Oxidized sterling silver. Remember the Scarf Rings from the 70’s? No? Well, I do. My Mother had one, and it was, quite frankly, the ugliest thing I had EVER seen in an accessory. BUT, I do remember I liked the concept of it, but that particular execution of the idea needed work!
So, here is my take. Scarf Rings work on the principle of being used with scarves that come down to a point. No square ended scarf will work with this. You put one scarf “tip” through the ring from one side, and then the other scarf tip from the opposite side of the ring. Then you pull the tips of your scarf/shawl through until there is enough material for a “friction fit”.
This medium sized, oxidized sterling version will work on a variety of yarn knit weights. Dimensions are: 1.25″ inside diameter, 1.75″ outside diameter. Barrel length is 1.5″. For longer scarves, you may need to wrap it once, or twice around your neck and then add the scarf ring, so when you pull on the tips of your accessory (see one of the thumb nail images for reference), the scarf ring will be at the right place, cinched up near your neck/top of chest area. This particular Scarf Ring will work on any fingering, dk, or similar weight of yarn. Best to purchase to try it out on all your “pointed” shawls and scarves and figure out which ones it works on best. But if you tend to knit the same weight and size of a larger shawl or scarf, it should work on all of them. I DO NOT recommend you use this on any fancy lace patterned items, as the “pulling” of the shawl/scarf through the scarf ring will “stretch” and alter that part of the knitted lace pattern.
Each one is handmade by by me in my Toronto studio. So each one is unique. You will receive the exact Scarf Ring pictured above in featured image. This one weighs in at 87 grams, which means it does need a heavier weight than lace weight to work properly, and is priced according to labour and weight of metal materials. Sterling silver wire is hand drawn to a specific thickness. It’s then coiled around a mandrel twice. The inside ring is a layer of smooth coils so the garment won’t get caught. The remaining length of sterling wire becomes the outside layer of sterling, randomly wrapped to create visual interest. Each Scarf Ring is then soldered in many places, including both ends, so the fibre will not get caught and to give strength and more structure to the coiled shape. After that, the sterling is cleaned up, oxidized to darken it, buffed to remove some of the oxidation to reveal and highlight the structure, and then buffed and waxed to preserve the finish.
Scarf Rings come in oxidized sterling, brass or copper. They come in small & medium sizes to accommodate various weights of knitted or crocheted yarn, as well as manufactured cotton, wool and silk accessories.
This Scarf Ring is shown on The Junction Shawl (pattern has unfortunately been discontinued) using The Blue Brick Point Pelee lace weight yarn in the Cobblestone tonal colourway.
