Hand Made Gifts: Knit and Crochet Scarves with Novelty Yarns

© Copyright 2011 Patrice Walker All rights reserved

“Burn Baby Burn, Disco Inferno!”

As I gear up to work on my hand made gifts for the 2011 holiday season, I’m reminded of several gifts I made back in the mid-2000s – thin, long scarves that I crocheted and knitted, using Bernat Disco yarn. Every time I think about those scarves, I start humming “Disco Inferno,” a classic disco hit from the 70s. Yes, I know I’m dating myself, but what can I say? The point is that these scarves are fun, easy, and fairly inexpensive to make.

The great thing about Disco (and novelty yarns in general) was that the yarn did the work for you. It was a 67%-acetate/33%-polyester, super bulky weight yarn that worked up quickly. No fancy stitches were needed - single or double crochet or stockinette stitch were all it took to create fabulous scarves that could be worn as easily during the day as at night.

Unfortunately, Bernat no longer makes Disco, so if you’re going to make these scarves, you’ll need to find a comparable “eyelash” yarn.

Eyelash yarn or “fun fur,” as it is often called, is created by attaching small strands of fiber that look like eyelashes to a central core. Because Bernat Disco had a thicker core than many eyelash yarns sold today, you will probably have to combine two or more strands to get the same effect I achieved with my scarves. Or you could combine a strand or two of eyelash with one strand of a smooth, DK weight yarn.

Eyelash yarns that can be used for this hand made gift include:

• Crystal Palace Fizz
• Mustachio Friends
• Berroco Plume FX
• Lion Brand Fun Fur
• Martha Steward Glitter

Look for these and other eyelash yarns at big-box yarn stores like Michaels and AC Moore or on eBay and Amazon.com. Your local yarn shop may even have a nice variety from which to choose.

Knitting these scarves will probably be easier than crocheting them because the eyelash effect makes it a bit difficult to see the stitches. But this can work to your advantage if you are a new crocheter or knitter because the yarn tends to hide any mistakes you might make.

If you do decide to crochet the scarves, work with a lighter color to make it easier to see the stitches. Or combine the eyelash with a solid, smooth yarn to create clearer stitch definition.

When knitting the scarves, you’ll find that stockinette stitch (i.e., knit the knit rows, purl the purl rows) makes the sides of the scarf curl under, so if you want a flat scarf, use garter stitch (i.e., knit every row) instead.

A knitted scarf requires a cast-on of about 15 to 20 stitches, using size 10 needles. Chain 10 or so stitches with a K hook for a crocheted scarf.

But the width and length of your scarf are up to you. Just keep in mind that the wider and longer the scarf, the more yarn you’ll need to make it. And crocheted scarves will require about a third more yarn than knitted scarves.

Use Interweave’s The Crocheter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements and The Knitters Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements to help you determine how much yarn you’ll need for this cool, hand made Christmas gift.

Finally, be sure to include the yarn label or a brief note with care instructions with the gift so the recipient knows how to keep it clean.

There is a huge assortment of novelty yarns on the market today, so don’t limit yourself to eyelash. Ladder, ribbon, boucle, metallic - the sky’s the limit! Experiment with a variety of yarns to create one-of-a-kind, hand made gifts that your friends and family will always treasure.