What are snood patterns?

Snood patterns are instructions on how to make a snood, which is an accessory for the hair. Snoods are head coverings which go over the hair like a bag. They are placed over the hair at the back of the head and hang against the neck.

Snoods have been in use in Western Europe since the Middle Ages. Many patterns for modern snoods are for crochet, but they are also sometimes sewed. Historically, snood patterns called for knotting strings like a fish net. Modern fashion snoods tend to resemble loose hair nets. The snoods used as religious head coverings by Jewish women generally use patterns calling for whole cloth, and more closely resemble pursed scarves or caps.