Crochet a Soft Plush Scarf: Straight Edges and Invisible Yarn Joins

Plush yarn makes a wonderfully soft scarf, but it has a catch for beginners: the fuzz hides the stitches. You can't easily see where a row ends, so the scarf slowly gets narrower or wider. This scarf from Elise's lilthings channel solves it with two stitch markers and one rule, and shows how to join a new ball without a knot.

The pattern is the simplest there is: 16 double crochets, row after row.

Video tutorial by Elise on her YouTube channel, lilthings: watch "how to crochet scarf for absolute beginner | crochet valentines gift for beginner" on YouTube.

Written from the video tutorial.

Materials

• 3 balls of light plush yarn, or a bulky or worsted yarn
• 4.5 mm hook
• Two locking stitch markers, scissors and a darning needle

Pattern

1. Foundation: chain 18 (16 for the width and 2 for turning). Keep the chain a little loose, so the bottom edge stretches like the rest of the scarf.
2. Row 1: starting in the 3rd chain from the hook, work 16 dc. Put a marker in the 1st and the 16th stitch.
3. Every row after: chain 2, turn, and work 16 dc. Move the markers up as you go.
4. Stop when the scarf is as long as you want, and fasten off.

The straight-edge rule

At the end of every row, the last stitch goes into the stitch with the marker. In plush yarn the last stitch hides under the fuzz, and that's the one beginners miss: the scarf loses a stitch each time and narrows into a triangle. With a marker in it, you can't miss it.

Count to 16 every few rows as well. Our guide to straight edges in double crochet explains the turning chain options in more detail.

Joining a new ball

When the yarn runs out, leave a 15 cm tail. Then:

1. Work a dc until only the last two loops are on the hook.
2. Yarn over with the new yarn and pull it through to finish the stitch.
3. Lay both tails along the top of the row.
4. Work the next 6 to 8 stitches over the tails, enclosing them.
5. Trim the ends.

No knot, nothing to weave in later, and the join is invisible in plush yarn.

Tips

• Loose tension. Plush yarn doesn't slide well on the hook; a relaxed grip makes the stitches easier to work.
• Feel for the stitches. In fuzzy yarn, slide a fingertip along the top of the row to find each V.
• Length: a common guide is about your own height for a long wrap-around scarf, or roughly half that for a short neck scarf. Try it on as you go.

Frequently asked questions