Broomstick Neckwarmer UK Terms

Broomstick Neckwarmer by Faye Lamb

What is Being Made

The Broomstick Neckwarmer is a cylindrical neck buff or cowl designed to be worn around the neck for warmth and comfort. This intermediate-level crochet project creates a textured, reversible neckwarmer through a combination of traditional double crochet rows and the distinctive broomstick lace technique, resulting in an elegant finished piece suitable for everyday wear.

Crochet Techniques Used

This design showcases the broomstick lace technique, a traditional crochet method that creates an open, lacy texture with visual interest. The pattern alternates between standard crochet rows and broomstick lace sections to build the neckwarmer. The construction involves:

• Establishing a foundation with double crochet stitches
• Creating loops on a broomstick needle to form the characteristic broomstick lace groups
• Grouping loops in sets of five and working them together with double crochet stitches
• Seaming the finished piece into a cylinder using whip stitch or over stitch

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The primary stitches used throughout this project are:

• Double crochet (dc) – the foundational stitch used for the majority of the piece
• Chain stitch (ch) – used to turn rows and create structure
• Broomstick lace loops – loops stretched onto a broomstick needle and worked in groups of five

The stitch pattern repeats across 10 cycles, with rows 3 through 6 repeated 10 times to build the length of the neckwarmer. The tension is set at 15 stitches and 6 rows over a 10cm square, ensuring proper sizing and drape.

Materials and Tools

This project requires chunky weight yarn. The pattern specifies 1 x Cygnet Helter Skelter chunky in 100g, which provides approximately 125 meters of yardage – sufficient to complete the entire neckwarmer. The yarn weight category allows for quick construction while creating a warm, substantial fabric.

Essential tools include a 6mm crochet hook for the main crochet work and a 25mm broomstick needle for creating the broomstick lace loops. The broomstick needle is a specialized tool that holds multiple loops simultaneously, enabling the distinctive openwork sections of this design.

Construction and Assembly

The neckwarmer is constructed as a flat rectangular piece before being seamed into its final cylindrical form. After completing all 50 rows, the piece is folded with right sides together along its long length and sewn across the long edge. The fabric is then turned through to the right side, and the short ends are matched and joined using a whip stitch or over stitch, creating a seamless, reversible neck buff ready to wear.