How to knit and crochet Scrap Bin Scrunchies by Vickie Howell

Scrap Bin Scrunchies

Theyrrrrrr’e baaaaack. The 80’s-90’s hair essential, the scrunchie, seems to have made its way back into pop-fashion culture. Since I lived through the trend the first time, I’m admittedly accepting this only begrudgingly. That said, since I have a tween daughter, and we’re all at home with pandemic hair that can likely use a little wrangling, this seemed as good of time as any to dive into our yarn leftovers and get to knitting and crocheting our own version of scrap bin scrunchies.

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Crochet Scrap Bin Scrunchies

MATERIALS

Medium hair band

Scrap yarn in 2 (A & B) colors — Fingering-weight to sport-weight works great!

Corresponding size crochet hook

Tapestry needle

DIRECTIONS

Insert hook through center of hair band place slip knot in color A on hook and pull through center.

Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in center of hair elastic; join B; with B 2 dc in center of hair band, *with A 2 dc, with B 2 dc; rep from * around while scrunching the stitches together on the band so that you’re overloading it. This will create a ruffled effect. Join rnd with a sl st in top of beg-ch.

Cut B.

Rnd 2: Ch 1 (doesn’t count as sc), sc in every dc around. Join rnd with a sl st.

Fasten off.

FINISHING

Weave in ends.

Knit Scrap Bin Scrunchies

MATERIALS

Medium hair band

Scrap yarn in 2 (A & B) colors — Worsted-weight to chunky-weight works great — feel free to mix!

Corresponding size needles to the lightest weight yarn chosen

Tapestry needle

DIRECTIONS

With A, CO 9 sts (add or substruct here for lighter or heavier weight yarn. Sample is made in a mix of worsted weight and chunky, on size U.S. 8/5mm needles.)

Row 1: WIth A, knit.

Row 2: With A, purl.

Join B; carrying A up along side.

Row 3: With B, knit.

Row 4: With B, purl

Repeat Rows 1-4 until piece mesures 2 – 2 1/2 times the circumference of the hair band. My band is 5 1/2″, and I knit and 11″ piece.

BO, leaving a long tail for seaming.

Yarn Tip: The lighter the weight of yarn, the longer you’ll make your strip to create the bulk necessary to give the ruffled effect of a scrunchie.

FINISHING

Weave in ends.

Using tapestry needle, yarn tail, mattress stitch, folding the knit piece width-wise around hair band, sew along the lenth of the piece. You’ll need to ease the piece, scrunching as you go, for it to all fit onto hair band. Seam short ends of knit piece together.

Weave in remaining end.