Lacy Waves Crochet Scarf: Free Crochet Pattern

This lacy waves crochet scarf started life as a shawl idea. That is to say, I was in the process of designing a shawl when I realized I didn’t have enough of the yarn I started it with. Soon, this scarf emerged into being.

As I began the project of the lacy waves shawl, I started thinking about how much I wanted a wavy scarf, too. I decided that after I finished the shawl, I’d tweak the design a little and make a scarf. Then I realized my yarn stash did not contain countless skeins of Patons Lacette in the color “Lilac Lace.” In fact, it contained three. As I crocheted happily on, I further realized this would not be enough yarn. Further, Patons has discontinued this yarn, so I can’t just go get more. Instead of giving up, frogging the project, or going a little nuts on Ebay buying more yarn, I simply adjusted the order in which I made these two items. As I hadn’t quite worked out my decreases on the shawl yet, it’s better this way.

Lacy Waves Scarf Crochet Pattern Hints

This scarf is light and lacy, and looks exactly like I envisioned a lacy wavy scarf should look. The ridges give it some texture and the wavy lines give it some definition all without compromising the airiness of the scarf.

You form waves in the scarf by concentrating stitches at the high part of the wave and spreading them out at the bottom part of the wave. I find it really gratifying to start with the straight line of the chain and first row of double crochet and watch the concentrated and spaced stitches slowly pull that straight line into waves.

Even though the stitch heights change from row to row, the repeats of the pattern are the same each time, which makes it easy to follow the pattern without keeping it right in front of you. The picture below shows the back of the scarf, so you don’t see the ridges in this picture.

The ridges of the pattern form when you make the rows of back post single crochet stitches. I love back post single crochet stitches. When you make them, they form a row of stitches even with the previous row, like you’ve doubled up. When you crochet into one set of stitches, the other hangs out in front like a ridge. I think the effect is beautiful.

 

Each wave row works the same way, which is helpful for making sure you’re on the right track. You will always make the first set of 5 stitches in the back post single crochet just above the 5^th stitch in the previous wave row. The second set of five stitches goes in the bpsc just above the first stitch of the second set of 5 stitches in the previous wave row.

My caution: In the spot where you need to make five tr or dtr in next bpsc and then  5 tr or dtr in the next bpsc, sometimes I would only do one of those sets of five instead of both. It looked like enough of a fan and I would move on. Usually I would catch it before I had gone on too long. Once I did not catch it until I was in the next wave row. Going back would have meant frogging about 1/8 of the row I was on, all of the previous row of bpsc stitches and 7/8 of the wave row before that. No thank you. I adjusted the spread out stitches for that wave so that the next set of five stitches ended up in the right place.

Lacy Waves Scarf Crochet Pattern

Pattern Notes

Pattern is in U.S. crochet terms.

Dtr (Double Treble Crochet): Yarn over 3 times (Or wrap the yarn around your hook three times), insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop. (5 loops on hook). Yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook 4 times.

Bpsc: Instead of crocheting through the top two loops of a stitch, you’re going to crochet around the post/stem of the stitch in the row below. For the Back Post Single Crochet, you are going to insert your hook from back to front into the hole just to the right of the post and around the post so that the hook is out the back again. Once your hook head is in the back, yarn over, pull your loop around the post of the stitch and pull it up. Yarn over and work off both loops.

Yarn: Patons Lacette (but this has been discontinued). You could use a yarn with the light/light fingering weight. The gauge isn’t very important with this project, so choose a light yarn you love!

Hook: D

Scarf measures 53″ long and 6″ wide.

If you want to add length to the scarf, you can add stitches to your chain in multiples of 19.

Pattern

Chain 287

Row 1: dc in 4^th ch from hook (counts as 1 dc) dc in each ch across. (284 dc, including ch 3)

Row 2: ch 1 and turn (does not count as stitch). Sc in first dc. Bpsc in each dc across until last stitch. Sc in last stitch. (This should create a row of stitches that is even with your dc row. In the next row, you are only going to crochet into the bpsc row, leaving the dc row to be the ridge.)

Row 3: Ch 5 and turn (counts as first tr). 4 tr in first sc (the stitch row closest to you). 1 tr in next bpsc. **Skip next bpsc. *Tr in next bpsc, skip next bpsc. Repeat from * 6 more times. Tr in next bpsc. 5 tr in next bpsc, 5 tr in next bpsc, 1 tr in next bp sc. Repeat from ** across until you reach last stitch. 5 tr in last sc.

Row 4: ch 1 and turn (does not count as stitch) SC in first tr. Bpsc in each tr across until last stitch. Sc in last tr stitch.

Row 5: ch 6 and turn (counts as first dtr). 4dtr in first sc (the stitch row closest to you). 1 dtr in next bpsc. **Skip next bpsc. *Dtr in next bpsc, skip next bpsc. Repeat from * 6 more times. Dtr in next bpsc. 5 dtr in next bpsc, 5 dtr in next bpsc, 1 dtr in next bp sc. Repeat from ** across until you reach last stitch. 5 dtr in last sc.

Row 6: ch 1 and turn (does not count as stitch) SC in first dtr. Bpsc in each dtr across until last stitch. Sc in last stitch.

Row 7-8: Repeat row 3-4.

Row 9: ch 4 and turn (counts as first dc). 1 dc first sc, 1 dc in each bpsc across to end, 1 dc in last sc.

Row 10-17 repeat rows 2-9. Weave in all ends.