Colorful Scarf With Pockets (Collapsible!)

For the longest time, I have been working on checkerboard throws for my sons. I used the pattern from Redheart.com on how to create a Checkerboard Throw, to create them.

Since my sons are young, I decided to make the throw multicolored. After I completed the first 20 squares, I went ahead and put them together to create one throw. Perhaps I crochet more tightly than the authors of the pattern, but the throw barely works for my 2-year old.

I had 8 patterned squares that I had already made for my next throw and no desire to create 28 more squares to create a big enough throw for my older son. He suggested I just string them out like a scarf and he would use it since he loved the textures on each square. I created the borders and the connections using a single crochet joining method shown in the video below from YouTube:

I forgot to take a picture of all the eight squares joined up and laid out, but this is a picture of the next step.

I loved his suggestion and created a string of the 8 squares only to realize that was too long to go around his neck comfortably. The textures in the squares made it difficult to double wrap the scarf around his neck. In a flash of inspiration, I went ahead and folded over one square at each end to create "pockets". 

After I made the pockets, I realized that this makes the scarf collapsible into one of the corner pockets to create a "pillow". Just fold up each square upon the next square until you reach the end pocket.

 Now, you can simply "tuck in" the folded squares inside the pocket to get a pillow!

Pillow/Scarf combination!

The beauty of this style of scarf is that it allows him to go out without gloves since his hands remain toasty inside of the pockets. Moreover, he can fold it back up himself (he is 6 years old) into a pillow for easily putting it in his backpack at school, thereby minimizing the risk of misplacing it! He can also use the pockets to put his hat/gloves/other "secret" items in it!! LOL. 

His verdict on the final product: BEST SCARF IN THE WORLD! I will take that compliment and own it! Ha!!