This project is the embellishment of a cowl crocheted in 8ply pure wool. It is a useful item which can be simply buttoned up or alternatively twisted for extra interest, then buttoned. The crochet pattern is fairly loose giving us lots of holes in which we can run our thread, or in this case ribbon, through to create a running stitch.
The holes are regularly spaced.This means the spacing of my stitches is very simple. I just follow the holes in the crochet pattern, and they will keep my spacing constant and even. You can replicate this spacing in fabrics which have very loose weaves, mesh fabrics or embroidery fabric where the threads are easy to see and count.
I am going to brighten the cowl up with Christmas colours by weaving red and green ribbon through the pattern. As this ribbon is too wide to insert into my needle I will be using a safety pin instead to create the running stitch.
When threaded, the ends of the ribbon are trimmed to size and stitched down with sewing thread to keep everything in place. The effect of the worn garment can be further enhanced by twisting the cowl and then buttoning it up. Front and back of the garment look identical except for the ends of the ribbon where they are stitched down.
Make sure that your ribbon is soft as it will be sitting against the skin. And as you work the piece, be sure to gently pull the ends of the cowl to ensure there is enough ribbon length to accommodate the stretch of the crochet.
The finished cowl has the colours of Christmas and the warmth needed for a northern climate, while displaying a cheery personal touch.
In Australia, Christmas occurs in the hottest part of the year when we don't wear woollen garments. So I will change the ribbons to match the colours of wattle - Green and Yellow. Wattle Day is 1 September and marks the time when spring flowers are just beginning to appear. It was a very easy process to remove the Christmas colours and replace them with new ribbons and this adaptability to quickly change for a new occasion or event shows the speed and ease of the entire project.
It is simple to replace the ribbons with alternatives such as other colours, bobbles, decorative braid or a metallic ribbon to catch the lights during a special evening out.
This was fast and easy project for the absolute beginner using an existing garment and took less than 1 hour. I had previously made the cowl using Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8 ply pure wool. The ribbon was purchased from the local dollar store which had a great range of colours and designs to choose from. Be careful to pick a soft ribbon as some are very stiff and scratchy. I love the cheery effect of the transformed piece and think that for time and effort expended the results are excellent and satisfying.
See the video tutorial for Running Stitch here with video of creating Beau.
