How to Clean Pashmina Scarves
Everybody would like to wear pashmina scarf in the winter, your luxury pashmina scarf will last for years with the proper care. Pashmina fabric is woven from the wool of goats indigenous to the Himalayan mountains and mixed with silk in either blend. Because they are made from natural fabrics, pashmina scarves do not have to be dry-cleaned and can be carefully hand washed. Here are some advice you may take.
1. Fill the sink with lukewarm water. Add a small capful of baby shampoo, swirling the water around so the shampoo dissolves.
2. Place the pashmina scarf in the water and let it soak for several minutes. Do not rub or twist the scarf, as this may pull it out of shape.
3. Drain the sink and refill it with lukewarm water. Add a capful of hair conditioner and swirl the scarf around in it several times.
4. Rinse the scarf thoroughly in lukewarm water.
5. Lay the pashmina scarf flat to dry. Do not place the scarf in direct sunlight or near heat sources.
6. If desired, press the pashmina with a cool iron.
To avoid pilling and tearing, be careful when wearing rough fabrics or jewelry with your fashion pashmina scarf. Never bleach or scrub pashmina fabric.
How to Crochet Pattern of Scarf
There is nothing like a handmade scarf for gift-giving, or simply to show off your crocheting skills. You can crochet your own homemade pashmina scarf following these basic instructions. The half-double crochet stitch is used throughout the scarf, making it simple to follow. The estimated time for this project is 8-10 hours.
1. Begin by tying a knot in your yarn to create a loop. Insert the crochet hook in the first loop and chain 25 stitches. Count them to ensure that you have indeed chained 25. For more information on the chain stitch, see the resource section below.
2. After you have completed your chain of 25, begin working back across your chain in a half-double crochet stitch (abbreviated hdc). A half-double crochet stitch requires that you “yarn over,” or pull the yarn around the crochet hook. Then insert the hook into the first chain. Yarn over again and bring the yarn back up through the chain to create a loop. There should now be 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all three loops.
3. 
Once you have worked a half-double crochet through each loop of your chain and reached the end, chain twice and turn the work. Repeat a row of half-double crochets, remembering to chain twice and turn the work at the end of each row. The pattern that will result is in the image to the left.
4. 
To make a solid scarf, continue to work with the same color yarn. To make a block scarf as in the image to the left, change the color of yarn when you reach a square. You can determine when to change the color after each “square” is created by measuring the work to ensure the height matches the width, or simply change the yarn after every 15 rows of half-double crochet. Continue in this pattern until the scarf is the desired length.
5. 
The pashmina scarf in the photo was made using Caron Simply Soft Eco Nature Spun yarn, made from recycled plastic bottles. The colors are dark denim, pine, wine country and chocolate. The crochet hook used was 5.5 mm.
How to Knit a Scarf for a Man
Hand-knit scarves make thoughtful gifts for both women and men. Yet, while it seems easy to choose yarn and knit a scarf for a woman, as so many of the stitching patterns are feminine. An appropriate pattern for a men’s scarf is ribbing, which can be created by any number and variation of knitting and purling on the same row, and then repeated throughout the body of the pashmina scarf for men. The basic stitches are easy enough for even a beginning knitter.
1. Cast 32 stitches onto your needles.
2. Knit two, purl two. Repeat across to the end of the row; Purl two, knit two. Repeat across to the end of the row; Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until the scarf is the length desired.
3. Bind off after your last purl 2, knit 2 row. Knit two stitches. With your left knitting needle, pull the first stitch (the one on the inside) over the second stitch and then completely over the tip of the right knitting needle. Purl 1 and repeat the same bind-off step. Following the pattern of the ribbing, continue binding off until you reach the end of the row.
4. Pull the last loop on your knitting needle wider and take out the needle. Cut the yarn, leaving several inches. Put the loose yarn end through the loop and pull tight. Thread the tail through the yarn needle and weave the loose yarn through the bottom of the bind-off row to finish.
