Whit's Knits: Icarus Scarf

The Silken Straw yarns used to make this scarf are like blasts of sunshine. They shimmer and glisten and make me feel like I'm on a winged journey straight to the sun! Combining Alchemy's usual color wizardry with a beautifully nuanced texture, the effect is rustic and elegant at the same time. Definitely one of Purl's most sophisticated yarns, it crochets up into a very special scarf.

Materials

• 3 skeins of Alchemy's Silken Straw. These colors, from left to right, are Canary ("Color A" in the pattern), Michelle's Marigold ("Color B"), and Persimmon ("Color C").

• 1 size D crochet hook

The Pattern

Gauge

6 single crochets = 1 inch, before blocking

Finished Size

4 inches wide x 64 inches long (including the fringe), after blocking

Notes

At the beginning of every row (except the first), skip the first stitch and start the row in the second stitch from the hook.

At the end of every row (except the first), make the final stitch into the top loop of the chain that you made at the beginning of the previous row.

When it's time to change colors, loosely carry the yarn that you need up the edge of the scarf. It doesn't matter if your edge looks a little messy because the fringe will cover it.

The Scarf

With Color A, chain 300 stitches (give or take a few).

Use Color B to chain 3 more stitches (counts as first half double crochet of next row).

Row 1: Make a half double crochet (hdc) in the third chain from the hook (the last Color A chain). Make 1 hdc in each chain to the end.

When making the last hdc of the row, make the first half of the hdc with Color B (yarn over and make a loop).

Then use Color C to pull a stitch through the three loops on the hook.

Turn the work.

Row 2: With Color C, chain 3, make a double crochet (dc) in each stitch.

When making the last stitch of the row, work the dc until you have 2 loops on the hook. Then use Color A to pull a stitch through the final two loops.

Turn the work.

Row 3: With Color A, chain 1, make a single crochet (sc) in each stitch.

When making the last stitch of the row, only work the first step of the sc so that you have 2 loops on the hook. Then use Color B to pull a stitch through the two loops.

Row 4: With Color B, chain 2, make a hdc in each stitch. Change colors at the end of the row the same way you did at the end of Row 1.

Repeat Rows 2-4 four more times.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 one more time.

Cut the yarns and weave in your ends.

The Fringe

Cut 24 twelve inch pieces of each of the yarns.

Take one strand of each of the three colors, align their ends, and fold the yarns in half.

Insert the hook under at least two strands of yarn...

...and pull the fringe yarns through to form a loop.

Hook the tails of the fringe and pull them through the loop.

To finish, pull the tails tight.

Continue like this, making 12 fringes across each end of the scarf.

Block the scarf and wear it all spring!