Creating a Handkerchief Scarf in Lovely Malabrigo Wool

Yes. This is the yarn that attacked me. But I won, remember?

I saw this yarn at the Dancing Sheep and knew I had to have it. If you don’t love Malabrigo yarn, it just means you need to be introduced. They know how to spin wool. It’s incredible stuff to work with, and it makes even the simplest project shine.

I am teaching a class and I wanted to make one of the pattern choices a bit more challenging for those who have been crocheting for awhile. The beginner scarf is composed of single and double crochet stitches – very basic and easy to master. The easy scarf is composed of single crochet, V-stitch, and double crochet clusters – the repeated panels make for a lovely fabric.

According to the Yarn and Craft Council there are four levels for knit and crochet: beginner, easy, intermediate, and advanced. It is up to those who write patterns to choose a level.

Don’t believe anyone who says their pattern is for beginners if they have never taught beginners to crochet in person. Beginner = first time crocheter. I am working on a shawl from a pattern that is labeled “beginner friendly.” It should be labeled “beginners will cry and give up and eat chocolate and never crochet again.”

I am enjoying the pattern – but I am an advanced crocheter with 24 years of experience (I learned when I was 8… now you know my age…). A beginner would honestly be very frustrated.

If you are a first time (or just learning) crocheter, please look for this one thing in a pattern as a good indication it is appropriate for a beginner: a short abbreviation list. Here’s a sample from our Coffee Cozy: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), each (ea), slip stitch (sl st). The shawl pattern I’m working from doesn’t even have an abbreviation list!

Here is how the scarf began.

I can’t count how many times I started over. I liked the scarf better with half as many clusters in each row and fewer stitches in each cluster. Ripping out stitches, rows, or the entire piece is just a reality when you design your own patterns. This yarn is so gorgeous it didn’t need much help, just a few subtle touches of fun stitch combinations.

Photos of the final project coming soon…

Be well, dear readers. Crochet often. Create always.

~Abbey