Feb
Getting Your Yarn Situation Sorted
So you need to pick yarn first and honestly this is where I messed up my first scarf back in winter 2023 because I grabbed this scratchy Red Heart Super Saver in burgundy thinking it looked nice and thick. It was thick alright but wearing it felt like sandpaper on my neck for weeks until I finally admitted defeat and gave it to my sister who apparently has no nerve endings.
For scarves you want something soft obviously. I usually go with Lion Brand Wool-Ease or Caron Simply Soft now because they’re not gonna break the bank and they actually feel decent against your skin. The Wool-Ease is like 80% acrylic and 20% wool so it’s got some warmth to it without being too expensive or too itchy. You need about 400-600 yards depending on how long you want your scarf but honestly I always buy two skeins just in case because running out of yarn when you’re almost done is the worst feeling.
Weight matters too. Most people do worsted weight (that’s the medium thickness) or bulky weight if you want it done faster. Bulky yarn works up quick which is nice when you’re impatient like me.
The Hook Thing
Your yarn label will tell you what hook size to use but I usually go one size up from what it recommends because I crochet kinda tight. For worsted weight that’s usually a H/8 (5mm) or I/9 (5.5mm) hook. For bulky you’re looking at like a K/10.5 (6.5mm) or bigger.
The hook material doesn’t matter that much when you’re starting out. I used a cheap aluminum Boye hook for years and it was fine. Now I have some ergonomic ones that are easier on my hands but that’s because I got tendonitis from crocheting too much during… well, let’s just say I had a lot of free time in early 2023 after my ex moved out and I needed something to do with my hands besides refreshing his Instagram.
Basic Scarf Pattern (Single Crochet)
The simplest scarf is just rows and rows of single crochet. Here’s what you do:
Chain however wide you want your scarf. For a normal scarf that’s like 20-30 chains depending on your yarn thickness. I usually do about 25 chains with worsted weight and that gives me roughly a 6-inch wide scarf.
Row 1: Skip the first chain (the one closest to your hook) and single crochet in the second chain from the hook. Single crochet in each chain across. When you get to the end chain 1 and turn your work around.
Row 2 and every row after: Single crochet in each stitch across. Chain 1 and turn.
Just keep doing that until your scarf is as long as you want. Most scarves are like 60-70 inches long so they can wrap around your neck nicely but you can make it whatever length.
Tension Issues That Will Drive You Crazy
One thing that really annoyed me when I was making scarves is how the edges would get all wavy and weird. This happens when your tension is inconsistent or when you accidentally add or skip stitches at the ends of rows. The turning chain is usually the culprit – sometimes you crochet into it and sometimes you don’t and then your stitch count gets all messed up.
What I do now is I make sure to count my stitches every few rows especially at first. If you started with 25 chains you should have 24 single crochets in your first row (because you skipped that first chain) and then 24 stitches in every row after. If you suddenly have 26 or 22 you know something went wrong.
Other Stitches You Can Use
Single crochet is fine but it’s kinda boring and it takes forever because the stitches are short. You can also do:
- Half double crochet – works up faster and has a nice texture
- Double crochet – even faster but can be a bit loose and holey for a scarf
- Moss stitch – this is single crochet and chain 1 alternating and it makes a cool bumpy texture
- Granny stripe – basically just double crochets in groups with chain spaces
I made a half double crochet scarf in like three days once while binging The Bear and it came out pretty good. Half double crochet is yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through all three loops. It’s taller than single crochet so you get more done with each row.
Color Stuff
Solid color scarves are easiest but if you wanna get fancy you can do stripes. Just crochet with one color for however many rows you want then cut the yarn leaving like a 6 inch tail, tie on your new color, and keep going. You’ll have ends to weave in later which is tedious but it looks cool.
I tried doing this ombre scarf once where I gradually changed from cream to gray using like five different colors of Bernat Super Value and it actually turned out decent even though weaving in all those ends made me want to throw the whole thing away.
You can also carry your colors up the side instead of cutting them if you’re doing even stripes. Just drop the color you’re not using and pick it up again when you need it. This only works if you’re doing stripes though, not if you’re switching colors randomly.
Width and Length Considerations
Narrow scarves like 4-5 inches wide are more elegant looking but don’t keep you as warm. Wide scarves like 8-10 inches are cozier but use more yarn and take longer. I usually stick with 6-7 inches because it’s a good middle ground and doesn’t eat through yarn too fast.
