Inside – This blog post will walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to make your own lightweight crochet scarf. The Carmen Scarf Crochet pattern is updated from it’s original design from 2021. If you’re interested in looking at that design, you can find it here.
An Ode to One of the Women Who Made Me
Carmen Marcene (Peterson) ((Loberg)) Young gave the world all the light and joy while she lived here. She passed away in June 2022, but she remains one of the biggest influences of my life. Carmen was the best kind of grandma while she lived.
The loves of her life included painting, giggling, dressing to the 9s, reading mystery novels, and spending time with her family. She loved well, and was loved in return.
I remember her eager willingness to play Pretty, Pretty Princess when I was a very little girl. My mom (although I adore her, for other reasons) didn’t indulge my princess dreams like my grandma.
Carmen showed me how to dream, and dress in clothes that made me feel beautiful. She taught me to paint my life in color. How to use all the brightest, most joyful colors, and never regret it. Or apologize for it.
For my seventeenth birthday, she gave me a pearl necklace because she thought every young lady needed one. It’s still sitting in my jewelry box, next to the pink, glass-blown earrings she bought me on her 80th birthday. She delighted in giving gifts; to her, the beautiful, sparkly things in life were non-negotiable.
But the part of Carmen’s story that hits different is how her life began. She grew up on a Wisconsin farm in the 1920s-30s. There were chores to do, and younger siblings to watch over. If she wanted to go to school, she had to walk, even on the “bad” weather days. I don’t know much more about her daily life as a kid than these small bits.
However her life started, her search for beauty, color, and glamour didn’t grow from a garden of ease or prosperity. She knew what it was to work hard, so she made a point to highlight joy in the middle of living.
Carmen was (is) a beautiful person, and I want to be like her when I grow up.
A Re-Make for this Lightweight Crochet Scarf
The Carmen Crochet Scarf is another pattern that I re-made in 2024. Fine tuning the original instructions, and bringing the scarf to life with a hand dyed yarn.
For this new version, I kept all the beautiful stitches – the Shells, the Crossed Double Crochets, and the Chain Spaces. But, I removed the middle peak of this new version. The original design came to a point in the middle, and the edges slanted to accommodate the middle point. Although I love the elegance of the peak, slanted corners, and picot border… those features became lost while wearing the scarf.
See below a side-by-side of new to original.
Yarn + Substitutes for a Lightweight Crochet Scarf
Another way this pattern is getting an upgrade is the yarn. Originally, the yarn I used was leftover from Emma’s baby blanket. It was a light worsted weight yarn from Hobby Lobby that yielded a slight shimmer. Perfect for a scarf to honor my grandma.
Now, the new version is stitched with a hand dyed yarn in a DK (3) weight. When I offered hand dyed yarn as part of High Desert Yarn, this was one of the colorways I created – Cosmos.
Since I no longer offer hand dyed yarn, I still highly recommend using a hand dyed yarn in a SW Merino Wool. It is DELICIOUS to wear around your neck, and makes an incredible drape.
Substitutes : Any DK (cat 3) yarn. A “baby” yarn may yield similar results. Be sure to check your gauge if you’re changing yarn!
Suggested Yarn
DK weight (category 3), 100% SW Merino Wool, 100g/231yds
Cosmos : A Flower in my Garden
This color is directly inspired by the flower garden I grew the summer Carmen died. Okay, that sounds pretty morbid. Why would I want to dye a new colorway with death on my brain? Like many hard times, I want to glean the bits of joy despite the grief, pain, and confusion.
My grandma’s death hit me hard. I adored her, and my regrets that I didn’t call her enough lived on after her last breath. But, if there is anything I learned from my grandma.. it’s how to find the glimmer of joy in the midst of foggy darkness. The sun may have dimmed that June for me, but these spectacular flowers burst out of the ground. Bright purply pink blooms littered the air in my garden. It was the best comfort I could have received the weeks / months after she left.
So, Cosmos (the colorway) is that glimmer of joy. The pops of pink bursts through the gray haze on the skein, and dominates the crocheted fabric.
