Men's Crocheted Shawl or Blanket Scarf

There are many advantages as well as challenges to making  a men's shawl or blanket scarf. They are a stylish vehicle as as well as a fashion statement for keeping the cold out on a frosty winter day.  They can be wrapped around the shoulders while watching tv in the basement mancave.  Men's fashion magazines showcase interesting patterns pieces and how to wear this up and coming fashion accessory.  For those those who are temporarily under the weather or suffering from a more serious condition they are like a warm hug without the feeling of being buried under a blanket.  My incentive for crocheting this men's shawl or Blanket Scarf came from my Threads of Love Group that gifts knitted and crocheted shawls for hospital patients and for the chronically or terminally ill.  Ladies' shawls and child blankets were easy.  There are so many patterns, and I have been making them for years.  However, I wanted I wanted a shawl that would look manly and fashionable while conveying the feeling of warmth style, and love.

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Men's shawls are much larger than the counterparts for women.  If I invested the yarn resources and time in producing a piece I wanted a pattern that was interesting, but not too complex.  I also wanted a piece that a man would wear. My husband, Bert, promised me he would model the Blanket Scarf for my pictures, and so the piece would have to pass his test.  My research landed me in More Crocheted Prayer Shawls:  10 Patterns to Make and Share by Janet Severi Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Galo. The shawl selected for this post was "Easy As 1,2,3 Shawl" by Pat Ross.  The pattern of 3 double crochets alternating with a cluster stitch resulted in a series of subtle stripes.  The pattern is gender neutral.  I had been gifted 2 skeins of Studio Classic yarns by Nicole in Cottage Blue   from A. C. Moore (worsted weight #4) for the project, but I needed to hunt down  one more to make a piece that was 20 inches wide by 62 inches long. As I experimented with the yarn and pattern, I found that using a J hook (6.00 mm) gave me a better stitch definition and a softer feel.  I extended the length to 66 inches  so that it would look just right on my husband who is 5" 9" tall.   Although I do not usually see men's shawls with a fringe, the photo in the pattern book showed a fringe that was the same as the color of the shawl as well as some strands of a somewhat lighter blue.   What a wonderful idea!

This shawl has taken me several months to complete as I have been engaged in making items for this blog and for the fall fair season.  Now in the midst of a kitchen renovation,  I need to be home and out of the way of the series of workmen who are tearing my kitchen apart before they put it together again. My Blanket Scarf is been gently hand washed and blocked.  The photographs are ready for publication in this blog.  I look forward to meeting with my group again and sharing my masterpiece before we wrap it for our group of donated pieces.

For a future project I found a reversible striped shawl pattern, for  a 16 inch x 86 inch piece. ( I would adjust the length to about 66-68 inches and make adjustments in the initial chain.   It is published by spiffyniftyriffic.wordpress,com and is distributed by AllFreeCrochet.Com with the following link: http://www.allcrochet.com/Prayer-Shawls/Mens-Reversible-Prayer-Shawl.

These Men's Shawls or Blanket Scarves make an interesting gift for the gentleman  who is willing to make a fashion statement, keep war on a chilly night, or just in need of warmth and caring.   Any takers?