Curlicues are underutilized in knitting. They are so simple and can really spark up a bland project. Imagine a plain old knitted hat. Now imagine the same hat topped with a dozen curlicues in different colors and lengths. Much more fun! Nicky Epstein also suggests using curlicues for fringe but she calls them corkscrews.
I make my curlicues slightly differently than she does. Mine are not as curly as hers but you don't have the hassle of trying to bind off such tight stitches. Trust me - if you have a lot of curlicues to make, you'll appreciate this.
These curlicues were made with worsted weight yarn and size 8 (US) needles. Cast on 20 stitches. (The final length of your curlicue will be the same as the length of your cast on row.)
Knit into the front and back of each stitch loosely, ending up with 40 stitches. Bind off purlwise. Here you see the curlicue already curling on the bind off row.
Take your finished curlicue and twist it in the direction it is already curling. Voila - you're done!
Here are the curlicues used as fringe in my latest FO, the Irish Hiking Scarf. This fun free pattern is a .PDF file available HERE. I used 3 skeins of electric blue Peruvian Highland wool and the scarf is a bit less than 6 feet long.
