension*
- A smoother needle helps with stranded colourwork

**Notions**
- Tapestry needle for sewing seam and weaving in ends
- Stitch markers (optional)
- Tape measure

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## Tension (Gauge)

**24 sts × 30 rows = 10 cm** in stocking stitch on 3.5 mm needles, after blocking.

> 💡 Tension is essential for fit. Knit a small swatch in stocking stitch and in the stranded colourwork section — your colourwork tension may be slightly tighter, so keep floats relaxed.

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## Size

**One size — adult (adjustable).**
- Finished circumference: **approx. 50 cm** (designed with ~4 cm negative ease for a head of 54 cm)
- Height: **approx. 10 cm**

**To adjust:** Cast on in multiples of 2 sts. Aim for finished circumference ≈ head circumference minus 3–4 cm.

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## Abbreviations

| Abbr. | Meaning |
|---|---|
| k | knit |
| p | purl |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| MC | main colour (white) |
| CC | contrast colour (blue) |
| RS | right side |
| WS | wrong side |
| st st | stocking stitch (k on RS, p on WS) |

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## Pattern Notes

- The headband is worked **flat** in rows and seamed at the back — perfect for beginners.
- The colourwork chart is read **right to left on RS rows (odd)** and **left to right on WS rows (even)**.
- Carry the unused colour loosely across the back of the work. Floats longer than 5 sts should be caught by twisting yarns.
- The first and last stitch of every row are **selvedge stitches** — knit them on every row (garter selvedge) for a tidy edge that's easy to seam.

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## The Chart — Selburose (8-Petal Rose)

The motif is **23 sts wide × 23 rows tall**, centred on the headband. ☐ = MC (white), ■ = CC (blue).

```
Row 23: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐
Row 22: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■■■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐
Row 21: ☐■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■■■■■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■☐
Row 20: ☐■■☐☐☐☐☐■■☐■☐■■☐☐☐☐☐■■☐
Row 19: ☐☐■■☐☐☐■■☐☐■☐☐■■☐☐☐■■☐☐
Row 18: ☐☐☐■■☐■■☐☐☐■☐☐☐■■☐■■☐☐☐
Row 17: ☐☐☐☐■■■☐☐☐☐■☐☐☐☐■■■☐☐☐☐
Row 16: ☐☐☐☐■■■■☐☐☐■☐☐☐■■■■☐☐☐☐
Row 15: ☐☐☐■■☐☐■■☐☐■☐☐■■☐☐■■☐☐☐
Row 14: ☐☐■■☐☐☐☐■■☐■☐■■☐☐☐☐■■☐☐
Row 13: ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Row 12: ☐☐■■☐☐☐☐■■☐■☐■■☐☐☐☐■■☐☐
Row 11: ☐☐☐■■☐☐■■☐☐■☐☐■■☐☐■■☐☐☐
Row 10: ☐☐☐☐■■■■☐☐☐■☐☐☐■■■■☐☐☐☐
Row 09: ☐☐☐☐■■■☐☐☐☐■☐☐☐☐■■■☐☐☐☐
Row 08: ☐☐☐■■☐■■☐☐☐■☐☐☐■■☐■■☐☐☐
Row 07: ☐☐■■☐☐☐■■☐☐■☐☐■■☐☐☐■■☐☐
Row 06: ☐■■☐☐☐☐☐■■☐■☐■■☐☐☐☐☐■■☐
Row 05: ☐■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■■■■■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■☐
Row 04: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■■■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐
Row 03: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐
Row 02: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐
Row 01: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐■☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐
```

> 💡 *Tip:* Don't worry about achieving picture-perfect symmetry — the slight irregularities are part of the traditional folk charm.

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## Instructions

### 1. Cast On & Lower Border

With **MC (white)** and 3.5 mm needles, cast on **122 sts** using a long-tail cast-on (or your favourite stretchy method).

- **Rows 1–4:** Knit every row (4 rows of garter stitch border).

*Stitch count: 122 sts.*

### 2. Set-Up for Colourwork

- **Row 5 (RS):** K1 (selvedge), k to last st, k1 (selvedge). *(All 122 sts knit.)*
- **Row 6 (WS):** K1, p120, k1.

### 3. Colourwork Section (Rows 7–29)

Work the 23-row selburose chart, centred as follows:

- **Row 7 (RS, Chart Row 1):**
  K1 (selvedge in MC), k49 in MC, **work 23 sts of Chart Row 1**, k48 in MC, k1 (selvedge in MC).
  
  *Verify: 1 + 49 + 23 + 48 + 1 = 122 sts ✓*

- **Row 8 (WS, Chart Row 2):**
  K1, p48 in MC, **work 23 sts of Chart Row 2 in purl** (reading chart left to right), p49 in MC, k1.

- **Continue in this manner through Chart Row 23** (a total of 23 rows = Rows 7–29 of the headband). Maintain st st (k on RS, p on WS) with garter selvedges either side of the central chart panel.

> 💡 **Float tip:** After every 4–5 sts of one colour, gently catch the carried strand by twisting it once around the working yarn on the wrong side. Keep floats relaxed — pull your work out wide on the needle every few stitches to check.

### 4. Upper Border

Cut CC, leaving a 15 cm tail to weave in. Continue with MC only.

- **Row 30 (RS):** K1, k to last st, k1. *(knit all)*
- **Row 31 (WS):** K1, p120, k1.
- **Rows 32–35:** Knit every row (4 rows of garter stitch border).

### 5. Cast Off

With MC, cast off all 122 sts knitwise on the RS. Cut yarn, leaving a **long tail (approx. 50 cm)** for seaming.

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## Finishing

### Seam
1. Fold the headband in half with **RS together**, matching cast-on edge to cast-off edge.
2. Using the long tail and a tapestry needle, sew the short edges together with **mattress stitch** or whip stitch.
3. Turn right-side-out.

### Weave in Ends
Weave all yarn tails into the **wrong side** of the colourwork section, following the path of existing floats for invisibility.

### Block
- Soak in lukewarm water with a little wool wash for 15 minutes.
- Gently press out water (do not wring).
- Lay flat on a towel, gently shape to **50 cm circumference × 10 cm height**, and leave to dry.
- Blocking is *especially* important for stranded colourwork — it evens out the tension and makes the motif "pop." ✨

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## Final Stitch & Row Verification

| Check | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cast-on | 122 sts | ✓ |
| Width | 122 sts ÷ 24 sts per 10 cm | = 50.8 cm ✓ |
| Total rows | 4 (border) + 2 (set-up) + 23 (chart) + 2 (set-up) + 4 (border) = 35 rows | ✓ |
| Height | 35 rows ÷ 30 rows per 10 cm | = 11.7 cm ✓ (will relax to ~10 cm after blocking & wear) |
| Chart placement | 49 + 23 + 48 + 2 selvedges = 122 sts | ✓ |

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**Velkommen til strikkeklubben! 🇳🇴** Wear your Fjellrose proudly through the Norwegian winter — and tag your finished project so others can admire your folk-revival handiwork.