Pattern: Two-tone scarf

Scarf in gray and tan

Well, this post has been a long time coming. I finished making the scarf in early November, and finished writing up the pattern the next day. I wanted to make just a quick editing pass before posting, but then life intervened in a major way. More than two months later, I am finally getting my life back to normal; one upside of the long delay is that I’ve started in on another scarf in the same pattern, meaning that for once I have actually tested the write-up before posting.

This pattern is based roughly on this crochet feathers-and-fan pattern, but with some modifications to a) use two colors and b) work better with the silky yarn I had, which just doesn’t want to be bunched up into 5 stitches in one. Other yarns will work fine, but the pattern is optimized for silky-look yarns with a heavy drape.

Detail of scarf showing scale

You will need: two colors of DK-weight, silky-look yarn, such as Paton’s silk bamboo, roughly 200 yards each, and a G-size crochet hook; or whatever yarn you want and its recommended size of crochet hook. Designate one of the colors yarn A and the other yarn B; it does not matter which is which.

Difficulty: you only need ch, dc, and slip stitch (US terminology throughout) for this pattern, but it’s a little complicated so you should be really comfortable working flat in crochet before attempting.

There is a repeat unit which I will reference throughout the steps below:

1. Starting from the middle of the scarf, crochet outwards as follows: dc in the dc that is two before the first ch1 space (this is equivalent to skip 1, dc in next dc, for the most part). Skipping one dc, dc in the next ch1 space. Skipping one dc, (dc, ch1, dc, ch2, dc, ch1, dc) in the next ch2 space. Skipping one dc, dc in the next ch1 space. (Skip 1, dc in next dc) three times. Skipping one dc, dc in next ch1 space. Skipping one dc, (dc, ch1, 2dc) in the top of the turning ch3 at the end of the row.
2. Ch3, turn, and (dc, ch1, dc) in the very first dc (the one that is usually skipped in working flat). Skipping one dc, dc in next ch1 space. (Skip 1, dc in next dc) three times. Skipping one dc, dc in next ch1 space. Skipping one dc, (dc, ch1, dc, ch2, dc, ch1, dc) in next ch2 space. Skipping one dc, dc in next ch1 space. Skip 1, dc in next dc. See pattern below for how to finish the row, depending on where in the colorwork you are.

Main pattern:

1. 

   Me wearing the gray&tan scarf

   In yarn A, chain 23. Turning, dc in the 6th chain from the hook. Skip 1, dc in next chain. Skip 1, (dc, chain 1, dc) in next chain; chain 2; (dc, chain 1, dc) in next chain. (Skip 1, dc in next chain) five times. Skip 1, (dc, chain 1, 2dc) in next chain.

2. Still in yarn A, chain 3, turn, and come back as in the second half of the repeat unit: (dc, ch1, dc) in first dc; skipping 1 dc, dc in next ch1 space; (skip 1, dc in next dc) 3 times; skipping 1 dc, dc in next ch1 space; skipping 1 dc, (dc, ch1, dc, ch2, dc, ch1, dc) in next ch2 space; skipping 1 dc, dc in next ch1 space. Skip 1, dc in next dc. Finish the row by dc in the top of the turning ch3.
3. Set aside the first piece for the moment and pick up yarn B.
4. Chain 19. Taking the first piece, slip stitch into each of the last four starting chains you made in step 1, from the fourth-to-last to the last one made. See photos below for illustration.
5. Turn. Skipping one chain, dc in next chain. Continue symmetric to the other part: skip 1, dc in next chain. Skip 1, (dc, chain 1, dc) in next chain; chain 2; (dc, chain 1, dc) in next chain. (Skip 1, dc in next chain) five times. Skip 1, (dc, chain 1, 2dc) in next chain.
6. In yarn B, complete the second half of the repeat unit. Finish the row by a slip stitch in the yarn-A dc at the end of the yarn-A second row, which should be the dc closest to you at this point. You should now have two symmetric, two-row, wavy bars, one in yarn A and one in yarn B, attached by some slip stitches along the short ends of the bar, with both yarns emerging from the middle of the top of the piece. Note: the next steps are easier if, when you make the slip stitch connecting the two parts, the loop of the inactive yarn is on the side of the work facing you and the tail of the inactive yarn is on the far side of the work.
7. Still in yarn B, chain 3, and without turning, work the repeat unit on top of the yarn-A section you’ve already made. Finish with a dc in the top of the non-turning ch3.
8. In yarn A, slip stitch in the three chains of yarn B close to you. Turn and complete the repeat unit. Finish by slipping into the last yarn-B dc.
9. Still in yarn A, chain 3, and without turning, work the repeat unit on top of the last yarn-B section. Finish with a dc in the top of the non-turning ch3. Chain 3, turn, and complete another repeat section, creating a double-wide bar of yarn A. Finish with a dc in the top of the turning ch3.
10. In yarn B, slip stitch in the three chains of yarn A close to you. Turn and complete the repeat unit.
11. Slip stitch into each of the three chains in the turning ch3 of yarn A made in the middle of the previous step. Turn and complete the repeat unit. Finish by slipping into the last dc of yarn A. You should now have two short bars and one long bar of each color.
12. Still in yarn B, ch3 and without turning complete a repeat unit. Finish with a dc in the non-turning ch3.
13. In yarn A, slip stitch in yarn-B ch3, turn and complete a repeat unit. Finish with a slip stitch.
14. Still in yarn A, ch3 and without turning complete a repeat unit. Finish with a dc in the non-turning ch3.
15. Repeat steps 8-14 but with opposite yarns.
16. Repeat steps 8-15 until you reach the desired length. End with slip 3, turn and make a repeat unit, finish with a slip stitch in whichever yarn is needed to square off the end. It’s most symmetric if you finish on two short bars, but do what pleases you.
17. Tie off and weave in ends.

I mentioned I’d started in on a second copy of this scarf. I’m using the weird yarn I mentioned in my last post; it’s a good bit heavier than the Paton’s, I am using a J hook, and it’s not what I’d call silky. Still, it’s working just fine, making quite a bulky/lofty fabric that will be nice if I can finish the scarf before the cold weather departs. Too bad I have more WIPs at the moment than I really know what to do with. At any rate, I bring this up because I took a couple photos of the tricky beginning bit that I didn’t think to get the first time around:

Joining the two colors

Closer view