The Trouble with Tribbles

My mother and grandmother taught me how to knit and crochet before I could read. I was so young that I don't even remember being taught. Although I am experienced with both, I have always liked knitting better. I will crochet a flower to put on a hat or a bag, but all projects are knitted. I think it might be that I can knit without looking at my work, so I can enter a zen state while knitting.  Nah, that's not it. I just like knitting better.

However for some reason this week, I had an overwhelming desire to crochet scrunchies. It probably happened at a Walgreens when I saw a package of 40 of those thick rubber bands for $2.00. The package jumped into my basket along with my shampoo and eye shadow. On drive home, I made a mental inventory of the small balls of yarn I have at home begging to wrap around this dull rubber bands. I went to my stack of sock yarn -- I could probably knit a pair of socks for an entire army unit with my stash (as long as they don't object to pinks, purples, and teal) -- and pulled out a few to play with. I didn't even try to find a pattern.

Within two days, the colorful crocheted scrunchies multiplied like purring little tribbles on the Star Ship Enterprise. I am still not done. I developed a blister on my my middle finger and a fresh ache in the back of my hand but I can't stop. Obviously, crocheting muscles are different than knitting muscles. My knitting muscles are really buff!

The process is simple and involving no counting.
Round 1: Using a D, E, or F hook, depending on the density of the yarn, I single-crocheted (SC) around the band. I push the stitches together and stretch out the band as I go. Once the band was covered with stitches and I am back at the beginning, I did a slip stitch to join.

Round 2: Chain 3 (I guess you do have to count to three). Double crochet (DC) at the base of the chain 3.
DC 3 in every stitch the entire way around. Once you are back to the beginning, DC 1 in the base of the chain 3 and slip stitch to join.

If you are using a thick yarn, you may not want to do another round. Just cut the yarn and weave in the ends.

If you are using a thinner yarn, you can add another round. DC 3 in every stitch as you did in previous round. This will give you a very ruffly scrunchy. For a less ruffly scrunchy, try only 2 DC in each stitch.

For this scrunchy, I added a round of 1 SC in every stitch in a contrasting color.

This project is perfect for KIP and CIP (knitting/crocheting in public). It is easy to carry with you and you can put it down and pick it up with having to figure out where in the pattern you are.

Experiment with different yarns. Use variegated, sparkly or glittered yarns, fun fur, eyelash yarn, and of course, play with colors.

 Try it! They are very addictive.