Crochet: Spring Frills Scarf (Tutorial)

So it's officially summer! I love the Memorial Day kickoff with its barbecues, pool parties, decorated gravesites, and "permission" to wear white and linen, or better yet, white linen! I can't wait for our weather to catch up. Well this narrow, ruffled scarf can be worn in just about any temperature because it's light weight. I think it works over a short sleeved t-shirt or with another layer, or two. And it would look so cute over some white linen!

I came up with the pattern and tutorial for another of Shannon's great "Comfy Sews vs. Cozy Knits" competitions. I love it when she asks me to participate because it forces me to come up with something new for myself--a rare thing these days. I'm posting the complete tutorial here, and some extra how-to for double crochet and increase double crochet, to go along with the How To Crochet series I am doing for TipJunkie.

This project may be the perfect thing if you find a few minutes to work on something for yourself. It works up quickly, but more more importantly, it works up rather mindlessly. It's perfect for carrying along to work on while at the pool this summer, or waiting for an appointment, or on a vacation--with just 1 or 2 skeins and a hook it can easily fit in your purse, diaper bag or carry on. And the simple instructions mean you rarely have to refer to the pattern--you can just work away. I started work on this in one day during our Italy vacation while riding in a car, on windy roads no less, because the repetitive stitch work meant I could look ahead most of the time and avoid motion sickness! It's true!

Yes, it's officially summer, but this Spring Frills Scarf has ruffles--lots of them--and we can all use a few more of those, can't we? 

If you are new to crochet, you can do this! I've got a detailed how-to for the stitches you need. And if you have been doing it for a while, you can do this quickly! So without further delay, read more for the tutorial.

SPRING FRILLS SCARF TUTORIAL

**Please see the end of this tutorial for a how-to on double crochet, and increase double-crochet, the two stitches you need to complete this project.**

MATERIALS:

--2 skeins Omega Sinfonia 100% mercinized cotton yarn in Fresco. It's 100grams/218 yds and available at Hobby Lobby. (You won’t need very much of the second skein and I provide directions if you’d like to make a shorter scarf and use just one skein.)

--H Hook.

TO MAKE:
Chain 283 (or if you want to make this a 1-skein project and have a slightly shorter scarf, chain 253).

Round 1: Skip the first three chains from your hook and work 1 double crochet (dc) in the fourth chain (ch) from the hook. Dc in each ch to the last ch.

Work 5 dc in the last ch.

Do not turn. Work along the back of the foundation chain working 1 dc in each ch to the first ch.

Work 4 dc in the first ch for a total of 5 dc and slip stitch (sl st) to the beginning dc to join.

Round 2: Ch 3...

Work 2 dc in the same stitch.

Work 3 dc in the next dc and every dc thereafter... 

(Your work will start to "ruffle" nicely.)

...working around the end and all the way around the scarf.

Join with a sl st.  Weave in ends. Wear!



HOW TO DOUBLE CROCHET
(see also this tutorial)

 From a chain stitch: You'll be skipping the first three chains from your hook and working into the fourth chain from your hook. But before inserting your hook into stitch, yarn over. This creates two loops immediately: the working loop you started with and then the yarn over. 

Insert your hook through one side of the "v" formed by the chain stitch and yarn over again.

Pull the yarn through the stitch and you'll have three loops on your hook.

Yarn over again...

..and pull the yarn through the first two loops on your hook (the two loops closest to the crook of your hook). You'll have two loops remaining on your hook.

Yarn over one more time.

And then pull the yarn through the remaining two loops on your hook. You've just made one double crochet (dc)! And you should have one loop, the working loop, left on your hook, reading to make another dc.

If you continue working double crochet stitches to the end of the foundation chain your work will look like this:

Chain three and turn (forming the turning chain appropriate for double crochet) and you're reading to work another row of double crochet.

INCREASE DOUBLE CROCHET

Work a double crochet just as you did working into the foundation chain, but you'll be working into the tops (the "vs") of the row of double crochet stitches you just formed. Insert your hook through both sides of the "v" formed at the top of this double crochet stitch unless directed to work in the front or the back loop. Typically you would skip the double crochet stitch directly below your turning chain and instead work a double crochet into the top of the next double crochet stitch. However, if you are working increases you instead work the first double crochet on this row into the same stitch as the turning chain. This will create two double crochet stitches on this row instead of the one on the row below: an increase!

Do this by starting with a yarn over, then insert your hook through the stitch at the base of the turning chain and yarn over again.

Pull the yarn through the stitch creating three loops on your hook and yarn over again.

Pull the yarn through the first two loops on your hook. Yarn over one final time...

...and pull through the last two loops on your hook. You will now have (starting from the right) your initial turning chain, which usually counts as the first double crochet on a row (your pattern will tell you how to count it), and your second double crochet stitch. Those two stitches equal one "increase double crochet."

Because my pattern calls for three dc stitches in every dc we'll increase again by working one more dc. From this point make another double crochet in the same stitch you just worked, starting with a yarn over.

After completing another double crochet you'll have your initial turning chain and then two double crochet stitches worked into the same stitch. This counts as three dc in one stitch. You've actually worked two increase double crochets in this first stitch!

If you were to continue with this pattern of increases, working a total of 3 dc in the next dc stitch your work will look like this. I've marked the base of the two stitches worked with green straight pins. There are now a total of 6 dc on this row.

And that's how you create double crochet and increase double crochet stitches. You're all set!