Anne Nordhaus-Bike

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During one of my visits to Tangled Web (an Oak Park yarn shop that has since closed) a few years ago, my heart fell in love with a light blue Kidsilk Haze, a luxurious mohair/silk blend by Rowan. After buying two balls of it, the inspiration came to crochet a lacey fringed shawl for a friend using a size P hook, a successful project that pleased me as well as my friend. The other ball sat here until this winter, when a visit to another yarn shop introduced me to a glittery light blue Italian synthetic yarn called Toreador. A thin yarn almost like thread, it was perfect to combine with the mohair. So on a cold but sunny winter Sunday, the time was right to create this Ruffle Scarf. Knit in garter stitch on size 11 needles, the body mixes the mohair's softness with the Toreador's sparkle for a dramatic yet elegant look. After finishing the scarf, enough Toreador remained to edge the piece and play up the icy, glittery effect. It has since become one of my favorite winter accessories and saw heavy use this past season.

scarf

Ruffle Scarf.

This close-up photo highlights the scarf's feminine ruffle, which was created by casting on 180 stitches and then decreasing 30 stitches in each row until 30 stitches remained. When the body of the scarf was complete, the other end's ruffle was created by increasing 30 stitches per row until the needles held 180 stitches. Note how the Toreador yarn used alone for the scarf's border adds a bit more glamour and creates a pleasing contrast with the mohair yarn's soft, hazy quality.

scarfdetail

Ruffle Scarf, Detail.