The Return of the Scrunchie

What goes around comes around and it looks like hair scrunchies are back in fashion!

I first noticed the hair scrunchie's return when my high school son came home wearing one on his wrist. When I asked him about it, he said it was his girlfriend's and then quickly escaped to his bedroom and leaving me with tons of questions. Why would he be wearing it on his wrist? What does it mean? Where the heck did she find a scrunchie? Of course, I took to my friend Google to find out what this all means and discovered the following:

Well, that makes sense?!?  Just like scrunchies were the "thing" back in the '90s, it appears they've come back around and are being used to mark relationships as well as be a practical hair accessory. After seeing the wrist scrunchie at the beginning of the school year, I did not think much of it until my son came to me and asked me to make a scrunchie for his girlfriend. I immediately went back to my friend Google to see who was making these and discovered the velvet yarn that I had been avoiding is the go-to fiber. I bought some in her favorite color (green) and whipped one up for him to give to her. She loved it!

The Velvet Scrunchies are actually quite addicting to crochet - very fast, easy and a quick sense of satisfaction of having completed one in under 30 minutes. A perfect project while binge-watching your favorite TV drama. Check out the instructions below on how to crochet your own Velvet Scrunchies. If you don't crochet and would rather I do it for you, the Knots-n-Knits Handmade Etsy shop has a huge inventory in stock in two sizes: one for thin or tiny ponytails and a second one for larger, thicker hair (perfect for a male wrist as well).

Knots-n-Knits Handmade Velvet Scrunchies in large

Here are a few things I learned about crocheting the Velvet Scrunchie and working with this particular yarn:

1. I used three different types of yarn and probably would not use the Bernat Velvet Yarn (not baby yarn) in the future. I will now because I have three large skeins (I'll make ear warmers/headbands out of it - a future post!), but for the Velvet Scrunchies, I would stick with the lighter yarn. My preferred yarn for this project is the Bernat Baby Velvet Yarn, Lion Brand (colors are pastels) and the Lion Brand Yarn Vel-Luxe Yarn (beautiful colors).
2. I also used two sizes of elastic bands for the Velvet Scrunchies because I have fine hair and a large scrunchie would overwhelm my head. I chose the Goody Ouchless Hair Bands for Fine Hair for the large bands and the same style but a smaller diameter for the small bands. The fine elastic band gives the stability to crochet around without the bulk of a thicker band. Avoid the elastic bands with the metal connector. I give my bands a good tug before I start to crochet to make sure they are not going to break.
3. Velvet yarn is not very forgiving when you have to pull it out it tends to tighten on itself and it is impossible to unknot the tiny thread that the velvet fibers are attached to. I had to throw away two that I made a mistake on and could not pull out to start over again. 
4. I've recommended some counts for each size below, but the number of stitches you single crochet is really up to you. Your main goal is to cover the band (especially if you are using black) when it is stretched. If you add too many stitches, then the Velvet Scrunchie will be stiffer and less flexible. Make a few and see what works for you. It is not an exact science so if you are a few stitches over or under, you'll be fine.

Knots-n-Knits Handmade Velvet Scrunchies in small

Crocheted Velvet Scrunchie Pattern

You'll need the following for the Velvet Scrunchie:

• Size H hook
• Elastic bands
• Velvet Yarn

Crochet Instructions for the Velvet Scrunchie:

1. Create a knotted loop on your hook and do a slip stitch around the band.
2. Single crochet around the band, making sure to tuck the tail of your loop into your stitches along the band.
3. For the small band, I crocheted about 30 stitches, about 20 with the thicker yarn
4. For the large band, I crocheted about 60 stitches, about 40 with the thicker yarn
5. Connect your last single crochet to your first stitch with a slip stitch. Do not turn and chain 2
6. Double crochet in the same stitch as your slip stitch
7. Two double crochet in each of the single crochets
8. Slip stitch into the second chain of the chain 2 in step 5. Add another slip stitch just for good measure (the Velvet yarn is slippery and I had a final slip stitch come loose).
9. Weave in all of the ends.

Give the Velvet Scrunchie Pattern a try and post your thoughts in the comments!

Not up to crocheting but you still want a Velvet Scrunchie? Head over to my Etsy Knots-n-Knits Handmade store to grab a few Velvet Scrunchies in a variety of colors and two different sizes!

