My son tells me that the scarves I have made for him from superwash wool (Cascade 220 and Dream In Color) are itchy. (My own scarf is Red Heart Super Saver crocheted for me by my mom.)
I want to make him one more scarf. I don’t have enough yarn leftover from his last one, so I’ll need to buy something new. I always thought that wool was better for scarves – that it would repel water – but maybe that is only felted wool and his scarves are not felted.
I’m wondering what would be a good yarn for a warm but not itchy scarf for him? I was going to make him another wool scarf, but if he doesn’t like it, maybe I should switch to acrylic or some sort of blend.
What do you use for scarves? Is it itchy? Machine washable?
Wool is best for warmth, but he must be sensitive to wool as I am. I couldn’t wear either of those yarns either and I wouldn’t use RHSS. It’s not a soft acrylic and may bother him. I can’t even knit with it…it’s like sandpaper on my hands.
If you have to go with acrylic use something like Caron Simply Soft or Red Heart SOFT and use a smaller needle (not so it’s stiff though) and it’ll be warmer. If it’s wide enough to scrunch a little and long enough to wrap around the neck a couple times it may be fine. There’s also bamboo, and blends that may work for him.
Also…I am using a brand new yarn called Queensland Collection Leche that is 40% wool and so far it feels like something I can tolerate. If I leave it on my neck I can just barely feel a prickle, but not so much I will have to take it off. The vast majority wouldn’t even notice it. The colors are limited though and not very manly. Here’s my post about it. http://forum.knittinghelp.com/t/wip-textured-windows-scarf?t=94650
Ooh, I like KnitPicks. I haven’t tried their yarn yet although I’ve purchased several balls of superwash varieties.
They have some nice colors too – my only concern is that it is hand wash, rather than machine wash. However, a boy’s scarf would be pretty easy to hand wash.
Thanks for the recommendation! I had not seen that particular line before.
Um, I read through that thread and didn’t see the pattern…was it posted on the pattern board? Do you have a link or a name of the pattern? It is a beautiful scarf!
Thank you! It’s my own pattern, but I haven’t written it up yet. I need to figure out a few things first and get some more yarn to finish the scarf. I’ll probably do it this weekend.
Oh! :doh: I didn’t realize he was a 6yr old! :lol: It’s hand wash only so probably not practical for a child.
As for the KP yarn be aware that it may still be itchy to him. I’ve tried all kinds of yarn that everyone says are so soft and never scratchy…like Malabrigo and Lorna’s Laces Shepard Worsted. While they are better than some they still bother me. Some of us just can’t handle the majority of wools.
I neglected to mention his age in my initial post. :oops: I don’t know any guys that wear scarves that aren’t forced to by their mommies, so I didn’t think to add that. :teehee:
I didn’t know if the itchy thing was because the yarn I used was superwash, rather than regular or if maybe unfelted wool is less itchy. :shrug: I don’t have a lot of yarn experience yet.
Is cotton suitable for a scarf or should I stick to wool, acrylic or a blend?
I like wool and don’t know that it would feel good on my neck, felted or not. I would think felted would be more itchy because it has hairs sticking every which way.
My felted socks are way more scratchy than the ones that aren’t, both out of the same yarn.
I have a RHSS scarf crocheted a long time ago by a high school GF and never had any issues with it being scratchy. It lasted a lot longer than the relationship. I wore it so much one of my first crochet projects was to repair the holes in it.
I also crocheted one for myself out of Bernat Softee Chunkee that feels really good but has frayed, I assume on a zipper.
Both of those were done with a large hook and are long to get a couple wraps or more. The holes trap heat and are easier to breath through without fogging the glasses.
My mommy was evil but she never forced me to wear a scarf.
I made a sweater recently out of Bulky Acrylic (James C. Brett Marble Chunky) and it seems like it’s really warm. A sweater is only a single layer so a scarf made in bulky that wraps around the neck would probably be pretty good at keeping out the cold.
It’s pretty hard for any of us to tell you what yarn to use especially wool. There are varying degrees of sensitivity. I think with a kid I’d stick to something you know he’ll wear and is easily cleaned.
(That yarn I used btw, is a soft, premium acrylic and comes in gorgeous colors.)
I might add, RH’s new Collage yarn seems to come in the same colors as the Marble DK, which actually is thick enough to knit as a worsted and may be more readily accesible. The DK was thick enough in some spots to be a heavy worsted.
My favorite yarn for a scarf would be (like Jan said) either Caron Simply Soft, or RH Soft. They both wash like a rag. Don’t be afraid when they come out of the machine. Once you machine dry them, they’ll bounce right back.
I think for a child’s scarf, I’d go with something like Caron Simply Soft or Bernat Softee Chunky…something that feels soft to the touch and can be thrown in the washer. At 6, he’s not likely to know the difference between wool and acrylic, and at that age, he shouldn’t be ridiculed by yarn snobs in his class. So I say experiment with some of the softer acrylics and see if those work for you both.
Your post was sounding pretty good but you lost all credibility with this comment! :roflhard:
That’s what I’m wondering – if acrylic is warm enough. My scarf seems to be warm enough, but it is itchy too. (RHSS, crocheted for me by my mom.)
That is a really nice yarn, Jan! The store links didn’t lead me to any local stores so I can’t check it out in person – I had no idea that there was such a thing as premium acrylic. It sounds like the best of all worlds!
I’ll check it out. I’m looking for DK or worsted since the kids’ necks are so small and I don’t want anything too bulky. Their current scarves are worsted.
Thanks for the suggestion! Even though Caron SS and RH Soft are pretty popular around here, I still haven’t tried either. I get so distracted by all the other pretty yarns in the store. I’ve been kind of wondering how some of those others compare, but I will definitely consider those two yarns when I’m shopping.
Superwash wool too. I don’t machine dry the superwash wool scarves, but my RHSS scarf is all fuzzy and pilly after being tumbled a few times. :doh:
LOL He’s gotten some independence – his class trip was Friday and I was one of the parents. I sent him to school with a scarf and he showed up at the orchard without it.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I’m going to look at getting an acrylic and I am definitely going to stay away from the RHSS this time. I’m glad to hear that not all acrylics are scratchy like that.
So I say experiment with some of the softer acrylics and see if those work for you both.
I get so distracted by all the other pretty yarns in the store. I’ve been kind of wondering how some of those others compare, but I will definitely consider those two yarns when I’m shopping.