A dark, solid yarn color or a tweed is always a safe bet for a masculine scarf. Generally, men’s pashmina scarves are shorter than those made for women. If you wish, you may add a short fringe to your men’s scarf. Take the time to weave the yarn into the scarf, or it may begin to unravel.
How to Block Knit Scarves
Beginning knitters may have heard the term “blocking” but many view the subject with intimidation. Blocking is a simple step and serves several purposes, as an unblocked knit tends to look irregular and sloppy. Blocking helps prevent edges from curling and compensates for irregular stitches by readjusting them, while also helping to eliminate size differences between sides. Blocking allows you to reveal detailed work and patterns that might otherwise remain too compressed to show. It is essential to block your knits every time you wash them. To block your knitted pashmina scarf, choose one of three methods.
1. Place a dry, freshly knit scarf on a clean, flat surface large enough to accommodate the scarf extended to full length. Since scarves are so long, use a bed or a section of the floor, so the scarf will not be walked on. Spread dry towels or plastic garbage bags underneath the scarf to absorb moisture.
2. Pull, pat and adjust the scarf by hand to obtain the desired shape. Unroll the edges to avoid curled ends. Pin the scarf in place as you work, sticking sewing pins through the scarf and into the material beneath the scarf. Use a generous number of pins to avoid stretches spanning between the needles, like cables on a suspension bridge.
3. Mist the scarf, using a spray bottle and slightly warm water. Avoid saturating the scarf, but use enough to dampen the yarn fibers. Allow the scarf to dry slowly, which may take up to a day. As the scarf dries, the yarn will form its dried shape. Unpin the scarf when dry, and use as desired. This process is ideal for expensive or delicate fibers such as silk, or whenever you are unsure of which fiber was used.
Wash and Block
4. 
Wash the scarf by placing it in a pillowcase and tying the excess pillowcase in a knot to confine your scarf. Place this in a sink or washing machine, using room temperature water. Turn the washing machine cycle to “gentle” for a small load, adding a few drops of a gentle dish soap or shampoo. Or, fold the pashmina scarf into an accordion-shaped bundle and plunge it in and out of the sink water, adding a couple of drops of shampoo or dish soap. Keeping the shape of knit items while wet helps prevent damage to the fibers, which are fragile and can stretch to a point beyond which the yarn might not return.
5. Stop the washing machine in the middle of the spin cycle or after a few plunges in the sink of soapy water. Press a sink-washed scarf gently against the side of the basin to force excess water out, but avoid wringing or twisting the scarf.
6. Remove the scarf from the pillowcase or unfold it, if it is hand-washed. Work gently to prevent excessive pulling on the wet, fragile yarn fibers and lay the scarf out in a long towel. Roll the towel up, like a jelly roll, and squeeze the towel to absorb more water.
7. Lay the scarf out on a towel or garbage bag covered bed or floor. Shape the scarf as you work, arranging it into the desired length, and shape it as well as adjusting the edges so they lie flat.
8. Pin the scarf down and place pins through the scarf edges to the surface beneath. Use plenty of pins to avoid a rippled-looking edging. As the scarf dries, it will learn the shape it is in, and it will retain until it is wet again. Wait one day before removing the pins or removing the scarf from the drying area. This method works best on man-made fibers and wool.
Steam and Block
9. Spread the scarf across an ironing board, table, or another clean surface to allow you to work easily. Heat an iron in an outlet close to your work area.
10. Pin the scarf in place, putting enough pins in the scarf edges to avoid a rippled effect along the edges. Fill the water reservoir in your iron and adjust the iron to the “steam” setting
11. Hold the hot iron slightly above the scarf and give it a shot of steam. Run the iron along the length of the scarf, almost touching but never allowing contact, and steam the length and width of the scarf. The steam relaxes the fibers and encourages them to conform to the blocked shape. Alternatively, lay a cloth over the scarf, without the pins, and iron the cloth directly; don’t press the material with the iron, but push the steam in with the weight of the iron. Remove the covering and immediately pin in place to form the desired shape as it dries.
