I bought four balls of Sirdar Husky in Misty while it was on sale in my local yarn shop and didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it – I just knew I liked the feel of it, and the colourway (mine is grey with black spots). Still, it can sometimes be problematic to buy yarn with no specific project in mind, just in case you run out of yarn partway through!
Luckily, I found this beret pattern in Simply Crochet 29, which worked up in less than an hour on a 9mm hook, and used about a ball and a quarter to complete. It’s got a lovely open pattern so it’s well suited to cool spring days, rather than freezing winter mornings. So far, so good!
But what to do with the rest of the yarn?
I love matching sets, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough left for a scarf and a pair of handwarmers. I started off on the handwarmers first, reasoning that I could use what was left for the scarf, and they ended up being super simple to make. Here’s the pattern if you want a go yourself – just remember that the yarn is considered a ‘super chunky’, and the recommended tension is 9 stitches and 12 rows to 4″/10cm squared on 10mm needles. I used a 9mm hook throughout, and both of the following patterns use UK crochet terminology (but if you don’t use UK terminology, a dc is otherwise known as an sc, and a htr is otherwise known as a hdc).
Mittens
Chain 17.
Row 1: Dc in the first stitch from the hook. Dc until the end of the row (16 sts). Ch 1 and turn.
Row 2: Dc in back loop of the first stitch from the hook. Dc in the back loop of each stitch in the row. Ch 1 and turn.
Repeat row 2 fifteen more times.
Fasten off and sew up the side seam, leaving a gap for the thumb. Repeat for a second mitten!
Infinity scarf
Chain 16.
Row 1: Htr in the second stitch from the hook. Htr until the end of the row (14 sts). Ch 2 and turn.
Row 2: Htr in the back loop of the first stitch from the hook. Htr in the back loop of each stitch in the row. Ch 2 and turn.
Repeat row 2 until the strip is as long as you want it to be. Mine was 1.2m. Fasten off, and sew the ends together. Voila!
This is the set when worn together. The yarn is thick but super soft, which is one of the main features of the Sirdar Husky line. It’s also machine washable, and is an acrylic/nylon blend, for those who can’t wear wool. I bought mine in Wooly Minded in Newcastle for £1.99 a ball, but Loveknitting have a choice of five shades for £3.15, Black Sheep Wools have it for £2.79 per ball, and it’s £2.87 per ball at Deramores.
The use of the back loops when crocheting the infinity scarf and handwarmers gives the appearance of ribbed fabric, so there’s a little stretch there.
So much stretch, in fact, that my handwarmers are now a little too large, so you might want to only repeat row two thirteen times instead of fifteen! Otherwise they can be worn over a pair of thinner gloves for extra warmth.
I also gave the set a test drive on 29 March by wearing them to work, and they were lovely and warm! Excuse the less than amused facial expression but I was getting funny looks for taking an obvious selfie on the train.
The infinity scarf neatly fits into the collar of my coat, and the beret helps to keep my ears warm. I did add one extra round of double crochet to the beret before I fastened it off, but that was more for personal preference than anything else.
The patterns featured here are super easy for crochet beginners, and they take no time at all to make up. Let me know if you try them so I can see what you come up with!
If you like the look of my textile items and want to buy something readymade, I’m currently having a 10% sale over at my Etsy store, Icy Handmade. Simply enter SPRING10 at the checkout!
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