User Upper Of Wooly Bits - Crochet Scarf Tutorial

This little project was originally inspired by A SCARF OF MANY SCRAPS, over on Tales of Ted and Agnes blog.  I read this blog post nodding my head and thinking, yurp I do have far too many odds and ends of wool laying around.  In fact I have a whole drawer full of bits and pieces that could do with using up.  What doesn't help is the fact that the first crochet project I ever undertook was a small afghan which used lots of different colours in small amounts.

(in hindsight this would have been a good project to use some of these little bits up... but you can't tell that to a woman on a crochet mission!)

 

With each each project I finish since then, I seem to just be adding more and more to my odds and ends drawer!

 

I've tried to add my own spin on this project.   I wanted to learn a new crochet stitch, so have made it almost lace looking.  Being a bit of a colour freak, I couldn't resist making this in brights.  My two coats that I've made this to go with are purple and electric blue, so, well, that says it all really!  Also part way through crocheting this scarf I decided to incorporate some embroidery into this project too... I mean, why not? I do have a habit of over complicating things I make.  Sometimes it can be a bit of a ball ache, but usually I'm happy with the results!

 

 

The stitch I've used is Basic Filet Crochet.  It looks complicated and fiddly, but if you look really closely it is made up of lots of chain stitches and double crochet, which are just placed in a repeating pattern.  So in reality it is actually really simple!

 

The pattern is worked in multiples of 12, plus 1.  I have done the scarf 4 x this in width, as I don't like a scarf that is too thin.  Seemingly a little pointless when you have the cold wind whipping around your neck!

 

 

The pattern goes as follows:

 

1. Ch12, plus 1, turn work.

 

2. Ch3 (to count as first dc), dc in 4th ch from hook, *3 dc, ch 2 (skip 2 stitches), dc in next ch, ch 2 (skip 2 stitches), dc in next ch, ch 2 (skip 2 stitches), dc. Repeat from * til end of row, turn work.

 

3. Ch 5 (skip 2 ch space), dc into top of dc, 2 dc into ch space, dc into top of dc, *ch 2 (skip ch space), dc into the top of dc, ch 2 (skip 2 dc), dc into top of dc, ch 2 (skip ch space), dc into top of dc, 2 dc into chain space, dc into top of dc, repeat from * to last 2 squares, ch 2 (skip ch space), dc into top of dc, ch 2 (skip 2 dc), dc into top of dc, turn work.

 

4. Ch 3, dc into top of dc, *2 dc into ch space, dc into top of dc, ch 2 (skip ch space), dc into top of dc, ch 2 (skip 2 dc), dc into top of dc, ch 2, (skip ch space), dc into top of dc, repeat from *, ending with a dc in 3rd ch of ch space at end of row, turn work.

 

5. Continue steps 3, 4, 3, 4...

 

6. When I got towards the end of the scarf, I decided I wanted to add embroidery detail.  To do this I simply filled in the little "windows" (ch spaces) in three places, to leave space for three patches to be sewn on.  This is mainly so that the scarf appears neat on the reverse side and also to keep the embroidery laying fairly flat.

 



The scarf I made is 188 rows in length.  Long enough to double over and fold back through itself.  The block patches I have added are on rows 165, 168 and 178.  You could also make this scarf narrower and shorter for a much quicker project.

 

 

As we are coming to the end of winter, (hey its nearly summer and still snowing here!) I wanted to give the scarf a little longevity of wearing, so gave it a spring time vibe.  I've added embroidery of two blue birds with a heart, a sunshine peaking through clouds and the words "one fine day." I created the patches using two layers of cotton fabric.  The designs were drawn on in water soluble pen and embroidered using only satin stitch and basic back stitch.  I then ladder stitched the patches into place, tidied up all my loose ends, washed away the water soluble pen and voila!

 

 

I wore her into town today and she was lovely and warm!