FASHION ‘INSIDER’ FOR THIS FALL

I was at the mall today and was drawn to the women’s accessory department. There are oodles of pretty scarves there in all colors and fibers. There is a definite trend toward purples/burgundies for this Fall and Winter. Many of these scarves fall into the ’scrap’ category for us crocheters. Here are a few goodies that wouldn’t take much of a pattern to recreate.

This one is by Fossil. Ges some variegated yarn in deep teal and other blues, some solid blue/black for the embellishment, and a large gauge crochet hook. It would take an hour for the scarf and maybe another hour for its ‘flower’.

This Ralph Lauren sells for $48! Pretty colors. Easy to create some motifs and join them to suit yourself.

Here are two by Echo that sell for about $35. How easy would these be? Grab your orphan skeins and get busy!
The cutest scarves there today (IMO) aren’t on their website. They were made in bulky yarn, rows of burgundy and off white with slightly ruffled ends like the one on the orange sweater. These are really no challenge to make. So, start crocheting your holiday gifts now. Just pull out what you have on hand and work up some splendid scarves of your own today. Save at least $25 per scarf!

Read These Next

Human brains are pretty amazing, allowing us to think, feel, create, communicate, move and more. But humans aren’t the only animals with cool brains, as Crab Museum explains in the book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer (illustrated by Bruno Valasse).

This book, aimed at kids in grades 1-4, is colorful and silly but also educational about how brains actually work, with billions of neurons sending electrical and chemical signals around the body.

“Everything we think, feel and experience comes from an electrical relay race, with neurons passing chemical batons to each other,” the book says. “The constant chatter of billions of brain cells creates your entire world.”

The book compares the brains of mammals to those of crabs (the book is “written” by a crab after all) and notes that crabs have fewer neurons and of course are much smaller, but they have separate parts of their brains that control their eyes and their legs. Crabs are also capable of remembering things, using tools and solving puzzles.

Some animals’ brains allow them to know more about their world in different ways from humans, such as spiders being sensitive to vibrations in their webs and catfish having an amazing sense of taste, with taste sensors all over their bodies.

It notes that 95 percent of brain activity goes toward things we do unconsciously, like breathing, walking and catching a ball flying toward us. It also talks about dreams, memory, how our emotions try to predict the future, where brains came from and fun facts about brains. For example, did you know a sperm whale is believed to have the biggest brain of any creature that’s even lived? Their brains weigh 18 pounds, compared to just 2.5 pounds for humans.

Information on what creatures have the smallest brains, the toughest brains, the most brains and those who actually eat their own brains will delight kids (and maybe gross them out a little bit). They’ll also enjoy learning about the mycelium network of fungi, which is like a brain without a body, and slime molds, which are like a brain without a brain.

It ends talking about why human brains are so special because we’ve found ways to work together, communicate and build communities on a scale bigger than any other animal.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this colorful, silly and informational book about brains!

About the book: 64 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $19.99.

Read These Next

Have you read?