I tend not to be a girl-girl type and usually look for clothes that are typically not trimmed - with anything. No sequins, no beads, no ruffles. This isn’t because I don’t like these things - as an observer, I like them very much for the color and flare they can add to an outfit. But I have never felt capable of carrying off this kind of style myself as I am big and plain and, generally, look far better in plain, unadorned clothes cut on simple lines. I tend to use color as my fashion statement and this has suited me pretty well so far :)
But there has been an upswing in very feminine accoutrements over the last couple of years. For knitters, I imagine that the new novelty yarns are part of what’s behind this but the fact is lovely things can be made with plain old, garden-variety worsted. The thing that has caught, and keeps on catching, my eye is the ruffled scarf.
There’s one in Scarf Style which is made with short rows. It’s a clever technique but to me, the working looks tedious and the result a bit messy - yes, I suppose I am a bit anal about that :) On the other hand, the example here at Hong Kong Knitter is lovely (scroll down - it’s the cream angora) and persuasive. I really wonder, sometimes, if Interweave Knits has something against showing off their patterns to their best advantage. The photographer(s) doesn’t always seem terribly concerned with the item being photographed.
There are many patterns available that seem to be variations of this Ruffled scarf where the ruffles are relegated to the ends of the scarf. This can be a pretty effect except that in most cases, the ruffle looks too short to my eye. Making it slightly longer would provide more balance to the overall structure.
Now this Crochet Spiral at Fuzzy Galore is very cute and would be fun to do. I like the look of it very much though I would probably both widen and lengthen it a bit.
Really though, the idea is pretty simple. You start with a certain number of stitches (however long you want the scarf to be) and increase prodigiously and rapidly. The stitches, fighting for “living space”, move up or down and create the ruffle. Being what I am, it occurs to me that casting on a large number of stitches and decreasing might be even more fun because then each row is shorter than the one before :) I suppose for a really lush look, you could then increase out the other side. Probably use a lot of yarn, but might be worth it too :) It would work with either knitting or crocheting.
Of course this idea isn’t original, a friend mentioned something very similar last night and there are numerous comparable notions floating around the web. But it’s fun to play with ideas.
For example (and this probably isn’t original either, but it did just present itself in my head and I don’t remember running into it elsewhere)…
Say you start a scarf, worked in the usual fashion, with 20 stitches. On the next row, you increase that to 40 stitches and on the next row, 80 stitches. Then reduce the number back to 20 and start over again, repeating as necessary for the length
I’m curious enough to give this a try this afternoon. Me, doing ruffles - imagine that :)
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I love your idea and the Fuzzy Galore scarf. I am also of the plain school, but I saw something I really liked and have been thinking about trying. In a JJill store, there was a plain t-shirt, but in the lower left corner was a lovely crochet motif in the same color as the t-shirt. It didn’t scream “look at me!”, rather whispered “hmm, you noticed”. 
Pamela - That sounds lovely and like something I could be happy with too. I’ve never ordered/bought from JJill, but I remember them having a denim jumper many years ago that I adored :) Nice, classic styles.
Not sure you’ll get ruffles with your idea of starting with 20 and doubling each time to 80 and then reversing. I think you might get sort of diamond shapes or stacked triangles doing this. Would be interesting anyway. Do try it and let us see what you get.
Charlotte - You’re right :) Stay tuned!
Wow, you really are a Scarf Style convert now! I prefer color to frills also. Though I have been known to wear both.
Laura - Not convert, I wouldn’t say. But I’m certainly open to using new ideas and techniques to enhance my own knitting and crocheting experiences :) You never know what odd corner you’re going to find something interesting in!
oh, i rather like all things ruffled- maybe the influence of all the little girls around here now-
umm, i would think the approach you mentioned would be : () topped by () etc and would be a most interesting concept- of course this might be why i am not a ‘thinking knitter’- can’t wait to see your experiment-
hope myria is recovering rapidly there-
stay happy-
Barb - Well, I actually was a thinking crocheter this time, though I plan to try the concept in knitting as well.
Myria’s doing better, thanks from both of us. The swelling is only basty now instead of skin-splittingly agonizing :) Things are slowly normalizing.
Ditto the simple plain (classic) styles for me. But as I get older, I’m now attracted to ruffley, beaded, sequined and multi-coloured clothes and accessories!! I have been eyeing these ruffled scarfs, so I say go for it - and give us some tips on how to wear it too. And here’s more inspiration - at this site http://www.puppyarn.co.jp/ there’s a pattern for a fluffy, ruffley scarf - click on “school”, then click on the picture of a soft blue scarf worn with a sweater. I’ve been coveting this for some time, but mohair is too hot for me here.
Erin - That is a beautiful scarf. Amusing that though the site calls itself “Knitting School”, many of the patterns are crochet. What about doing it in a fine cotton or cotton/linen or, better still, cotton/rayon for cool comfort and beautiful drape?
