The Humble Buff: The Best Easy Thing I Ever Sewed

A buff is like a turtleneck without the rest of the shirt, but much longer. The result is a very easy project that will make you very happy on chilly mornings when the wind is blowing. It nestles around the neck, blocks all drafts, and can be pulled up over the mouth and nose if it is really horrible outside. Some are stretchy enough to pull up on the head, but mine is not.

I first spotted buffs in outdoor gear catalogues where they are often made of merino wool, and I thought of the remnants of Polartech Polar Fleece that I had after making some stretchy leggings. It has lots of stretch and is soft on one side and has a plain knitting on the other.

After some experimentation, which consisted of measuring my head, my husband’s head as he got one too, gauging the stretch of the fabric, and figuring out how narrow I could make this, I came up with 20 inches long, then 19″ around plus a small seam allowance for my head. Smaller heads will be ok with less, larger ones need more. I did not even hem this, simply putting the selvedge at the top edge.

Yes, I know lots of people like knitted cowls, and some cowls are cut close to the neck, but really nothing beats this project for simplicity and warmth. Of course, this is a sporty look as you have to pull it over your head like a turtleneck. I wear mine while running my dogs.