Fat Skeleton Scarf

I know I haven't been posting much here lately.  If you don't know me very well than you should know I have a lot of pain from Fibromyalgia and sometimes, some days or weeks, I just can't do anything I want to do.  When I feel good I love to crochet.  Sometimes I knit, make tatted lace or do paper crafts like card making and scrapbooking.  I love to paint and do multimedia art too.  Hopefully I can be more active in the coming year.  Cross your fingers and your toes that 2015 is a good year for me!

Anyhoo, I've been hooked on the show Bones.  A few months back I started to watch the series again from the first season and now I'm almost finished with the 7th season.  I'm addicted!  I love mysteries and forensics.  I kept seeing people making these neat shawls with skulls.  I love them but I am just not one to wear skulls.  It seems kinda depressing.  The way I feel most of the time is depressing enough.  I need to wear lollipops and cupcakes... and rainbows and pink elephants.  Anyway, I remembered that my sister in law likes skeletons.  I decided to make her a scarf since she just doesn't seem like a shawl person to me.   I used this pattern called the Narrow Crochet Skull Scarf.  Of course it is almost impossible for me to follow a pattern without changing something.  The pattern calls for sock weight yarn but I used Caron Simply Soft in Gray Heather.  Since it was bigger I called it the Fat Skeleton Scarf.  It just seemed more fitting.  I still used a 3.5mm E hook called for in the pattern to keep it from being afghan sized and I love how it turned out.  They even chose to use one of my pictures on the pattern page which is always cool.

I did make a few changes but mostly just to accommodate the thicker yarn I used.  I added a few

extra chains here and there and made some other small adjustments to help it lay flat and the rows more straight without pinching at the ends.  It will still come out looking kinda lumpy as you work it but blocking will fix that. Since I used acrylic yarn, I just used the steam from an iron held only about an inch above the scarf. After steaming a section thoroughly just use your fingers to straighten it out and move on to the next part.  Then leave it to dry.

Here are the changes I made

Rw 1: I started with a chain of 49 and dc in 5th chain from hook. The four extra chains represents a double crochet.
Rw 2: begin with chain 5 instead of 4. Skip over the first group of double crochet and work in the next chain space. This makes an open space (loop).
At the end of this row you chain 4 and sl st to the top of the chain 4 from the round below which represents the last dc. Now you have an open space (loop) on this end as well. Chain 1 and turn. Sl stitch to the second chain of the chain loop (this makes it a square)
Rw 3: Chain 3, 3 dc in loop.
Rw 4 (and all even numbered rows): Chain 5……………….to end chain 4 and sl st to top of chain 3 from the previous row. Chain 1 and turn. Sl st to 2nd chain in loop.
Rw 5 (and all odd numbered rows): Chain 3, 3 dc in loop.
Rw 10: starting with this row I changed the first and last stitches worked on the skull to slip stitches. This gives it a more rounded look and not so angular.

I made each half of my scarf have 6 skulls and fastened off the first half after row 14. After I completed the second half with 6 skulls and finished with row 14 I did not fasten off so I could crochet the two parts together.

I laid the half with the yarn attached on the right side of my lap and the other side on the right. (I’m right handed)

The right side ended with a chain loop. Now chain 1 and turn, sl sp to 2nd chain in loop.

Granny Join

Chain 2. Keeping yarn to the right of the work insert hook into the chain loop from the left half of the scarf, yarn over and pull it through the loop on the hook. That represents your first double crochet.

(Connecting Double Crochet) Working somewhat loosely and keeping working yarn to the right, yarn over and insert hook into loop on right side of scarf. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through two loops on hook. This is half of your double crochet. Insert hook into loop on the left side now, yarn over and pull up a loop and then pull that loop through the remaining two loops on the hook. This completes the double crochet. Work two more connecting double crochet.

Now slip stitch in the four double crochet on the left side of the scarf and then slip stitch into the next open space.

Work 4 connecting double crochet in next space then slip stitch across the 4 double crochet to the next space. Continue across and fasten off.

My scarf came out to 6’ 4.5” long not counting the 6” fringe. It is about 9” wide.  It was very fun to make and I'm so glad Karin Kaufmann was so awesome to make it a free pattern!  Thank you Karin, you rock!