With
the gentle twists inherent in the scarf, you'll find this petite
accessory has a lot of beauty and dimension. It can be worn around the
neck in the many ways a small pencil scarf can be worn. In the first photos, I folded the scarf in half, placed it around the neck,
then guided the two scarf ends through the loop.
I design my
summer scarves to be cool & comfy and generally worn away from the
neck, but they do look really great as choker scarves with one loop
close to the neck. Additionally, in cooler weather, they can be looped a
few times to create a light neck warmer.
I (Michele) design and hand-crochet all of my scarves. My pricing is based on yarn costs, crocheting time, and Ebay & Paypal seller fees.
After a busy year I'm making most scarves to order (which means I make the scarves after they are purchased). The handling time in each listing will be an indication of the time it takes me to make the scarf. The handling time for this scarf is currently five business days, but, if sales are slow, I may be able to ship sooner. (:
* Yarn Content: 100% Cotton
* Yarn Brand & Color: Lily Sugar 'N Cream in Black Currant
* Approximate Length: 54 inches/137 cm
* Approximate Width: 1.5 inches/4 cm
* Weight: 1.5 oz.
About the yarn used for this scarf: While in the world of fabrics,
cotton and cotton blends are plentiful, yarn is a whole different story.
It's actually very difficult to find cotton yarns to use for
crocheting and knitting. The few that are available are often
expensive, heavy, or fade easily. For this scarf I used one of the more
popular cotton yarns available in stores called Lily Sugar N Cream.
This brand is very good quality and extremely lightweight, but not
originally designed for accessories like hats and scarves. I chose to
use this yarn for a new line of small summer scarves after receiving so
many requests for cotton. A great way to think of this yarn is as
"fancy" dyed cotton string. It's extremely durable and softens when
washed or worn, but the darker colors will fade a little with each
washing (though using cold water will help a lot with that). With all
that being said, I'm extremely happy with the way these scarves have
turned out. :D
For scale, the mannequin in the pictures
represents a small-sized woman (Size 0 or 2) with a neck size of about
12 inches. It's often helpful to look at a ruler or measuring tape to
get a better idea of the width and length (shown above).
CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
* Care Instructions from yarn label: Machine wash or hand wash in cold
water using a mild soap. Do not use bleach. Rinse well in cold water
and remove promptly. Squeeze gently to remove excess water; or briefly
spin dry in dryer on low setting. Re-shape and lay flat to dry. Wash
colors separately. Some colors may run.
* My
Recommendations: I strongly recommend hand washing in cold water,
reshaping, and laying flat to dry. The gentler washing & drying
prevents the yarn from frizzing over time and will help lessen the
fading of dark colors. Avoid washing with heavier garments that cause
friction. If using washing machine, enclose the scarf in a lingerie bag
and avoid washing with items that have zippers, buttons, etc that may
snag the yarn loops and pull on them or make the yarn fray.The general
rule for washing crocheted items and keeping them looking as new as
possible: the gentler, the better. (:
The summer scarves are
small enough that they're really easy to hand-wash in a sink, gently
roll up in a towel to squeeze out excess water, then reshape and air
dry. I like to add just a tiny bit of fabric softener when hand-rinsing
to make the yarn even softer and static-free.
Note: All yarns
come with a bit of "factory residue" that causes a little stiffness.
This will disappear with regular handling and/or the first wash,
bringing out the true softness of the yarn. The striped cotton yarns
tend to be the stiffest when new.
U.S. SHIPPING:
I keep shipping to a minimum and offer USPS Ground Advantage as the best value for price & speed. For multiple orders, I often use Priority Mail. I use the eBay/USPS integrated shipping system whenever possible, so you will be provided with a delivery confirmation number by email. Once shipped, almost all of my shipments within the U.S. arrive in two to five mailing days.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING:
I always combine shipping for multiple orders.
I most commonly use USPS First Class International for shipping
outside of the US. First Class International may take a longer time to
arrive than other services, but it's much more affordable than Priority
International (which usually runs $25 or more for a few ounces).
Delivery time for international packages is usually 5 to 15 business
days. Customs, bad weather, or national holidays can sometimes slow down
a package with the occasional shipment taking around 30 days to arrive.
This only happens to about 5% of my international shipments. (:
In
the last four years, USPS has raised prices significantly for First
Class International, in some cases more than doubling the amount they
used to charge before 2013. On a positive note, as part of that price
increase, they include tracking and delivery confirmation as part of the
First Class service for almost all the countries I ship to.
To
keep shipping costs down, I will use lightweight polymer shipping
envelopes as often as possible. For multiple items, I may find a
cardboard box is best.