12. Dry the scarf, in place, up to a day. Remove the pins and use the new designer pashmina scarf as desired. This form of blocking is suited to yarns that shouldn’t become wet, and also to cottons, which lose shape when washed. Avoid using steam for synthetics that may melt, such as acrylics.
How to Make a Belly Dancing Scarf
You only need a few items to make an effective and beautiful belly dancing scarf. You can make the perfect belly dancing scarf to accompany and accentuate your sensual and hip-shaking moves in three simple steps.
How to Make a Belly-Dancing Scarf in 3 Easy Steps
1. Place the chiffon material on the floor. With a pencil, mark the center point of one edge of the fabric. Draw a faint line from this point straight up 20 inches. From two corners of the fabric, draw a faint line at an angle that meets the end of the 20-inch line. You should have a shallow triangle drawn with the widest edge measuring 1 yard. The final shape will be a triangle, with a 36-inch side and two sides of 15-inches each.
2. Cut along the edges of the two angled lines until you have a triangle.
3. Sew the beaded or coin trim to the edges of all three sides of the triangular fabric.
4. Tie the scarf, wrapping the long side around your waist and knotting two corners at the front of your waist or at the side on your hip.
Make sure to gently hand wash your chiffon belly-dancing pashmina scarf. Don’t use glue-on trims that require ironing. The heat can burn and/or melt the delicate chiffon fabric.
How to Make Head Scarves for Cancer Victims
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment often experience partial or complete hair loss. Head scarves offer a practical solution to this predicament. They are pieces of fabric that cover most of an individual’s head and allow cancer patients to mask the effects of treatment while staying fashionable. There are many styles available including bandanas, pashmina scarves, berets, flat caps and snoods. A homemade snood is simple, stylish, gender neutral and can be dressed up to fit any occasion.
The Basics
Review various patterns before choosing one that would most appeal to the recipient. If this is your first attempt at creating a head scarf, start off with a simple pattern, such as the snood.
Purchase the fabric to use for creating the head scarf. You can be as elaborate with this as you like, choosing a simple cotton material or opting for a more luxurious silk fabric. Think about the person for whom you’re making the scarf, and her fashion sense and personality when you select the fabric. Also, take into consideration where the head scarf will be worn.
Organize all of your materials so you have everything in place before you start the project.
Snood Pattern
Print out all the pieces for the snood pattern (five in total), making sure they are the correct width and length. You may need to make size adjustments, which can be done manually or at your local print shop. The pieces are separated into piece 1, piece 2, piece A and piece B as well as a front band piece. Piece 1 and piece A make one side of the back while piece 2 and piece B make the other side of the back.
Place the fabric on the paper and securely pin the two together. Make sure you lay all the pieces on the same piece of fabric to ensure you have enough material. Once you have pinned the fabric to the paper, cut along the pattern edges of the paper making sure not to stretch the fabric as you go along.
Sew the two back pieces together, following the dotted lines of the original pattern. Make sure the pieces of fabric are facing right side together. Pull on the thread string lightly to gather the fabric around the curve. Turn this inside out to form the back of the snood.
Fold the front band over, making sure it is right side out before stitching it to the raw edge of the back piece. The end edges of the band should meet at the back seam by the nape of the neck. Fold the edges together and sew the band to the back. The snood is now complete.
Embellishments
Consider the recipient and the type of embellishments he would like on the snood.
Collect decorative pieces such as rhinestones, rosettes or metal studs.
Stitch, hot glue or staple the embellishments to the snood. If you are attaching a fabric piece to pashmina scarves, such as a rosette, you can easier take a needle and thread and stitch this on the side of the snood. For solid items such as rhinestones and other studs, you may be able to hot glue or staple them to the snood.
How To Wash A Cashmere Scarf
The wool used to make soft, luxurious cashmere clothing comes from the cashmere goat. The scarves made from this type of wool are the most warm, long-lasting and expensive — and call for the proper care. Care instructions on the tags of cashmere pashmina scarves usually read “Dry clean only.” However, delicate cashmere scarves require gentle care and cleaning to maintain their softquality. Hand wash your cashmere pashmina scarves for the safest care.
