As spinners, it’s important that we actually use our handspun. Yes, yarn looks lovely on the bobbin or wound into a skein, but if all you do is spin, it’s hard to know if your yarn is good for the kind of projects you want to make! Instead of letting yarn “marinate” in the stash for too long, cast on a quick and easy project to get instant feedback about your handspun. Chances are, it’s perfectly useable, but there’s always an idea in there for next time!
Scarves aren’t just great accessories—they’re excellent projects for building your skills and actually using your handspun. My very first knitting project was a scarf. I tracked my progress across what seemed like miles of garter stitch. It started off loose and lumpy, with stitches inexplicably added or dropped, then became too tight, until I finally settled into a natural tension. That first scarf is long gone, raveled and knitted into something else, but the memory is just as fresh as ever. And as a new weaver, once I had the first set of samples under my belt, a scarf seemed like a natural choice too.
Mirva Scivola’s Gelso Shawl is all cozy textures, with lace, cables, and garter stitch. Photo by Gale Zucker
Scarves and shawls have a lot going for them. They don’t take a lot of yarn, but the end result feels substantial. They’re relatively portable projects for knitters and crocheters, and they make fantastic gifts. For weavers, they’re often quick and fun projects that fly off the loom just as fast as you can warp it. Scarves and shawls have a way of grabbing attention—whether you’re seeking to make something quick and fun, or slow down and focus on intricate patterns, there’s a scarf pattern for you.
All the other editors here feel the same way about scarves, which is why we worked together to create our new eBook A Celebration of Scarves and Shawls: 14 Accessories to Weave, Knit, Spin, Crochet, and Embroider. This new eBook features projects from back issues of Spin Off as well as Handwoven, Easy Weaving with Little Looms, PieceWork, and Farm & Fiber Knits. The projects cover a variety of fiber techniques, including knitting, crochet, and weaving.
Typically, this eBook is a premium for All Access members only, but right now we’re running a Black Friday special where you’ll get a copy of it with any subscription! Click to learn more about subscription options and all the benefits and perks.
What’s Inside
A shawl that sits well on your shoulders and looks great? Sign me up! The Roundabout Shawl by Jennifer Miller Comstock has been in my queue for ages. Designed to be forgiving of yarn thickness and quantities, this one is a must-knit!
Jennifer Miller Comstock’s Roundabout Shawl accomodates a range of gauges and yarn quantities.
Try your hand at crochet with Connie Lee Lynch’s Interlocking Button Cowl. Find an extra tutorial with left- and right-handed instructions for the Back-Bar single crochet stitch.
Connie Lee Lynch designed this clever interlocking button cowl to crochet.
If weaving is more your thing, there are plenty of choices there, too. I’ve had my eyes on the Autumn Jewel Scarf since I first saw it, but the Glowing Emerald Scarf looks like just the kind of fun, quick project I can put on my rigid heddle loom—and weave—in time for holiday gifting.
The Autumn Jewels scarf (left) and Glowing Emerald Scarf (right).
In addition to projects, the eBook includes two articles about scarf and shawl sizing. The first article, by Madelyn van der Hoogt, asks the age-old question, “How long should a scarf be?” Instead of giving a single answer, Madelyn lays out the factors that you should consider when deciding on the right size for your scarf. The second article, by Katrina King, gives common size ranges for a variety of neck accessories, including ascots and cowls. I encourage you to check out the eBook for yourself, subscribe to get your free copy, and then start working on your own scarf.
Happy Spinning! —Pamela