I have an infinite gratitude for all the bloggers out there
who take the time to sift through the millions of free patterns available on
the internet and gather them into a clean and tidy bundle of related patterns
that have a description and usually a photo. I have little to no patience these
days to hope for the best with a Google search. This is probably also because I’ve
gotten into the habit of creating something new for each request and only go in
search of patterns when I’m trying out a new yarn and it’s too expensive to
waste in testing swatches. Such was the case when I finally jumped into trying
Lion Brand Homespun and my first projects with that type of yarn was the brand’s
Ruffle Scarf pattern and it looked awesome! The set I made used Edwardian and
it was the perfect blend of heather coloring, soft texture, and feminine yet
not “girly” shape. Perfect for the recipient, perfect first project with a new
yarn, and plenty of inspiration for future projects. Eventually, I found myself
handed two skeins of Homespun in two different new colors: Fiesta and Painted
Dessert. I started with the Fiesta and found, much to my dismay, that the
Ruffle Scarf simply didn’t do the color pattern justice, so it was put aside
while other projects came into view.
Enter Moogly Blog.
While scanning a collection of free patterns titled “Last
Minute Crochet Gifts: 30 Fast and Free Patterns to Make Now!” (http://www.mooglyblog.com/last-minute-crochet-gifts-30-free-patterns/
), the Artfully Simple Infinity Scarf
really popped out at me. Reading the little description “Perfect for thick and
thin yarns, as well as yarns with long color changes” made a light bulb go off
over my head; why not try adapting this for the Fiesta color?!
Of course, it can never be that simple. I was still
struggling to get past my injured elbow from Christmas orders and when I went
looking for the still partially intact ruffle scarf/skein (I didn’t want to
frog it and then not have a way to contain the loose pile of yarn) I couldn’t
find it anywhere! It truly appeared as if Christmas had eaten the darn thing
and it wasn’t until the hunt was on for something else over a week later that I
found it, which was also AFTER I had gone to the store and bought a
replacement.
Once I’d gotten life a little more settled and family was
heading home and my hook arm healed enough to properly grasp a hook I managed
to start this thing. The original (found here: http://www.mooglyblog.com/artfully-simple-infinity-scarf/
) called for a starting chain of 210. However, even though there is a given
number it also states that you can create it to any circumference just by
making sure to use a multiple of seven and any width by reducing/increasing
rounds, so I decided I’d tweak things to meet my tastes. Below are the changes
I made to get a comfortable length and thickness with Homespun.
Changes from RH Boutique Unforgettable to LB Homespun
1) Base chain is shortened from 210 to 140.2) Total number of rounds is shortened from 20 to 10.
It truly was that simple! Not every pattern is so easily altered, but the simple openwork repeating pattern made this a perfect quick project with a real wow factor finish. If given to a beginner I would recommend using a more traditional yarn to make it easier to identify the chains in the first round of the project and there are far cheaper yarns than the Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable that would still look nice. If someone had successfully completed a few projects then the Homespun could be a great lesson in not stressing over perfection (something I am regularly guilty of myself) because you really don’t notice if something wasn’t exactly right.
There was a considerable amount of yarn left over even after
making the additional tie (the instructions given for that worked for me but
might need to be altered depending on personal tension). If I find out I can
get two cowl/scarves out of a single skein I’ll update this.
In closing, I have one important tip: Check the buttonhole
size and make sure you can get your yarn through it or get a bead
reamer/diamond engraving bit to widen the hole! This is something I forgot to
check when buying buttons for potential options and discovered the one that fit
best was a giant pain in the butt tiny hole just as I was ready to make the
tie. Don’t make my mistake; plan ahead!
Okay, not the world's greatest photos, but I'm limited to set up at the moment.
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