Between teaching, helping with gen-ed assessment,* faculty senate, and committee work, this has been a stressful semester. Plus, each semester seems to whiz by faster than the one before. I fully expect, in the near future, to come to my senses enmeshed in finals week with a memory of the first week of school and nothing in between.

I have had a few odd moments** to develop a pattern and produce crocheted neck warmers as xmas gifts for university staff and for friends. Notice how all my pattern (“all” meaning three, but hey, I’ve been busy) are for crochet? I still consider myself primarily a knitter and I prefer knitting, but I just find crochet to be so much faster!

Anyway, here’s some pics and then the pattern.

Four neck warmers. Notice how nicely the blue one patterned.

Spokespup Violet shows us my personal neck warmer with button. If she knew the difference between a vowel and a consonant and were taller, I think she could nudge Vanna off Wheel of Fortune.

Who is that attractive, curly-haired woman? I think the neck warmer makes her even more mysteriously fabulous! (I have a rich fantasy life)

Crocheted Neck Warmer

Neck warmers aren’t as dramatic as long scarves, but are a lot more practical. Just as warm, they take up less room under your coat and are easy to fold into a pocket.

I did the same pattern (number of stitches, length) with both a soft, springy worsted and a single-ply bulky.

The worsted was on the fat side. I used Bernat Berella “4”. This is a nice acrylic in some colorways – there was a lot of variation in thickness and in “plastic-y-ness” between the various colors. The quality within each colorway seems very consistent, however. At any rate, one skein makes two neck warmers.

The bulky was something from my stash that had lost its label. It was a fluffy, hand-wash wool. It isn’t pictured, as it is an xmas present for someone who reads the blog!

Hook: I used an “I” hook for the worsted and a “K” for the bulky.

Stitch used: Woven crochet stitch. Worked over an even number of stitches, woven crochet stitch consists of alternating single crochets and chain-one spaces, with each single crochet being worked in a chain-one stitch of the previous row.

Pattern: Chain 19

Row one: In the third chain from hook, single crochet. *Chain one, skip stitch, single crochet in next stitch. Repeat from * to end of row. Chain two, turn.

Row two: Single crochet in the first chain one space of previous row. *Chain one, skip stitch, single crochet in next stitch. Repeat from * to last chain one space. Single crochet in last chain one space, chain one, single crochet in loop formed by the “chain two, turn” of the previous row. Chain two, turn.

Repeat row two until piece measures about 21 inches – this gives about a 4” overlap when the warmer is worn. For a fuller-than-average neck, simply add a few more rows.

Final three rows:

Row one: Instead of chaining two at the turn, chain only one. Skipping the base of the turning chain, single crochet in each stitch across (16 stitches). Chain one, turn.

Row two: Skipping the base of the turning chain, single crochet across first five stitches. Chain six. Skip the next six stitches (for buttonhole), single crochet in seventh stitch from the start of the chain. Single crochet in next four stitches or to end of row (hey, a miscount is not the end of the world!). Chain one, turn.

Last row: Skipping the base of the turning chain, single crochet in each stitch to the base of the button hole. Single crochet around the buttonhole chain (not in the stitches, but completely around them) – eight to ten single crochets to nicely cover the buttonhole chain without becoming stiff. Slide and adjust single crochets across the buttonhole chain. Single crochet in opposite base of buttonhole chain, single crochet in each stitch to end of row, cut yarn and bind off.

Weave in ends.

Center button at four inches from non-buttonhole end of neck warmer, or at appropriate spot for intended wearer. Using tapestry needle and yarn, stitch on button and then weave in ends.

You’re done!

*Anyone who uses the adage “like herding cats” has never tried to get 80+ faculty to do something, do it correctly, and do it on time. Cats are easy and, in general, a lot less self-centered.

**Okay, yeah, all my moments are odd.