Hoop Scarf

Hoop Scarf by Finny

Yarn: 1.5 skeins Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed
1.5 skeins Supreme Possum Merino
Needles: 1 #6 10" circular, tapestry needle
Ravelry pattern
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So, I've had this pattern living in my brain for a while.

I don't really know what got me thinking about it, but it's been annoying me for some time and it finally had to be crafted.

Perhaps I missed knitting scarves. Perhaps I was continually annoyed with having to figure out what to do with the ends of my scarves because the frilly-williness of them, while cute, wasn't all that warm or efficient when dangling needlessly out of my coat collar. Maybe my anal retentiveness is really starting to develop nicely.

WHATEVER. My brain churned.

What if I had a scarf like a rubber band. I mean, I like that when I ponytail my hair, the band goes around a few times and then stops snug - without leaving any annoying dangliess behind.

You see what I mean about the "hoop" part, right?

So, yes, I could just wear one of my many cowls, but they don't do the super cozy wrapping thing that I need when it's Supah Cold out unless I go find my Turtle Fur thing that's always one step ahead of me and likes to hide in places like the ski bag in the basement when I need it most. Jerk.

What I needed was a cowl rubber band scarf. But that's not a thing. At least not as far as I knew or could find in the bowels of Ravelry. Even after all my to-the-bone searching.

Two colors are more fun than one is what I was thinking.
But imagine if there was a cable down the middle or some ribbing. FUN.

And so the Hoop Scarf came to be.

The concept of the Hoop Scarf is this: it works like a rubber band for your neck, but in a warm cozy snug way rather than a pinchy mean suicidal way.

Just hang it around your neck, twist it over to form a loop, pull the loop over your head, repeat, you're done. Much like you would a rubber band in your ponytail.

Adjust to make beautiful or warm or cozy as you see fit.

I didn't do too much in the way of beautifying, but you can.
If you want to wear yours without makeup, too, that'd make me feel better.

This #1 Hoop Scarf will be going to a friend of mine in Supah Cold Montana Land for guinea pigging so that I can find out how well it cozies the neck against the Supah Coldness.

I would demo it myself except that when I finished my other projects and was ready to start on this PATTERN THAT WAS EATING A HOLE IN MY BRAIN I didn't have enough stashed non-wool yarn to make it.

AND I NEEDED TO MAKE IT NOW.

And surreptitiously, Dig and I were chatting and she mentioned the magic of knitting and how do you do it and then I pounced on the opportunity for a real field testing of my new pattern.

Thankfully Dig can wear wool in addition to being able to withstand the colds of Montana winters, so the deal was done.

This goes in the mail on Monday. To cold Montana. Where it better do a good job or else.

If you want to make one, too (and then not wear lipstick when you take the photo - thanks!), I posted the pattern (my first ever!) to Ravelry OR you can get it here.

If you make it and have opinions, give me a shout.

Finny's Hoop Scarf

Yarn: 1.5 skeins Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed
1.5 skeins Supreme Possum Merino
Needles: 1 #6 10" circular, tapestry needle

To make:
Cast on 41 stitches with a #6 10” circular needle and the first color yarn.

Join (without twisting stitches) by passing the last stitch over the first cast on stitch.

Knit in the round until the scarf is 1/4 as long as the final product. (I just checked by draping it around my neck and estimating.) Change to the second color yarn and knit in the round until it is 3/4 as long as the final product. Switch back to the first color yarn and knit until the scarf can be wrapped snugly around your neck twice.

Cast off.

Using a mattress stitch, stitch together the ends as a tube. This way it will be an open tube, rather than a seam where the two ends join.

To wear:
Hang around your neck like a giant necklace.
Twist once and pull that new loop over your head, pulling snug at the neck.
Twist once more and pull that new loop over your head.
Arrange the scarf’s layers in whatever way you see fit.

Be warm, y'all.