The fashion of using bandanas seems to come and go, getting reinvented every few years. However looking into the origins of this little piece of cloth, it was used to mop up sweat from your head and neck or just to keep your hair out of your face or dust out of your mouth and nose. Used by both men and women world over, the humble bandana has many local influences in style and use. It is also known as a kerchief from the old French couvrechief, meaning 'cover head'. It is a triangular piece of cloth or a square folded into a triangle that is tied over your head, around your neck or across your face for either utility or styling purposes.
The word Bandana has it's origin from the Sanskrit word बन्धन (bandhan) which means to bind or tie. It has a traceable history to the late 17th century in South Asia and the Middle East. We even see it being used in old Western movies, by Country singers and motorbike riders. And the (mis)use of them by bandits and thieves. During the recent pandemic, before masks became necessary and mandatory, people used the bandanas to cover their nose and mouth as a protection from the virus.
Amongst the Parsis, the community I come from, we all cover our heads during any religious event. The headwear of the men is referred to as a Topi and the women use a triangular scarf called a Mathubanu to cover their heads. In a pinch, a large square handkerchief is folded into a triangle and used by them. These are again versions of the bandana.
So designing one in crochet was something that came easily to me. The first one I designed is the Ziba Bandana, a simple customisable one. I have been asked by some of my customers to make it for their four-legged babies. The bandana showing it's versatility! This seems to be a favourite of many - quick to whip up and perfect for any time of year.
Flowers are known to be a symbol of good luck, prosperity, love, and happiness. They are used world over to brighten up spaces. Flowers play a central role at weddings, births, funerals, parties and other celebrations. Each part of the world has its own unique flowers of special significance. For example the Lily of the Valley in France, Tulips in The Netherlands, Cherry Blossoms of Japan and so on. In the southern part of India women adorn their hair with strings of flowers, especially the Jasmine, known locally as Malli-poo or Mallige. These small white flowers are particularly fragrant and look very delicate when strung together.
Bringing the head scarves, the strings of flowers, the traditions of my community and my region of birth, and the language of my state together is the Hoovina Bandana. Hoovina means floral in Kannada. A head scarf that has a flower as it's central motif, worked from a circle to a square to a triangle, and a row of small flowers - this bandana has it all! It is the perfect accessory and fairly quick to work up.
My band of dedicated testers Nailah, Vimala, Zohra, Madhurani and Jyoti made such beautiful versions of the Hoovina Bandana. Zohra in fact made two of them - an absolute delight for me as a designer! Scroll through all the gorgeous pictures below and take inspiration for yours.
Designed for the Summer Vibes Blog Hop hosted by Susanna Biaye of Fosbas Designs, the Hoovina Bandana joins the designs of many other talented designers from around the world. Each day in the month of July one or two patterns will be available at a special price for just 24 hours. You need to visit the host page everyday (link given below) and pick up the code for the day. The pattern for the Hoovina Bandana is available at the special price of $2, only on the 5th of July. To buy your copy, once you pick up the code, come back to this page and use the link to Ravelry to get the pattern. You also have another option of buying the entire bundle of 36 patterns for just $12.99 - this gives you all the patterns in one go without having to make the daily page visits! Take a look at the Round Up Post to see all the other patterns available.
As with all my patterns if you are not inclined or unable to make one, you can always reach out to me to make you one.
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