Monday Project - Special Olympics Scarf Project/Wave Scarf

Yeah - this has got to be the definition of insanity!  Crocheting with heavy yarn in Phoenix, in July, when the temperature is in the one hundred teens - and then making your husband model it!  Actually, the temperature's come down a bit today and it's only 109 with the humidity around 40%.  Much better ....

Why am I doing this?  Special Olympics and Red Heart Yarn announced the colors for the 2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project and put up their website telling how to make the scarves and where to donate them in your state.  This is something I really, really was going to do for last year's Special Olympics.  And then I got super busy with fall, Christmas, my masters program, and that was that.  So when the website went up a couple of weeks ago, I decided I'd better get my scarves made and sent now.

There are two crochet and two knit designs on the website, but I decided to design a new pattern using a wave crochet stitch pattern.  This is a pattern I used to use a lot, but for some reason drifted away from.  It works well for boys or girls and is open enough that it's not stiff.  I've found that when crocheting with Red Heart Super Saver, you need to use a more open pattern and keep your stitches loose or you'll end up with a stiff fabric that hardly has any drape.

One skein each of the navy and red will make at least two scarves.

 Materials:
*Red Heart Super Saver yarn soft navy
*Red Heart Super Saver yarn cherry red
*size H crochet hook

Chain 146, loosely, with navy.
1.  In second chain from hook, 1 single crochet (sc).  Sc across to the end of the chains. 

2.  Chain 1 and turn.  Working 1 stitch in each stitch from the previous row, *2 sc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 half double crochet (hdc), chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 double crochet (dc), chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 triple crochet (trc), chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 trc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 dc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 hdc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 3 sc.*  Work this pattern to the end of the row (except instead of 2 sc at the beginning of the pattern, make 3 sc) - you'll end the row with 2 sc, like you began the row.

3.  Chain 1 and turn.  Sc across the row .  When you get to the last stitch, stop at the point where you have two loops on your hook and you're about to pull the yarn through to complete the sc.  Drop the navy and pick up the red yarn.  Complete the stitch by pulling the red yarn through the two navy loops on your hook.  You've now changed colors!  Cut the navy yarn off, leaving enough of a tail to work in.

4.  Chain 1 and turn.  Sc across the row.

5.  Chain 5 and turn - this counts as your first trc.  In the second stitch, make 1 trc, chain 1 and skip next stitch, 1 dc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 hdc, chain 1, skip next stitch, three sc.  Work eight of the patterns from row 2.  Chain 1, skip next, stitch, 1 hdc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 dc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 trc, chain 1, skip next stitch, 1 trc.

6.  Chain 1 and turn.  Sc across the row, stopping when you have the last two loops on your hook as you did in Row 3.  Change to the navy yarn and cut off the red yarn.

7.  Chain 1 and turn.  Sc across the row.

8 - 9.  Repeat rows 2 and 3.

10 - 12.  Repeat rows 4 - 6.

13 - 15.  Repeat rows 7 - 9, but instead of changing to red yarn at the end, finish the sc in blue yarn and fasten off.

You can leave the scarf as it is, or add a fringe.  I added a 6-inch fringe to each end like this:

Find something square or rectangular that is the length you'd like your fringe to be.  I use my clear quilting ruler.  Wrap the yarn around and around lots of time.  Cut along the bottom and separate the strands.

Take one strand and fold in half.  Pull through an stitch at the end of your scarf with a crochet hook. 

Pull the loose ends of the strand through the loop and tighten.

Continue adding strands until they're as thick as you want.  Trim the ends even.

Sitting here in the monsoon part of a Sonoran desert summer, it's hard to imagine anyone would even dream of wearing this!

Wait . . . I can picture it now.  Have I told you that my husband's a great guy?!

Happy Creating!  Deborah