Tip # 4: A Proper Ending: Applying Dangles

A satisfying ending makes all the difference in a book, a meal or a scarf. Consider scarf endings as desert and think luscious, colorful and rich. Think dangles, bobbles, beads and more ribbons. Forget ordinary. If you’re going to put your heart into knitting a feature scarf, tuck the ordinary in the back of your closet.  You can always do the subdued thing another day.

I’m very big on dangles. I believe scarves should work hard to earn their living and serve double, even triple, duty as neck warmers, super accessories or even jewellery. So I dangle a lot. Most of the scarves in my repertoire feature semi precious stones and beads frolicking at pointed ends. The beads don’t have to be expensive to make an impact, they just have to hang around looking interesting or spectacular.

If you have a neighbourhood bead store you can haunt, go forth to forage for a handful of beads of varying sizes to embellish your scarf. Most craft and hobby stores sell packets of beads in an assortment of coordinating colors. It may be hard not to buy more than you need. Then again, ‘bead’ and ‘need’ are synonyms, aren’t they? You will also want beading thread and needles (see Tip #3).

Now you’re ready. Take a 12” length of thread and slip the smallest bead in your stash on one end. Double the thread so that you are holding both ends together with the bead down in the loop. This little buddy is your anchor bead and keeps all the others from taking off to Niagara Falls. Now, thread both ends through your needle and put one larger-than-the-first bead down over the threads until it is caught securely against the first. There, doesn’t that feel good? Don’t stop now. Add more beads, slipping a mixture of smaller ones between a few big ones to create an interesting strand. Make these as long as you want but anything more than four inches makes the whole thing a bit vulnerable. When you’re satisfied with your dangle, it’s time to anchor it to your scarf.

Anchoring requires a little savvy but not much. With your stack of threaded beads still on the needle and firmly in hand, pull the needle through the end of your scarf.  Pull so that no thread shows between the beads and the scarf. Now make four or five little stitches deep in the pile of your scarf and bring the needle through a loop of thread to form a knot. Tug to test. Snip thread leaving a 2 inch end. Knot again. Cut the remaining thread close to the knot. You should now have a dangling scarf. Don’t be afraid to tug your dangle but don’t yank, just in case.

Apply a dangle to the other end or, if you’re free ranging it, add a few spectacular ribbons instead. Asymmetrical and free range don’t necessarily cohabit.

Tip # 3: LASHINGS OF EYELASH

Below, a free ranger strikes a silhouette to proove

the friskiness of lashes

As you move along with your Free Range Scarf, consider giving it a lashing with eyelash yarns. Eyelash yarns are often undervalued and underused, due to a belief that applying these fringy little wonders will make your beauties look like fun fur. Fear not. Nothing can add a merry little dash of texture better than a lash well applied. If you’re afraid of looking too ‘over the top’, apply your lash sparingly the way you would seasoning to a stew. A couple of rows of lash here and there gives a zip of flavor. I’ve made several scarves with a row of lash at the very tips for an almost whisker-look. Well, why not?

A few things to remember:

• Eyelashes come in all types, some being lean and stringy and others fat and furry, with everything in between. When purchasing lash, tease out a piece from the skein to check for thickness and length. Short lash delivers a very different look from long and silky. Think brush cut versus bangs. I love the look of the long variety because when it drapes down over a neighbouring color, it creates contrast and visual interest. If you’d like a little metal happening, consider usiing Trendsetter’s Metal for a long lash with a bit of gilt--yummy. Or, Prism has a lush, silky thick lash that, when knitted up, takes on the texture of a pelt and, oh, the colors (see pictures)! But every yarn manufacturer has its own lash and all are worth exploring. I used lashes in the Autumn Grasses cardigan to echo the long stalks of grass that inspired the design. Once again, why not?
• Most eyelash is a ‘carry along’ yarn, which means its made to be carried with another yarn and has no real guage-defying status on its own. Just buy and mix to your heart’s content.
• Got a lash in your stash? Don’t let it lanquish. Be brave and expressive! Go for it.

Below, Trendsetter's Metal frolics with Crystal Palace's Mikado ribbon.

Tip 2: WORKING WITH SEED BEADS

Free Range Scarf Tip #2 WORKING WITH SEED BEADS

Ah, beading—a second and sometimes competing passion of mine. Few surfaces exist that wouldn’t benefit from a few beads, in my opinion, so I’ve accumulate beads the way I have yarn. Wherever I go, I keep my eyes peeled for interesting new additions. My most recent acquisition was four little shells each hand painted with an orchid. I thought of rainforests and Jamaica, the ancient greenery of northern Australia, and, well, those beads had to go home with me. My bead stash is a United Nations of bead bits. However, for this particular tip, I’ll be talking about the ordinary, everyday SEED BEAD.

What’s a seed bead? It’s the tiny glass beads widely available in any hobby store. Choose the colors you want and maybe buy more than a few tubes. Seed beads are not expensive. Beading thread is also advised as it’s thicker than regular sewing thread, generally waxed. Special beading needles are available but I end up using regular sewing needles.

Two main ways exist to add beads to your knitting: if you’re using big-holed beads, you can string them right onto your yarn and then slip each bead onto the stitch as you go or you can apply them surface-style to your finished piece. The first technique is excellent if you want beads all through your piece or plan on having a fairly sizable part of your project beaded. However, for Free Ranging, I prefer surface beading because it gives me more control. Yes, the anti-control freak wants to keep her mitts on the steering wheel here but it makes it easier to maneuver in the long run. You can see how I use them on the Falling Leaves Capelet by applying them over the stems of my leaves here: http://janethornley.com/portfolio_capelet.html

Here’s what to do:

All right, let’s say your FreeRange project is finished and curling like an exotic boa across your lap/desk/couch. Give it a long look. Really study it. Go across the room, if you have to, but put the scarf in your telescopic view. Sometimes after you’ve been working on something close up for awhile you need to regain perspective. Decide where your scarf requires enhancement. I usually bead the ends, for sure, but I’ll deal with the ends under a separate tip. For now, we’re scouting for a place to apply a few surface seed beads. A good place is anywhere you’ve allowed your free ranger to roll. A few rows of stocking stitch, especially done in a smaller needle than the rest of your scarf, will guarantee rolling behavior. After tacking (tacking is a sewing term meaning to catch the fabric together with needle and thread) the ends together to for a tube-like effect, I go back over and bead.

String your needle with beading thread and make a few reinforcing stitches somewhere on your roll or wherever you’ve decided requires enhancement. Reinforcing stitches are small stitches that anchor your thread to the project. The trick is to make them seem nearly invisible. With your thread thus firmly anchored, take a four or five seed beads and drop them over your needle and down the length of the thread. Put your thumb over the row of beads to keep them in line while you dip your needle down and up again as close to the end of the last stitch as possible. Add more beads and repeat. This is a kind of running stitch (another sewing term). Do this running–with-beads stitch all around your roll like a candy cane stripe until you’re happy.

Are you happy? Beads are one little route to happiness. Study your scarf and decide on more good-to-bead places. Smile a lot. Do not grunt. Grunting and beading do not mix.