Working with Textures

“I won your scarf,” my daughter called out as the winning raffle numbers were announced.  I had donated a crocheted scarf to the membership dinner raffle for my women’s group.  Since my daughter, Robin, was my guest, I bought raffle tickets for both of us.  After scanning the available prizes, she promptly deposited all of her tickets in the bag in front of the scarf.  “I would have given you a scarf, if I knew you wanted one, “ I told her.  “Oh, it is so much more fun this way,” she answered. 
 
The scarf in question was about 7” wide and long enough to wrap or fold in half and slip through the loop.  Since the event, Robin told me that she has received many compliments on her fashion accessory.  What made it special was the band of textured yarn that carried through to the fringe.   I enjoy making this kind of scarf because of the variety and experimentation that is possible.  For the body of the scarf I crochet with a thicker worsted yard.  Worsted is rated #4 in thickness, but there is some variation, and I prefer the yarns at the thicker end of this weight level.  Although wool is luxurious and warm, I tend to knit  or crochet with acrylic as many potential customers claim to be sensitive to wool.  For the textured band, I have been successful with Lion Brand’s Homespun which is 100% acrylic.  For those who can stand a bit of wool, I enjoy Red Heart Boutique. This yarn has several textures and weights and adds a tactile as well as a visual contrast.  I have experimented with bands that contrast with the main color or coordinate with a similar hue, and I find the coordinated look best.  I am sure that there are other brands and yarns that would work as well, and I welcome your feedback. 
 
To make the scarf long enough to wrap in a variety of ways, I chain 200 stitches with a “J” hook.  For my last project, I double crocheted throughout to produce a more flexible airier scarf.  If you prefer, half-double crochet works well, but you will have to work a few more rows to achieve the desired width.

The following proportions work best for me: 

• Crochet 2” with main color.  Attach textured yarn and cut off main yarn with about an 8 “ tail that can be taken into the fringe.
• Crochet 1.5” with textured yarn.  Attach main color and cut off textured yard with an 8 “ tail that can be included in the fringe.
• Crochet 3” with main color.  When you end, leave an 8 “ tail to be included in the fringe.
• I use 13” pieces for my fringe.  Take a set of 3 pieces and make a fringe into each crocheted stitch.  If you have an extra piece because of the end you left, just include that in your fringe knot. 
• Use the main color to fringe where the scarf is crocheted in the main color yarn.  Switch to the textured yarn as you see the yarn change in your scarf.
• When you complete your fringe, you will want to trim to make sure that the strands are of uniform length.  As careful as you are in cutting the pieces, you will probably have a few strands that are longer that the rest. 

 
Sometimes.  I just prefer to use the textured yarn for the entire fringe.  The yarns dictate my choices.  This is an easy project for a beginner.  Good luck in your crocheting.  I hope that you enjoy your new fashion accessory.
 
 
Please note, my recommendations and endorsements of various instructions and products are based on my own experiences and preferences.

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