Moving to a new state with an aging parent brings with it all sorts of new, interesting, and sometimes difficult changes. One my senior mom and I have discovered is colder weather than we've ever experienced before. Now, all of you who live where it is often cold are probably wonderfully acclimated and would think our weather is a piece of cake. But for a senior woman along with one from the Baby Boomer Generation who had previously lived in the temperate areas of both coasts, a steady dose of 20-40 degree weather accompanied by occasional wind, rain and even snow is definitely chilly!
We're learning to deal with it and you'd be quite proud to hear that we are still walking outside fairly regularly. Today's walk was a bit harder than usual as I forgot to grab a hat and my ears just froze. My mom started the walk out saying she didn't need any scarves but by the end of the walk, she had changed her mind! She hates wearing her knit hat as it bunches her hair up. Scarves are better, but they can be tricky for those with arthritis. They're hard to arrange when you have limited motion and if you drop them, they're hard to pick up. I recommended something a dear friend suggested to me a couple of years ago when I was visiting her icy area. It's a wonderfully warm, comfy, and good looking 4-in-1 scarf, cowl, tube scarf, hat, neck warmer, and/or neck gator. I kid you not. I found all those names out there! Basically, it's a long tube, often with ties at one end. You put it over your head and arrange it around your neck. Now you have a pretty neck warmer. If you want more warmth coverage, you pull it up a bit. It's long enough to cover your whole head, as if it was a fleece or knit hat. It's cute, it's warm, and once it's on, it's easy.
My friend bought hers at Ross a couple of years ago. By the time she told me about it, they were all gone. I finally found the same item online at Ebay, but they're not there any more. At least they weren't on the day I wrote this. 
I spent an hour or two researching and found that while it's got a bunch of names it's VERY hard to find! I persevered, though, and finally tracked down a similar product online at Sears. It's listed with the mens scarves but it really is a unisex item. I decided to purchase two of these Covington Fleece 4-in-1 mens scarves so she can have one and we can have a spare and to share. They were on sale and the shipping price was the same whether I bought one or two, so I was thrilled. When they arrived, I found they are a bit on the small side, which is strange since they were in the men's department. I'm going to keep two of them for backups to my favorite one, but my mom will return hers as she doesn't like such a tight feel. That's the nice thing about having ordered it from Sears. I can go into the store and return them easily.
I also discovered a fleece neck warmer at eBay. It doesn't come up over the ears and head, but it does look like a nice option when used with a knit hat. It is just a tube that goes over the head and keeps the neck warm. Very handy for aging parents who don't want to have to deal with scarfs getting in the way of dealing with walkers, etc.
For those who are blessed with the gift of being able to knit, SimpleKnits has a knitting pattern to make these cowl scarves. What a great present these would make for those special seniors in your life, not to mention yourself! I am thinking of giving them a try for next winter. The writer says it's very easy. Unless you, like me, have a hard time with dropped stitches!
For that reason, I prefer crochet patterns. I was delighted to find a couple of those as well. Hook And Needles has a pretty Flexi-Cowl crochet pattern that would make lovely scarves as well.
Last but not least, here is a wealth of womens and mens scarves of ALL types at Crochet Pattern Central. They have crochet patterns for regular womens and mens scarves as well as several neck warmers and cowls. The one by Bernet would make the hooded scarves I love. It is listed as an intermediate project though… Hmmm, If I could just train my computer to crochet for me… My senior mom and I would both love these though, so I may just have to give them a try! If any of you are brave enough to give them a go, we'd love to see photos of your works of art, or should I say, Scarves of Art.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
There are such great scarves out nowadays. A few allow for comfort and warmth without the excessive amount of fabric, which can be easily put on and taken off. These are my favorite scarves. They have an extreme stretch and are a circular shape. So, it is easy to slip-on and removing it is just as easy.
Gloves however, I never found a pair that fits my needs and keeps me warm enough. I wear mittens and place my hands in my pocket to give more warmth.
When it is cold, it is cold!
Hi Ron, I’m with you. I wish I’d discovered them years ago!
I have a hard time with mittens too. I have one pair that is half glove, half mitten. The mitten part is a “cap” that is attached to the whole thing, but can be lifted off the fingers. It allows me to have my fingers free for doing things I can’t do in gloves, then be covered back up to be warm. They don’t work perfectly but it’s the best compromise I’ve found. Now that I’m in a colder area, though, it’ll be interesting to see how they work.