While I call it a “short scarf,” the correct historical term for this scarf is a “comforter.” A comforter is an hourglass shaped short scarf that wraps around the neck with a slight overlap in front. Worn by both men and women, this practical garment is worn under your cloak or greatcoat. The ends are wide and it’s narrower in the center, so that it fits comfortably around the back of the neck without bunching up under your cloak or greatcoat. There are no ties or buttons, your cloak or greatcoat on top will keep the comforter in place.

The original is titled “A Comfortable Comforter” in The Ladies’ Self Instructor in Millinery and Mantua Making, Embroidery and Applique, Canvas-Work, Knitting, Netting and Crochet-Work, published in 1853. I have rewritten the vintage pattern into terms that a modern knitter will understand.

The kit also contains 250 grams (2 1/2 skeins) of Suzy the Shepherdess 100% wool yarn. The yarn is from historic breeds of sheep raised on my small farm in Northwest Illinois using 19th century farming methods whenever possible. The wool is processed on a mill made early in the 20th century that uses the same milling methods that have been in use since the 1760s. Then the wool is wound by hand into traditional skeins and labeled with a unique label with a picture of the sheep that helped to create the yarn.

I recommend this comforter as an authentic, well-documented choice for living history interpreters, reenactors and museum staff and volunteers demonstrating at a museum or historic site portraying the 19th or early 20th century - or anyone with a cold neck!