Juniper Scarf

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Today I am excited to be joining the Holiday Stashdown Crochet Along. I have participated in this crochet along a few times now and I think it is a really fun one. It is an opportunity to get a start on some holiday projects and gifts, while hopefully being able to use up some yarn you already have in your stash. Each Monday and Thursday from September 30-December 12, 2024  there will be a new crochet pattern shared as part of the crochet along. Each pattern will be a one-skein or scrappy stash buster project, something that can be used as a holiday gift, decor, or wrap. In addition to all of the new holiday patterns, you can also win some really awesome prizes. Click on the link above or the picture below for all of the details on how you can participate, to find links to all of the patterns, and enter to win prizes.

This year I decided to go with a scarf pattern. I think scarves are great projects for using up yarn that you have because they are a lot more flexible than some other wearable projects as far as gauge and size. That means if you don't have the exact same yarn that I used it is totally fine, use what you have, or if you have a little less yarn, you can just make a shorter scarf. Have more yarn, make it longer if you want. Or, you could even use different colors to make a scrappy scarf. Unlike something like a hat that really needs to meet the gauge or you could end up with something that doesn't fit, a scarf can be a wide range of sizes, making it the perfect stash buster project. 

This scarf uses a 4 row repeat with a combination of single crochet stitches and double crochet clusters. It is a simple repeat that is easy to get down and repeat until you have the scarf length you want. I made mine into a circle scarf, but because it is worked back and forth in short rows, rather than long rounds, you can easily adjust the length of the scarf to be anything from a short cowl, to a long circle scarf you can wrap multiple times around your neck, to a long straight scarf not joined into a circle. 

I used a Caron Machiatto Cake to make my scarf, and I used about half of it to make the length that I did. It is a bulky weight acrylic wool blend yarn that has a variety of shades of whatever color you use, in my case green. It reminds me a lot of Lion Brand Scarfie yarn, except the color changes are much more random and short where with Scarfie they are more of a gradual ombre color shift. However, like I mentioned before, you could make this scarf with almost any yarn understanding that a different weight yarn will affect the width of your scarf and the number of rows needed to reach a specific length, as well as the amount of yarn needed. 

Be sure to check out all of the great stash buster patterns being shared as part of this crochet along, and see how you can enter to win fun prizes. Visit Underground Crafter for all the details. 

How to Crochet the Juniper Scarf

Finished Size 8" wide x 40" long (see below for instructions on adjusting size)

You will need:

• Caron Macchiato Cake (sample made with color Nourish)
• I Crochet Hook (5.25 mm)
• Yarn Needle

Instructions:

The Juniper Scarf is worked back and forth in short rows the width of the scarf, to adjust the width of the scarf begin with an even number chain. The pattern starts with 30 ch (29 sts + 1 turning ch) for a thinner scarf subtract an even number of stitches, for a wider scarf add an even number.

The sample scarf is sewn together at the short ends to make a circle scarf, you can make the scarf as short or as long as you want by working the pattern repeat until the desired length is reached. You can also leave the scarf long and straight, or sew the ends together as pictured for a circle scarf. 

Beginning chains count as a dc on the dc cluster rows. 

*note- depending on how tight you crochet you may want to adjust the turning ch on your dc rows, the pattern calls for a ch 4 at the beginning of each row to equal a dc plus a ch 1, if this is leaving too big of a gap at the end of the row you can try a ch 3 (2 ch to equal the dc plus a ch 1) or you can try a standing double crochet or other alternative to a starting dc. 

Special Stitch:

3dc cluster: [yo, insert hook in st, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] 3 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on your hook

Scarf Pattern:

ch 30

Row 1: sc in second ch from hook and each ch to the end (29 sc)

Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in first 2 sts, [ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st] repeat until 1 st remaining, sc in last st (16 sc, 13 ch sp)

Row 3: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc + ch 1), turn, sk next st, [3dc cluster in ch sp, ch 1, sk next st] repeat until 1 st remaining, dc in last st (13 clusters, 14 ch sp, 2 dc)

Row 4: ch 1, turn, sc in first st, sc in next ch sp, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in ch sp] repeat until 1 st remaining, sc in last st (16 sc, 13 ch sp)

Row 5: ch 1, turn, 1 sc in each st (29 sc)

Repeat rows 2-5 until desired length is reached

If making a circle scarf sew the 2 short ends together, then sc around each edge evenly (1 sc in the side of each sc row, 2 sc in the side of each dc row) to give a nice clean finish. 

If making a straight scarf you can either leave it as is, or to finish the edge sc evenly around the entire scarf working 1 sc in each stitch across the short ends, 3 sc in the corners to turn, and 1 sc in the side of each sc row and 2 sc in the side of each dc row.