Little Things / Lavender Neck Warmer

My friend Patti has given me some great gifts in all the years we’ve known each other. My favorite is the Magic 8 Ball she gave me the year we turned eight. My second favorite is the lavender neck warmer she got me for Christmas a few years ago. I use it all the time. And so do Tim and Will, who are both manly enough to wear something pink and fluffy.

I had the warmer on this weekend because my neck was bothering me, and of course Will had to have a turn. It’s very relaxing while you’re playing with Legos.

I don’t know if our neck warmer will ever lose its powers, but if it does it’s good to know we can order another one here. Or make one!

I experimented a bit this morning and discovered that you can make a neck warmer using socks, rice, and dried herbs. I poured rice and some dried lavender through a funnel into one of Tim’s athletic tube socks. (I didn’t fill it all the way because I need some rice for dinner tonight!) I heated the sock in the microwave for 90 seconds, which was just long enough to get the rice nice and warm.

An old tube sock (or two that are sewn together at the ends to make a longer neck warmer) works fine for us. But if you want to make a neck warmer as a gift, you can make a nice sheath by folding a rectangular piece of cotton flannel in half (inside-out), sewing it up the side and one end, and turning it right-side-out. Attach some velcro at the open end or use a pretty ribbon to tie the bag shut.

For the insert, you can use one or two trouser socks, depending on the length of your bag, to hold the rice. Just fill the sock(s) with rice and dried lavender, sew the ends together, and slip them into the cotton bag.

I’m going to heat up Patti’s neck warmer now and put it around my neck while I attack some expense reports and a bit of editing. Please let me know if you make one or if you have a different version!