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The Perfect Scarf to Knit for a Misty Morning

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I love big scarves. If you have to go outside on a day when it’s cold and rainy or snowy or just cold even, wrapping a big scarf around your neck makes it a little bit better. 

The Misty Morning Scarf from ChiWei Ranck aka One Dog Woof is a great example of the type of scarf I mean — simple to knit, colorful and warm. This one is made with two strands of mohair blend yarn held together for extra coziness, and it’s worked on much larger needles than you would expect, so it’s a pretty quick project despite its size (finished as shown it measures 12.75 inches wide and 66 inches long).

It’s mostly stockinette stitch with little ridges of purls, which keeps the knitting fast and fun but a little bit interesting. This would be a great scarf pattern to have on hand for holiday knitting, and of course you could knit it with different fibers and at different gauges if you like.

You can grab the pattern on Ravelry.

If you’ve never worked with mohair before, here are some good tips from A Knit Sheep. Using big needles is one of the tips, which this pattern already does. They also recommend wooden needles to help combat the stickiness and slippery nature of this kind of yarn. Stitching slowly can make working with this slippery yarn a little easier, too.

I don’t know if this would technically qualify as a super scarf, but if you knit it even longer it definitely would be. If you’re looking for a more substantial super scarf to get you through the coldest winter days, check out this pattern.

Looking for more patterns using mohair? Check out the Fernanda Sweater, the Tirlo Tee, Lilitha Shawl or this cozy knit poncho pattern with lace panels. So many fun options!

[Photo: ChiWei Ranck]

 

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Summer Headband Knitting Patterns

Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.