Crochet Braided Infinity Scarf - Free Pattern Below! |
So one of the things I have pinned on my Pinterest crochet board (http://www.pinterest.com/allisonsavoy/) was a braided infinity scarf - supper pretty and instantly pinnable. If you haven't seen one search for it on Pinterest. They would make a stylish gift for any lovely lady you know ... like yourself!
Seriously. |
If only every trip to JoAnn's began this way... |
Some goes for yarn. If you get cheap yarn then you know how I feel about you... |
So pretty! What a lovely discovery in my yarn collection! |
Lucky you can skip all that research and pinning -- ok just the research -- because I have written the pattern out below along with some tips and tricks because someone has to learn from my mistakes. I don't claim to know it *all* for this pattern - despite my amazing research. So please feel free to leave a comment if you have a suggestion of how to improve the pattern just make sure you use your indoor voice.
Difficulty: Easy ... and you're thinking "ok what does she REALLY mean?" It is easy if you have done a few pieces and feel comfortable with crochet. Not a beginners piece, but if you're good at this you'll get it done in no time bar the sewing to make it an infinity scarf.
Materials:
Yarn: I used the Bernat Mosaic in Aura which is a medium weight yarn. If you go with a bulkier weight yarn you will need to make a smaller foundation chain so just keep that in mind (about 50 inches is what I would aim for on average). I used two skeins of the Bernat Mosaic which is 209 yards (191 meters) each so a total of 418 yards (382 meters) - always buy more than you need ... as if I had to tell you that. I had yarn left over (yes!) so it'll give you plenty of medium weight yarn.
Hook: This yarn called for a size H or 5.00mm hook
Yarn needles, clothes pins.
Stitches:
The only stitch you need to know for this pattern is a double crochet. You can sub out any stitch you'd like though (half double, single, triple, back post stitch, etc.).
**Variation idea: (this is just bonus) If you go with a bulkier yarn then I would do a back post stitch-like pattern to give it a knit look. Might come off looking very Katniss-like from Catching Fire. You can see what this looks like in my blog about this stitch that I used on a blanket.(http://chateaudesavoy.blogspot.com/2014/06/chunky-back-post-stitch-masculine.html)
Other tips about this pattern:
The basics of this pattern is you are making three mini scarves then braid them together, but the scarves are not made quite like you'd think. The foundation chain will represent the length of the scarf then you add about 5 rows to create the width of the scarf. Different because I know most scarves I make a small foundation chain to represent my width then just keep on adding rows till I get the desired length. Nope! This different technique give the scarf a different, but awesome, look.
To start, chain 200 which gives your first mini scarf a length of about 50 inches. Again, chain less if you want a shorter scarf and chain more if you want it longer. At the bottom is a picture of myself to give you perspective - I'm about 5'2" if that helps.
Ok, it was really 51" but you don't need to be exact! And guess what? My foundation chain is not near as pretty as those pictures from the pros - feel better now doncha? |
Just make a loose foundation chain and the curl won't stick around after a few rows |
Rows 2 - 5: Repeat the same thing you did in row 1. And don't forget to turn in a good TV show or movie you can listen to while crochet. I recommend a good BBC Masterpiece miniseries to make you feel sophisticated, but that's really up to you!
Row 6: This step is optional, I didn't like how the foundation chain left the scarf looking unbalanced (something that always bothers me when I finish a project) so I did one last row of slip stitches all the way across before fastening off.
Here's what my first scarf looked like:
One down two more to go!! |
I love how they are all different even though my OCD/perfectionist side is twitching a bit. |
Lay your scarves out on a flat surface and figure out what order you want them in - if it's all one color this may not make a difference, but when we make out projects WE know the difference between the scarves because WE made them. Before I started braiding them I realized it might be a good idea to connected all of them together (picture below) - looking back on this you probably don't HAVE to, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. So across the top I did a single crochet. Hindsight, I might do a double crochet so it's a little more sturdy easier to connect to make the infinity part of the scarf, but I didn't want a huge seam so I went with a single crochet. Heck, you could even do a slip stitch! Again, connected them across the top is optional, but I thought it would keep everything together -- including my sanity!
Optional, but may help your sanity - especially if you are not coordinated like me - connecting them across the top with a single crochet before you start braiding them. |
Next, I took something heavy - I had a Panini press! (my husband thought I was nuts, but hey, he married me!). The Panini press (which was clean!) was used to hold down the connected scarves while I braided them. Again, optional, but it helped me and my uncoordinated ways.
Weight it down and start braiding! It's like I'm combining my two favorite hobbies - crochet and cooking - but I'm not gaining any calories! |
Happy little scarves being braided. I braided loosely and tried not to re-do it too much! |
Get the to line up as best you can. It's ok if one is longer or shorter than the other because once you sew the opposite ends together ... no one will ever know! Crochet is so forgiving! |
I pinned it (literally - not on Pinterest!) together so that it wouldn't come undone. |
My first go and sewing these together - I'd probably do it a little differently next time. Just use your yarn needle to sew in and out of the stitches. |
Sew the ends into the single crochet row. I probably would have sewn the ends together differently now so that it looked like one more braid - live and learn! |
Pretty! Pretty! |
Crochet designer and model! Just kidding, but why not show off my beautiful creation?! Happy crocheting! |
Love it! I have been crocheting for over 40 years. I may have to give this a try. Love your cometary.
ReplyDeleteI like it, im going 3have to make one.
ReplyDelete