Day 59 and Elizabeth

Named because it reminded me a lot of those big neck frills That you would see in paintings on Queen Elizabeth. Did people really wear those? They always looked a bit uncomfortable. This fun gently ruffled scarf is not uncomfortable thankfully. I was actually aiming for a dickie, but overdid the increases. I still like the way it looks and hey, I still have that dickie idea hanging out for another day! :D

Day 58 and the Mesh

Here is a crochet mesh that I usually use for market bags. It's very open and surprisingly strong and why shouldn't it be worn as well? No reason at all, says I!

I didn't use a pattern and I didn't really keep very good track of this one, but I think if you're even a beginner crocheter, you could wing this one.
For the foundation row, make a chain about as long as the scarf should be wide. Single crochet into the 5th chain, chain 5, then until you reach the end single crochet into the 3rd chain, and chain 5 repetitively.
For the body rows, Chain 5 and single crochet into the next chain loop to the end of the row.
For the final row, chain 3 and single crochet into the next chain loop and repeat to the end of the row.

Day 57 and the ShortRow Ruffles

Can you even really call these ruffles? This was a very VERY wide short row repeat so the ruffles are very spread out resulting in a lazy meandering scarf rather than a full fluffy ruffle. Still, I think that's the best word I could choose.

In this case, I cast on 12 and did a short row wedge starting by knitting 10, turning and going all the way back, then 9, then back, then 8 and so on until I had no more stitches left. Then I did 3 rows even and did another short row wedge starting from the other side. In this way the short row shaping traded sides and made sort of a wiggly scarf that folded over on itself in a very loose ruffle. If you happen to be able to knit left handed, this would be a great time to use your ability. Turning after just a few stitches on each row can get very tedious.

Health and Happiness

Friends, I just wanted to give a quick shout out thank you to the well wishes for my health. It's definitely cold and flu season and I got hit pretty hard. Happily I'm pretty much back up to speed except for the frog in my throat. Luckily, you all don't get to hear my ridiculous froggy-throated Joan Rivers impression which when sick is absolutely spot on.

You guys are the best and I couldn't be happier to know even just via the internet such awesome caring people. Sinead, Felicity, I'm looking at you! And all my twitter friends too who wished good health to me and my sicky boyfriend Kevin. Love to you all!

Day 56 and the Fluffles

Yet another hairpin lace idea. This was a very easy technique that resulted in a somewhat complicated looking puffy cobweb ruffled edge.
I started with the Boa by holding 3 strands together and doing a basic hairpin lace row. When the scarf was long enough, I cut 2 of the 3 strands and with the working strand, did a single crochet in every single loop. Keep in mind even though the loops were worked as one during the hairpin lace portion, each loop from the group of 3 is worked separately to make the ruffle. Chains at each end helped get the height to reach the loops, though I think it would have been equally effective to jump straight from one end to the other as the ruffle would have hidden the jump.

Day 55 and the Silly Willy

It could have been a very elegant ruffled collar, but I used fun colors and so instead it's a silly willy funny ruffled collar. I still think it's awesome but best suited to someone with a very bold and sunny personality!

It was incredibly easy to do. Cut a rectangle that's about twice the circumference of the neck that needs warmed and as wide as you wish. Mine happened to be striped so I didn't need to measure and just followed the stripes as if they were cut lines. Cut very small snips in the center of the rectangle and through the little snips you'll thread another strip of either fabric, lacing, leather, or whatever cord you like. The collar will ruffle up a little bit and you'll just tie the thread into a little bow and be the sunniest funniest scarf wearer around.

Day 54 and the Pocket

You all know I'm a rather poor sewist. I'm working on it, but to really get any better, I think I need more patience and a teacher. Still, I can accomplish simple things! Using fleece as a background and fleece as a pocket, there is very little preparation needed and the execution is ridiculously easy.

Here I picked a zany pattern and cut a rectangle to the length and width that I wanted. Then I rotated the pattern and cut a pair of squares to be the pockets. I didn't even measure. They were just barely smaller than the scarf.

I left a VERY wide seam more than an inch and without folding or pinning sewed right around three edges. The top was left unsewn of course so that it was the opening of the pocket. I did the exact same thing on the other end of the scarf. Then, I took a pair of scissors and fringed one flap of the seam I just made around all three sides. It hides any imperfection in sewing such as curvy seams and it makes the pocket stand out so it's clear that it's a pocket.

Stick your hands in on cold days or carry small items like your music player or your lunch money.