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NOTE ABOUT THIS FREE CROCHET PATTERN :
Thank you for choosing this free pattern as part of your crochet journey! It’s an honor for you to be here, browsing the High Desert Yarn Blog. This pattern is 100% free for you to crochet from, but please, do not screenshot, or copy+paste this pattern. However, work directly from this webpage. The ad revenue from this website allows me to offer free crochet patterns. If you do not like the scrolling, or ads, then you may purchase the ad-free PDF in my Etsy Shop or Ravelry Store. Thank you for your cooperation. Happy creating! -Joanna (Owner + Creative)
Introduction
The Carmen Scarf is an advanced beginner crochet pattern. It uses the Double Crochet Stitch as a foundation with different variations such as the Shell Stitch, and Crossed Double Crochet. The DK weight yarn gives this scarf a lacy structure with gorgeous drape.
Materials
- Yarn : DK weight (category 3)
- (231yds/100g), 100% Superwash Merino Wool
- You will need approximately 460yds.
- Crochet Hook : H/8 (5.00mm) or hook to obtain gauge
- Notions : scissors, tapestry needle
Notes
- Experience Level – Advanced Beginner
- You will need to know how to Double Crochet, and Shell Stitch before starting this pattern.
- If you want your scarf to be the same size as the pattern, please check gauge prior to starting this pattern.
- CH 2 (turning chain) at the end of a row DOES NOT count as a stitch.
- This pattern is worked in long turning rows.
- 3 DC means to place 3 double crochet stitches in 1 stitch.
- The CH 1 in Row 3 & 8 counts as a stitch.
Stitch Abbreviations
US crochet terms used throughout.
- CH(S) – chain(s)
- SC – single crochet
- DC – double crochet
- XDC – crossed double crochet
- SHELL – shell stitch
- ST(S) – stitch(es)
- SP – space
- SL ST – slip stitch
- YO – yarn over
Special Stitches
Crossed Double Crochet (XDC) – Skip one ST, and DC in the next ST. DC in the skipped ST. The XDC is complete. There should be an “X” at the bottom of the stitches when it’s done correctly.
Shell Stitch (SHELL) – [SC in ST, skip 2 STS, 5 DC in next ST, skip 2 STS] Repeat […] until the pattern says stop.
Gauge
- 14 sts x 7 rows = 4×4”
- Gauge is measured before blocking.
- Double Crochet is used to create gauge swatch.
Finished Size
- All measurements taken before blocking.
- Width – 10″
- Length – 70″
How to Adjust the Finished Size
- Width – Repeat Rows 2-6 until you reach your desired width
- Length – Start your beginning chain in any multiple of 6 + 2.
Pattern Instructions
CH 248
Row 1 : DC in 3rd CH from hook. DC in each CH across. CH 2. Turn. (246 STS)
Row 2 : DC in each ST across. CH 2. Turn. (246 STS)
Row 3 : DC in 1st ST. XDC until 1 ST remains. DC in the last ST. CH 2. Turn. (144 XDCs, 2 DCs)
Row 4 : DC in 1st ST. [CH 1, SK ST, DC]. Repeat […] until 1 ST remains. DC in last ST. CH 2. Turn. (246 STS)
Row 5 : DC in 1st ST. SK ST. [2 DC in CH SP]. Repeat […] until last ST. DC in the last ST. CH 2. Turn. (246 STS)
Row 6 : 3 DC in 1st ST. SK 2 STS. SHELL 40 times. SC. SK ST. 2 DC in the last ST. CH 2. Turn. (246 STS)
Rows 7 – 15 : Repeat Rows 2-6. You will end after Row 5 of the repeated rows.
Row 16 : DC in each ST across. (246 STS)
Fasten off, and weave in ends.
Blocking (optional)
New to blocking? Blocking helps straighten your stitches, and makes the finished piece look tidier. You do not have to block the finished Brioche Bun Scarf, but I do recommend steam blocking the fringe after you add it.
- Wool (natural fiber) does best with wet blocking.
- Acrylic (synthetic yarn) does best with steam blocking.
Copyright Policy
You are free to use this crochet pattern to make and sell the final product, but do not republish or distribute this pattern in any way. DO NOT claim it as your own in part or in whole. Please give credit to High Desert Yarn, as the designer, in your listings, on your blog, or social media platforms. All images are property of High Desert Yarn. Do not use any of these images as your own.
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