Adding the accent to the foundation row
This will be the last tutorial for the Dancing Dragonflies Scarf! (Click here for written pattern) This last addition to the scarf is what took me the longest to design in the end. I wanted to use surface crochet to add more color, but I didn't like the way it came out on the opposite side. No matter how you wear it, both sides of a scarf will show, and the reverse side of the surface crochet just... didn't look pretty to me. It looked like a wrong side. The more simple method I used in the end looks reversible. I also considered weaving a matching blue colored ribbon through the center, but I got about a quarter of the way through that before I realized I would have to sew it... I'm on a sewing strike, and the color of my ribbon was a little off, anyways. (At least, that's what I decided so I would have an excuse to not sew anything!)
So, I should stop gabbing and get to the tutorial but my point is to give you some ideas. I'm still not 100% satisfied with how the center accent came out... but I like it enough. If you're not 100% satisfied with it either, maybe you could add your own design touch to this scarf.
Stitches used in this tutorial:
New to the project?
Just missed the last one?
Let's get started!
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| 1. Because I'm used to using surface crochet, where the yarn comes from underneath your work, this method seems odd to me... But maybe it's easier for you! What we'll be doing here is treating the foundation row as if it's just a regular open row to work into, which is pretty easy to do because of the large open spaces near the dragonflies. The yarn will come from in front of your work, and we'll just skip the stitches that have double crochet stitches in them. |
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| 2. With the yarn in front of your work, insert the hook in the beginning corner of the foundation row, highlighted in the photo above. Making sure you're working after the stitches in this space, reach up with the hook to pull a loop through. Slip stitch to secure it, then chain 1 to count as the first single crochet. |
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| 3. For each of the remaining stitches, you will work into the back loop only. Beginners: This is the loop that is farthest away from you. |
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| 4. Make a single crochet in each open foundation stitch, until you reach a stitch with a double crochet in it. Get ready for the hard part: Just kidding. Skip this stitch, then keep working into the back loops of the rest! |
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| 5. If you really want to count, there will be 10 foundation single crochet to work into before you skip the next stitch. Keep working across until you reach the second corner stitch of the foundation row. |
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| 6. In the corner space, before the corner double crochet stitches, make 2 single crochet. Work into both loops of this stitch as you did in the beginning stitch. |
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| 7. Chain 4 to work around the edge: Make 2 sc in both loops of the third corner stitch, opposite the last stitch. Place your stitches after the double crochet stitches. |
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| 8. Work this side the same as the last, making 1 sc in the back loop of each foundation sc across, missing the stitches that have double crochet stitches in them. Stop before the fourth corner stitch. |
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| 9. Make 2 single crochet in the corner stitch, before the double crochet stitches. Chain 4 to work around the edge. |
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| 10. Because we only made 1 single crochet in the beginning corner (the beginning ch-1), now we need to make another. Place the final sc in the same space you joined in, after the double crochet stitches. |
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| 11. Now, join the last single crochet to the beginning chain-1 with a slip stitch. Bind off after that, and weave in your ends. |
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| This scarf is longer than I usually make them! At six feet (1.82 m), this is the only full picture I was able to take of it without my feet, a cat, the edge of the deck, or a dog in it! But I still managed to get the legs of the chair I'm standing on (lol)... Blocking requires a sheet, unless you have a larger blocking board or some of those giant bath towels to put together. I have one large bath sheet that I only use for blocking, and even that's too small for this project! |
Are we done? Technically, yes. But are you looking at your work, saying "mine doesn't look like the picture"? If so, YOUR PROJECT NEEDS BLOCKING! As much as I'd like to say my own work comes out naturally beautiful, it doesn't! With all the twists, turns, and chains pulled tight in this pattern, it's not going to look perfect until you give it a bath and stretch it out for some "beauty rest". (Yes, even using acrylic yarn.) You may even find it grows a little in length and width! Mine was only 6 1/2" (16.5 cm) wide when I finished, but it grew a half-inch after blocking. Do you need a blocking board? No! After you dampen this scarf, stretch it out flat across a few towels or an old sheet. Pin the corners to keep it in place, if you need to keep a cat from messing it up want to.
Although I'd also love to demonstrate that process for you, my blocking process involves more shooing away of pets than work. I swear, cats come running to the sound of a camera shutter like Pavlov's dogs drooled for a bell. Anyways, the whole job isn't very interesting, because this project doesn't really require any special blocking. Remember: Just stretch it out flat to dry.
Thanks for crocheting along with the tutorials!
...And does anybody want to adopt a kitten? This tutorial went up later than expected because another wild cat had kittens in my yard! She must have been keeping them holed up and quiet; I just found them and I think they're a little over 3 weeks old. So, of course I did that thing you shouldn't do if you don't want to keep them, and provided them with water and a box. I'm going to be overrun with cats! There's ten of them now!!! Please help, they're too cute! And they come running to you when you say "babies!", and they're fluffy, and loving, and I can't call the pound; they need homes.
Thanks again!
Links to all of the Dancing Dragonflies Scarf tutorials:
Happy Crocheting!
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