A game day project: Choose team colors to work while cheering them on, or go with the combo suggested here.

In any case, this scarf’s stitch pattern is simple enough, and repetitive enough that you can keep your mind on the game—not the next stitch count.

What’s special about these instructions is the color selection. If you’re aching to get out of a paint-by-number rut—blithely following the color choices in a pattern—the tips you’ll get will help you push through the barrier.

It could also help you select your own colorway from your stash of odd balls. Admit it: We all have them.

This scarf is rows of front loop single crochet stitches. The ridges are a nice way to enhance the zigzag effect.

This pattern is free one day only, Feb. 1. After that it’s available for a nominal fee.