Los Colores Circle Scarf

-Yarn for this project provided by Fairmount Fibers. This post may contain affiliate links-

I have very mixed feelings about variegated yarns, especially those with really short color changes. They can be so pretty on the skein, but they can be hard to make look good in a project. I think they are better when knitting but the nature of crochet stitches can make them look like a bunch of colors just threw up on your project. It can be hard to see the stitches or the stitch pattern and just kind of look like a mess. 

When I was asked if I wanted to review some Manos del Uruguay Alegria Grande I saw these colorful variegated skeins and I just loved them. But, knowing that they can be a challenge to work with I was nervous to actually order them. I went back and forth for a while on it, do I order them and hope I can turn them into a project that does them justice, or pass or something more plain. Obviously in the end I decided to go for it, and I thought I would share some of my go to tips for using variegated yarns. 

First, one of my favorite ways to incorporate colorful, variegated yarns is to combine them with a solid, typically a neutral or high contrast color, to break up the color changes a little bit. This kind of gives your eye a bit of a rest and is honestly probably my favorite way to use variegated yarn. As you can see from the pictures however, this is not the method I chose for this particular project. 

The second tip I have is to use very simple basic stitches. Variegated yarns are not the time to try complex stitch patterns because the pattern will get lost in all of the color. I also find that shorter stitches work best, so if I am not combining with another color I typically stick with single crochet. It may seem boring but when working with variegated yarn the visual interest comes from the colorful yarn, when you combine that with a really textured or interesting stitch it just becomes too busy. 

My favorite stitch to use when going with this method is the moss stitch (or linen, granite, woven stitch, etc., it has a lot of names it is known by). This is a stitch that is often used with variegated yarns when you are trying color pooling, but I like to use it even when not pooling. I think one of the reasons it works so well is because of the way the stitches are separated you can see the individual stitches pretty clearly, but they are still just a simple single crochet. 

I loved working with this yarn and I love how the scarves turned out. I made two different sizes, each using a full skein of Alegria Grande. Alegria Grande is a worsted weight super wash merino blend. It is absoultely lovely to work with and the colors are gorgeous. I love that Manos del Uruguay yarns are made by women in villages throughout Uruguay. Uruguay is a country that holds a special place in my heart and I love that this company provides opportunities to help these women provide for their families, and I love the fact that each skien is signed with the name of the artisan and the town where it was made. 

How to Crochet Los Colores Scarf in 2 Sizes

You will need:

• 1 skein Alegria Grande for each scarf (I used Ming, and Caprese for my scarves, and also show Orla in the pictures)
• I crochet hook (5.5mm)
• yarn needle
• scissors

Instructions:

This scarf is very easy to make and customize to the size you want. Both of these scarves were made using an entire skein, if you want a longer or wider scarf than these samples you will need to purchase additional skeins. Both scarves begin with an even number of stitches, to change the width add or subtract stitches from the beginning ch number but make sure you keep an even number. 

Both scarves are sewn into a circle and the measurements are:

Blue Scarf - 6" wide x 32" around

Red/Orange Scarf- 8.5" wide x 24" around

Blue Scarf (longer and skinnier)

ch 30 

Row 1: sc in 4th ch from the hook, (ch 1, sk 1, sc in next stitch) repeat to the end

Row 2: ch 2, turn, sc in first ch sp, (ch 1, sk next sc, sc in ch sp) repeat to the end working your last sc in the ch sp created by turning ch

Repeat row 2 until you have reach the desired length (or until you run out of yarn which is what I did)

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing, stitch the 2 short ends together to make a circle scarf

Red/Orange Scarf (shorter and wider)

ch 40 

Row 1: sc in 4th ch from the hook, (ch 1, sk 1, sc in next stitch) repeat to the end

Row 2: ch 2, turn, sc in first ch sp, (ch 1, sk next sc, sc in ch sp) repeat to the end working your last sc in the ch sp created by turning ch

Repeat row 2 until you have reach the desired length (or until you run out of yarn which is what I did)

Finish off leaving a long tail for sewing, stitch the 2 short ends together to make a circle scarf