"24 Ways to Tie a Scarf" chart via the A Beautiful Mess blog

There are a lot of women who wear a scarf or shawl all day, every day. Many of them do it with creativity and style, and some share tutorials and tips on the 'net. YouTube alone has thousands of videos showing different way to wear headscarves, turbans, dreadlock wraps, shawls, dupattas, long scarves, square scarves, etc. I've spent hours watching tutorials, getting ideas about ways scarves and shawls are wrapped, tied, draped, and how different one scarf can look when worn in many ways.

I also put together three outfits (using Polyvore) and suggested designing a hat and scarf set for each - I'd like to have the Fresh Designs Crochet series include coordinating pieces (not necessarily matchy-matchy); as yarncrafters we tend to be proud of what we make, sometimes to the point of wearing various pieces we've made that don't really go with an outfit or work well together. That's fine for those of us who think that's fun, but if I'm making a gift for the more fashion-focused, I have noticed that sets are more likely to be worn than individual pieces that don't go well with things they already own. Clothing retailers frequently sell coordinating pieces and sets so there's clearly a demand for that by people who are going to wear the pieces (if not necessarily those who want to make the pieces).

The other photos (of the vintage scarf, cobble pavement, and orchids) all came from the same weekend. I already had Fresh Designs Crochet on my mind, and kept seeing things that triggered more ideas for the series! I took hundreds of photos! That kept happening while I was putting together the inspiration boards, to the point that I had to push myself to just get the boards done and file the rest of the ideas for later.

The Fresh Designs Crochet call for submissions is open until June 11; guidelines and form are available from Cooperative Press.