Instructions of Washing Cashmere Scarf
1. Hand wash your cashmere scarf in lukewarm water using mild detergent, baby shampoo or soap flakes. Do not use fabric softener, bleach or a detergent containing bleach.
2. Soak the scarf in lukewarm water for five minutes. Rinse the scarf in lukewarm water several times. Do not wring the scarf.
3. Roll the scarf up in a towel to remove excess water. Use a second towel if the first becomes too damp and if you still need to remove excess water.
4. Lay the scarf flat on a fresh towel to dry. Do not hang the scarf to dry, as this will cause the fabric to stretch and lose its shape. Keep the scarf away from heat and sunlight while drying.
Do not twist, wring or rub the scarf to remove excess water. Do not store your clean cashmere pashmina scarf by hanging it up. Fold and place it flat in a dresser drawer. Always clean your cashmere scarf before storing it and place lavender sachets or cedar chips/blocks wherever you store the clean scarf. This will keep moths away. Do not wash cashmere scarves in a washing machine. This will distort the fabric and ruin your scarves. Cashmere scarves may lose their shape if you do not properly hand wash them.
Connect a Knitted Scarf to Make an Infinity Scarf
An infinity pashmina scarf is a type of looped scarf that appears to have no start and no end. It’s a trendy accessory that you can wear to look sophisticated. If you have a traditional knit scarf on hand, consider customizing it with a simple sewing technique. Making an infinity scarf in this way will cut costs over purchasing one from an accessory shop, where infinity scarves can be expensive.
1. Thread a needle with about 1 foot of thread. Choose a thread in a color that matches the infinity scarf you’re working with.
2. Arrange the scarf on a table, placing it in a circle shape with the two ends touching each other.
3. Sew the ends together using a stitch that goes through one end of the scarf, and cross over to the other side and repeat. Tie off the end of the thread when finished and trim away excess thread.
4. Hold the looped scarf in front of you, twisting it at the middle to make a figure eight. Fold one side of the figure eight on top of the other half so the scarf is now a circle again made of two layers of scarf.
5. Pull the infinity pashmina scarf over your head, and arrange it on your neck to wear. The knit fabric will stretch to accommodate your head.
How to Tie a 50s’ Style Scarf
Here is a great idea for any square pashmina scarf that you have lying around; perhaps one that you have not worn in a while. Maybe you can even borrow one from an older relative. This look will accent any outfit for a great weekend casual look and will compliment a cardigan and jeans or a comfortable skirt.
Though you can wear your scarf tied in this fashion with any top, if you are attempting to keep with a ’50s theme, opt for a V-neck top or cardigan for the most authentic look.
Fold The Scarf To A Point
1. Place the unfolded scarf on a flat surface, and fold it in half to make a triangle shape. Be sure to match the tips.
2. Fold the triangular tip inward to meet the straight edge of the scarf, creating somewhat of a trapezoid shape. Fold it in half again, if necessary, to create a rectangular shape.
3. Hold the scarf with your thumb and forefinger on the triangular tip and lift it from the flat surface.
4. Flip the scarf over so that the side showing more folds is now facing the floor, being sure to hold it securely so that it does not come apart.
5. With the now smooth edge facing you, put the scarf around your neck with the triangular edge against the nape or back of your neck, just below your hairline.
6. Using both hands, pull the hanging edges of the scarf forward toward the front of your neck, crossing the right edge over the left.
7. Tie a simple knot with the free edges.
8. Gently move the scarf to the right or left of center–by grasping the knot and going in either direction–and allow the pointed edges to hang freely for a cute ’50s-style look.
If your fashion pashmina scarf is longer or is already rectangular, you can skip the triangular pointed folding and go straight to the basic knot. Using two scarves and folding them together will give an interesting look with four free edges that coordinate with your outfit. You can also opt to keep the knot more centered for a more modern look to an old style. It may be helpful to use a mirror after you finish your initial folding so that you can be sure your knot is facing outward.