Length is personal preference but if you make it too short it just kinda sits there on your neck and doesn’t do much. Too long and it’s dragging on the ground. I aim for like 65 inches usually which lets you wrap it once around your neck and still have the ends hanging down at a decent length.
Fringe or No Fringe
Fringe is easy to add and makes your scarf look more finished. Cut a bunch of pieces of yarn that are like 10-12 inches long. Fold one in half, poke your hook through the edge of your scarf, grab the folded loop with your hook, pull it through, then pull the loose ends through the loop and tighten. Do this every inch or so across both short ends of your scarf.
I never do fringe anymore because my cat Luna thinks it’s a toy and attacks me whenever I wear a scarf with fringe so now I just… don’t. But it does look nice if you don’t have a psycho cat.
Common Problems and Fixes
Your scarf is getting wider as you go: You’re probably adding stitches accidentally. Count your stitches more often and make sure you’re not crocheting into the turning chain space at the beginning of each row.
Your scarf is getting narrower: You’re missing stitches, usually the first or last one of the row. Make sure you crochet into that very last stitch before you chain and turn even though it’s hard to see sometimes.
Your edges are loose and loopy: Your tension is probably loose or you’re pulling the turning chain too much. Try to keep even tension throughout or switch to a smaller hook.
It’s taking forever: Yeah it does. Scarves are long. Switch to a bulkier yarn and bigger hook or just accept that it’s gonna take a while. I usually work on scarves while watching TV so I don’t notice as much.
Finishing Your Scarf
When your scarf is long enough just cut your yarn leaving like 6 inches, pull it through the last loop, and pull tight. Then you gotta weave in all your ends which means threading them onto a yarn needle and weaving them through the stitches on the back of your work so they don’t show. Go through like 5-6 stitches in different directions then cut off the excess.
Some people block their scarves which means getting them wet and pinning them out to dry in the right shape but honestly I’ve never bothered with that for scarves unless they’re really curling badly. Usually just wearing them makes them relax into shape.
Yarn Combinations That Worked For Me
Lion Brand Wool-Ease in like a heathered blue-gray makes really nice professional-looking scarves that you could actually sell or give as gifts without being embarrassed. I made three of these in December 2023 for Christmas gifts and everyone seemed to actually like them or at least pretended to.
Bernat Blanket yarn if you want something super bulky and squishy that works up in like one evening. It’s technically meant for blankets but it makes these really thick cozy scarves that are almost too warm.
Caron Cakes or any of those gradient yarns are good if you want color changes without having to think about it. The scarf just kind of does its own thing and looks fancy even though you’re just doing basic stitches.
Stitch Pattern Variations If You’re Bored
V-stitch is easy and looks fancy. It’s just (double crochet, chain 1, double crochet) all in the same stitch, then skip a stitch, then repeat. You do it into the chain-1 spaces of the previous row so it lines up in columns of Vs.
Lemon peel stitch is single crochet and double crochet alternating. So you go single crochet, double crochet, single crochet, double crochet across the row. Next row you put single crochets where the double crochets were and double crochets where the single crochets were. It makes a nice textured fabric that’s not too holey.
Waistcoat stitch looks like knitting which is cool if you want that look but don’t wanna learn to knit. You insert your hook between the two legs of the stitch below instead of under both loops. It’s a little finicky but looks really smooth and professional.
I tried doing a basketweave scarf once where you alternate front post and back post double crochets to make it look woven but honestly it was more trouble than it was worth and you couldn’t even tell what the pattern was supposed to be because scarves are so narrow that the pattern didn’t repeat enough times to be obvious.
Stuff Nobody Tells You
Your first scarf is probably gonna be wonky and that’s fine. My first one was like 8 inches wide on one end and 5 inches on the other and the tension was all over the place. I still wore it because I spent like 15 hours making it and I wasn’t about to let it go to waste.
Acrylic yarn squeaks sometimes when you’re crocheting with it and it’s really annoying but that’s just how it is. The squeak goes away once the scarf is finished.
You will drop stitches and not notice until like 10 rows later and then you have to decide if you’re gonna rip it all out or just live with it. I usually just live with it unless it’s really obvious because life’s too short to rip out 10 rows of single crochet.
People will ask if you made it and when you say yes they’ll say “oh I could never do that” or “you should sell these” and both responses are kind of annoying in different ways but just smile and say thanks.
Matching your yarn to your coat is actually important if you’re making a scarf to wear and not just to give away. I made this beautiful forest green scarf and then realized I only own black and gray coats so it looked weird whenever I wore it.
