If only I knew how to tie a scarf

Year-round, I’m a scarf person. I love to drape, knot and twist fibers around my neck. “I wish I knew how to tie a scarf,” said my mother-in-law to me one day. “You wear it with such flair.” I appreciate the compliment, but I wasn’t always that way. And honestly, most of the time I wear scarves the same way around my neck: a loosely knotted men’s tie, accented with a pin.

If you’re like many others I know, you admire the way people wear scarves, but don’t think you know how to tie them, and also don’t think you can find a way to make a scarf flatter you. Thankfully, there are many tutorials available,  and most of them will cost you nothing. Yesterday I was shopping at CJ Banks, for example, and admired the way a scarf was draped over a sweater.

“You don’t happen to have scarf-tying instructions, do you?” I asked the clerk at the checkout counter.

She did, and I came home with “The Finishing Touch: 8 Ways to Tie a Scarf.” Click on the link in the previous sentence, right-click on the image and copy it, then paste it into your favorite word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. If you prefer, pin the same image to your Pinterest page.  Four of the methods illustrated in the handout are shown in the short video below, released by CJ Banks 10 days ago. Hopefully Part 2 will appear soon.

Using multi-yarn scarves I crocheted, I decided to try some of the tying methods. The first look is called the Layered Knot. Basically, you wrap scarf ends around to your back, cross them and bring them forward, tie a knot, then adjust the layers to cover the knot.

The Twist & Pin Look gives you a chance to use a fancy hair barrette or brooch. After you wrap your scarf twice around your neck, you twist one end as desired, then do the same on the other side, compressing it enough so you can add your pin or barrette.

Everywhere you look these days, you see unity or eternity scarves, circular scarves you drape over your neck, then twist and wrap around your neck once or twice until you get the cowl look you desire. You don’t actually need to buy your scarves that way if you have a long one. Just tie the ends together into a knot, then do exactly the same thing you would do with a circular scarf. Just make sure you hide the knot behind your neck, beneath one of the scarf layers. If you have long hair, no one will see the knot, anyway.

Another look to try is called the Bunny Ear. Drape your scarf around your neck with both ends in front, making sure one end is shorter. Wrap the other end once or twice around your neck, as desired, then tuck the end under the last wrap. Tie a knot once or twice, depending on the length you’re working with, and you’re done!

One of the fun, creative aspects of learning how to tie scarves is that once you have learned a few methods, you begin to devise your own. But there are many scarf-wearing methods to consider.  I especially like this snappy video, which shows you 25 ways to wear a scarf in the span of four-and-a-half minutes.

You can also click on the links below to begin exploring ways to tie scarves:

• The Knot Library: 50+ Ways to Tie a Scarf
• Tip Junkie: 12 Trendy Ways to Tie a Scarf
• How to Tie a Scarf: Scarf Tutorials, DIYs, & More

What’s your favorite method of tying a scarf? Do you prefer long, rectangular scarves or square ones? Do you wear scarves only with outerwear or also with daywear?

© 2013 Judy Nolan. All rights reserved.