I love Gerard Butler. When I say love, I mean lurrrve.

So one day I sat down to watch 300, while knitting

and I suddenly stopped because I saw something beautiful on screen. I tore my eyes from his chest and
thighs and his leather underpants, although those are very beautiful. I noticed atop his head Leonidas
wore a headband. I wanted one of those. I quickly threw my current knitting project away, and got some
yarn, a cable needle and needles. I worked up what I now call, The Leonidas, a cabled braid, by the end
of the day.
I love wearing it, I want to fight Persians, I want to dine in hell and I want to earn my shield and shout
Ha-woo!

Needles: 3.25mm and a cable needle

Yarn: I used Patons Fab DK in Black. You can use a DK wool that’s close to the colour of
your hair, or you can stick with Leonidas’s black/brown
2 part fastener such as a clasp or popper
Thread and needle
C3B: Put 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold in back, K3 and knit 3 from cable needle
C3F: Put 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front, knit 3 stitches then knit 3 from cable
needle

CO 9

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: C3B, K to end
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: K3, C3F
Row 8: Purl
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: Purl

Repeat Rows 3 – 10 until your headband measures about 27 inches from CO edge to end.

K2tog, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K2tog

Knit
Purl
K2tog, K2, K2tog
Purl
Carry on in stockinette stitch for about an inch, then Cast Off
Taking the finished headband/band, hold one end and wrap it around your head, so there is
enough tension so the headband won’t be loose after the fasteners are attached.
Using your finger to hold the mark, you will now know where to put your fastener. Remember
we are leaving a tail, just like Leonidas does, so that’s why the headband appears to be a bit
long for our head size ☺

Fasten on your fasteners, one on the cast on edge and one where the end met around your
head (leaving the tail)

You can see the tail in this photo

Put headband on and shout “This is Spaaaartaaaaaaaaa!”