Corner to Corner (C2C) Cotton Infinity Scarf

Hot off the hook!  I am so excited to have just finished my newest project - a cotton infinity scarf just for me!

This one is made out of Yarn Bee Sugarwheel Cotton in the color "Paris Mornings".  I have to admit, I bought it to make a baby blanket but loved the colors so much it quickly became a long, skinny scarf. Soft pinks and subtle grays will go nicely with my wardrobe. Since it is cotton, it won't be heavy and hot - the main reason I don't wear scarves all of the time. California weather rarely dictates the need for a "real" scarf!

I used the C2C double crochet pattern because it is fast and easy. Once you get past the first couple of rows, it is quite repetitive, making it easy to watch the tellie while working away.  I used the basic double crochet C2C pattern with only 2 chains instead of three, giving it a tighter weave. When I have a minute, I will shoot a quick video and link it on my Knots-n-Knits YouTube Channel.

Love, love, love the Yarn Bee Sugarwheel Cotton!  Super soft and lightweight and incredibly easy to work with! Cotton yarn is typically easier to work than acrylic, but this one was a dream - no splitting and very high quality.

I did buy *2* skeins of the Sugarwheel Cotton (remember, I was going to make a baby blanket), so I just might have to make either another scarf for my Knots-n-Knits Handmade Etsy Shop, or maybe a triangle fringed scarf for myself!  Can't wait to head back to Hobby Lobby and pick up some more of this yarn next time it's on sale!

Returning to Cross Stitch

A couple of months ago, I put down the crochet hook and picked up an unfinished cross stitch project. I was headed to Hawaii for vacation and knew that if I packed yarn and hook, it would just take up space in my luggage. A cross stitch project is much smaller and more portable and if I didn't feel like working on it,  no problem. At least I would have something to do if I felt up to being crafty or needed to keep myself busy by the pool.

The project I chose to work on was started in the summer of 1997 - yes, 20 years ago!  As with all projects, there is a story behind when, where, and why a particular pattern was chosen. Here's the story that goes with this pattern, "The Night Before Christmas" from the January 1994 For the Love of Cross Stitch magazine.

My husband and I lived in a rural small town in the Mendocino area and in the evenings after he would come home from work, we would sit out back and relax. There was no air conditioning in the house so it was always much cooler in the shade of  the trees. We had a large meadow that bordered the backyard, so it was it was nice to unwind in our comfy chairs and look for deer. As he would tell me about his day at work, I'd cross stitch. At that time, I was not working and had developed a community of cross stitch friends through the America Online chat rooms and groups. I had my tribe and we shared tips, tricks, swaps, and pattern and fabric recommendations. Being that it was Mendocino County and my husband was in law enforcement, these ladies were my connection to the outside world.

One evening, my husband asked if he could give cross stitch a try. Of course, I jumped at the chance of including him in one of my hobbies and gave him a pile of magazines to find a pattern, with guidance. He saw the "Night Before Christmas" pattern and asked if that one would work. I had it on my to-do list and had the fabric and floss, so set him up with everything he needed to get started. For several nights we would sit and cross stitch - he on his project, me on mine - talking about the day and enjoying the quiet under the shade of the large oak trees that dotted our backyard.

He worked diligently on his project and I left him alone - knowing if I badgered him, he'd stop. What I didn't realize is that once he got to where the pattern splits across the two pages, he wasn't sure what to do, so he skipped a row on the fabric. He didn't realize that the row in gray (see where the orange arrows are pointing) is a reference row and has duplicate symbols from the row he just stitched.

When I finally checked on his progress, I noticed a long white empty row and asked what happened. He explained what he had done and I didn't know what to say. He had stitched a good amount below the white row and I didn't want to tell him frogging was necessary. But, I did. Shortly thereafter he was finished with cross stitching, but still fully supported my hobby. At some point over the past 20 years, I frogged that section and packaged the chart, project, and floss into a large zip lock as a grab and go kit, which is precisely what I took to Hawaii with me in April!

Here is what the project looked like when I picked it up again in April. It was a little less than halfway complete.

Here is what it looks like now - Completely stitched!  Adding beads is the only thing remaining to do, and then I will need to wash, iron, and find a suitable mat and frame.

What do you think?  Would add some holiday fabric around the edges and make this into a wall hanging? A pillow top? Or, frame it?