Sonar Bandana in Berroco Summer Sesame - Downloadable PDF

Sónar Bandana Knitting Pattern by Mel Kennelly – Berroco Summer Sesame

The Sónar Bandana is a beautifully detailed knitted bandana designed by Mel Kennelly and published by Berroco. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a delicate, lace-patterned triangular bandana complete with ties, making it a stylish and functional accessory for any season. The finished bandana measures approximately 15 inches (38 cm) across by 9½ inches (24 cm) long, not including the ties, creating a graceful triangular shape that sits beautifully at the neck or can be worn as a head covering.

Construction and Design

The Sónar Bandana is worked from the bottom up, beginning with just 3 cast-on stitches at the lower point of the triangle. Stitches are increased every other row on right-side rows, gradually building the fabric outward to form the classic bandana triangle shape. The pattern can be followed either through written row-by-row instructions or via a provided chart, giving knitters flexibility depending on their preferred working style.

The construction is elegant in its simplicity — all wrong-side rows are purled, while the right-side rows carry the lace patterning. This makes the pattern very approachable for knitters who are comfortable with basic lace techniques but may not yet have extensive experience with complex stitch manipulation. The ties are worked separately using double-pointed needles, adding a practical finishing detail that allows the bandana to be secured comfortably around the head or neck.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction – the piece begins at the pointed tip of the triangle and grows outward with regular increases
• Yarn-over increases (yo) – used both as a shaping tool and as a decorative lace element throughout the charted pattern
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) – a left-leaning decrease used extensively in the lace motifs
• K2tog (knit two together) – a right-leaning decrease paired with SSK to create balanced lace patterns
• K3tog (knit three together) – a double decrease used at key points in the lace repeat for more dramatic shaping within the motif
• Stockinette stitch – used as a reference gauge swatch and within sections of the bandana fabric
• I-cord or tie construction – worked on double-pointed needles to create the bandana ties
• Blocking – essential to this pattern, as gauge is measured after blocking, which opens up the lace and sets the final dimensions

Stitches Used

• Yarn over (yo) – the primary lace-building stitch, creating decorative eyelets throughout
• Knit (k) – foundational stitch used across all right-side rows
• Purl (p) – used on all wrong-side rows for a clean Stockinette reverse
• SSK – left-leaning paired decrease
• K2tog – right-leaning paired decrease
• K3tog – central double decrease for lace motif definition
• Cast on – a simple 3-stitch cast-on begins the entire piece

Materials Required

This pattern is designed specifically for Berroco Summer Sesame, a DK weight yarn. The sample shown uses 1 ball of color #5236 Coral (100 grams per ball). Berroco Summer Sesame is well suited to this type of delicate lace accessory, providing stitch definition that allows the yarn-over and decrease patterning to read clearly while offering a lightweight drape ideal for a bandana worn close to the skin.

• Yarn: Berroco Summer Sesame, 1 ball, color #5236 Coral (100 g)
• Yarn weight: DK
• Needles: Size 6 / 4 mm knitting needles, or size needed to obtain gauge