by Kate Kuckro

In the fall, I often don't want a big scarf...just a little something at the neck to keep the chill away. This neck warmer provides just the right amount of warmth plus a big moss stitch flower to add a dash of style. The neck warmer has a coordinating moss stitch border that is set off from the stockinette with little eyelets, and the flower is removable for those days when you want something a bit more subdued.

I used three thinner yarns stranded together for this version, but you could use any yarn or combination of yarns that create a gauge of about 4 sts per inch. The project can be a great stash buster, since the neck warmer itself takes only about 100 yards of yarn, and the flower could be worked in any other little coordinating bits that you have lying around.

model: Andrea Dillon photos: Kate Kuckro

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations can be found here]

Seed Stitch (Worked over an odd number of sts):
Row 1: K1, [p1, k1] to end.
Repeat this row for Seed Stitch.

Note: When instructed to work with 2 strands of one yarn, pull one end from inside of ball and one end from outside of same ball.

Twisted Loop
Bring yarn to front of work, catch all strands with one finger of right hand, bring yarn to back of work again, creating a loop approx. 3 inches long. Using left hand, hold base of loop in place against right needle. Use finger holding loop to twist loop in one direction until loop is so twisted that it starts to kink and twist back on itself. Slip top of loop from finger onto tip of right needle. Tug slightly on doubled loop to straighten it; it will twist around itself to form a short cord.
1 st increased.

Steam block scarf so it lays flat.

Assemble Flower:
Sew lower edge of first petal to lower edge of last petal, leaving a hole in center of flower (the 1-inch button will go through this hole to secure flower to neck warmer).
Sew flower petals to each other at lower edges, overlapping petals slightly (see photo). Place flower with RS down on a flat surface.

Add Large Button to Neck Warmer:
Wrap neck warmer around neck so it fits comfortably, with pointed end (with buttonhole) overlapping straight end. Mark position of buttonhole; this is where large button will be sewn.

Because large button both closes neck warmer and secures flower, you will need to create a quarter inch shank between button and neck warmer as follows:

With sewing thread, make several anchor stitches at position of button on neck warmer. Draw thread up through one hole in button, then down through another hole. Now slip a knitting needle, pencil, or something else that is about one quarter inch in diameter, between button and neck warmer; this will act as a spacer, helping you set the length of the button shank. Make several more sts to secure button, using spacer to maintain distance between button and knit fabric.

Once button is securely fastened, attach one smaller button to back of fabric. Keep sewing through top button, fabric, and smaller bottom button until both buttons are secure.

Remove spacer, draw thread between top button and fabric, and wrap thread around button shank several times. Draw thread to back of neck warmer and secure.

Add stabilizing buttons to back of flower:
Place scarf over flower so that button hole is centered over hole in flower. Find two eyelets at border of neck warmer that overlap flower petals. Mark corresponding points on back of the flower, and sew smaller buttons at these points. Button flower onto neck warmer, keeping center of flower centered over buttonhole on neck warmer.