Liliaceous Scarf Pattern and Tutorial

There are some beautiful ruffly scarf patterns floating around the Internet, which all seem to begin with the same daunting words: "Chain 160 ... (or some other large number). Turn and sc into each ch...."

I don't know about you, but I absolutely abhor crocheting into chains and will go to almost any design lengths to avoid it. Hence the Liliaceous Scarf - a lush and lacy pattern simply crammed with ruffles and femininity.

Liliaceous is easy to make, using mostly chain stitch loops and single crochets to achieve its lacy abundance. The scarf starts with a quick-to-stitch band that offers handy spaces down the side into which you will crochet your ruffles. The band provides a bit of stability around the neck and is a perfect place to add a button - a good choice for a simple jabot-length scarf. You could also connect the ends (with or without a twist in the band) to make a continuous loop for a ruffly infinity scarf.

Liliaceous can be made with a single side ruffle, which falls into lovely loose spirals:

Or double, with ruffles down both sides of the band:

Either version will wrap your neck in neo-Elizabethan splendour.

Size:
Single side ruffle scarf: 3-3/4" wide. Sample is 58" long after blocking (scarf band stretched 8-10" during blocking and wear).

Double ruffle scarf: 5-3/4" wide and about 58" long after blocking (scarf band stretched 2"-3" during blocking).

Yarn Requirements:
You may use any yarn you like for this pattern.

My single side ruffle scarf took about 350 yards of Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe in Grape (2 skeins)
My double ruffle scarf took about 425-450 yards of Naturally Caron Country in Spruce (3 skeins)

How did the yarns behave?
Bamboo Ewe is lush and springy and very pleasant to work with. Blocking gave it amazing drape, but it stretched like crazy and lost most of the loftiness. Block very lightly if you use this yarn.

Addendum: Since publishing this post, I have been reading Ravelry reviews for Bamboo Ewe, and apparently the extreme stretching after blocking is very common. If you do choose this yarn, try using an I or J hook and don't let the band get wet!

Naturally Caron Country is also very pleasant to work with, if a tad splitty, and gives beautiful stitch definition and drape. I blocked this scarf more lightly (having learned my lesson on the other scarf) and was very pleased with the results.

See also Note on Blocking which follows the shorthand pattern.

Hook Size:
Use hook appropriate for yarn - I would recommend going down at least 1 hook size to keep chain stitches tidy and help minimize stretching later on. (This is the voice of experience speaking.)

Charted Pattern:

Crochet Shorthand Pattern:

All terms are American.

Band: Ch 6, sc in 1st ch. *Ch 4, TURN. Trc in sc. Sc in previous ch sp. Repeat from * until band is desired length. (Note: if making single ruffle, the band may stretch quite a bit during blocking and wearing - it depends on the yarn. Mine stretched about 8-10". If making double ruffle, the stretching will be less.)

Row 1: Do not turn. You will be working down the side of the scarf. **Ch 9, sc in ch-4 sp (twice); ch 9, sc2tog in this ch-4 sp and next ch-4 sp (insert hook in current ch-4 sp, draw up loop; insert hook in next ch-4 sp, draw up loop, draw through all loops on hook). Rep from ** to other end of scarf. You should have 3 ch-9 loops in each ch-4 space.

For single side ruffle: In last side space of scarf, ch 9, sc in ch-4 sp (twice); ch 5, tr in ch-4 sp. Ch 1, TURN.

For double ruffle: Continue around end of scarf, making 3 ch-9 loops in end space, and back up other side. In other end space, ch 9, sc in ch-4 sp (twice); ch 5; tr in sc at base of first ch-9. Ch 1, TURN.

Row 2: ***Sc in ch-9 loop, ch 7, sc in same loop. Ch 1, sc in next ch-9 loop. Repeat from *** to other end of scarf.

For single side ruffle: After making first sc in last ch-9 loop, ch 4, tr in same loop. Ch 1, TURN.

For double ruffle: Continue in pattern around end of scarf and back up other side. After making first sc in final ch-9 loop, ch 5, yo, insert hook into same ch-9 sp, draw up loop; yo, insert hook into first sc of Row 2, draw up loop (5 loops on hook); yo, draw through all loops on hook. Ch 1, TURN.

Row 3: ****In ch-7 loop, sc, ch 3, sc, ch 5, sc, ch 3, sc (3 picots made). Dc in ch-1 sp of row 2 below (the space between 2 ch-7 loops). Ch 1, sc in next ch-7 loop. Rep from **** to other end of scarf.

For single side ruffle: You're done! Cut yarn and weave in ends.

For double ruffle: Continue in pattern around end of scarf and back up other side. After final dc, ch 1 and sl st to first sc of Row 3. Now you're done! Cut yarn and weave in ends.

A note on blocking this scarf: I absolutely recommend blocking, but let's just say it can be awkward due to the fullness of the ruffles. I sprayed both sides of the Grape scarf (Bamboo Ewe yarn) pretty thoroughly with water and laid it out as you see below:

Then, using the blunt end of a crochet hook, I went down the sides and firmly pulled out each ch-5 point, pulling perpendicularly away from the band. (This also helped to straighten out all the chain loops in Rows 1 and 2). If I had it to do over again, I would probably spray only the scarf edges. The band flattened out more than I wanted it to. (See yarn notes above for more on this yarn's stretching tendencies.)

The Spruce scarf (Naturally Caron Country) was laid out straight for blocking. (Sorry, no pictures.) I sprayed more lightly, was careful not to stretch the band lengthwise, and pulled out the points as above. This helped the yarn to maintain its loft while emphasizing the lacy picots.

Liliaceous Photo Tutorial with Instructions in Plain English:

Here's what we'll be doing: crocheting a band to the desired length of the scarf, then adding 3 rows of chain stitch loops to make the ruffle. The first row is made with chain-9 loops. The second row is made with chain-7 loops. The final tier is made with chain-3 and chain-5 picots, with double crochets between each set of picots.

All terms are American. You can click on any photo to make it bigger.

Band: Chain 6, and single crochet in the 1st chain.

Chain 4, TURN. Triple crochet in single crochet.

Single crochet in previous chain space.

Keep repeating the above step (chain 4, TURN, triple crochet in single crochet, single crochet in previous chain-4 space) until your band is the desired length.

Please note: the band will stretch somewhat during blocking and wearing, especially on a single ruffle scarf. The Bamboo Ewe version of this scarf (single ruffle) gained about 8-10" in length. The Naturally Caron Country (double ruffle) stretched a bit, but not as drastically as the Bamboo Ewe.

Ready to make some ruffles? Here we go.

Row 1: Do not turn. You will be working down the side of the scarf. That last single crochet counts as the first single crochet of Row 1.

*Chain 9, then single crochet in chain-4 space at side of scarf.
Repeat. (Now you should have 2 loops sticking out.)

Chain 9, then single crochet 2 together in this chain-4 space and next chain-4 space. (This means you'll be making a partial single crochet in the current chain-4 space, then a partial single crochet in the next chain-4 space, then finishing them up as one stitch.)

To do this, insert hook in current chain-4 space and draw up loop;
insert hook in next chain-4 space and draw up loop;
draw through all loops on hook.

You should now have 3 chain-9 loops sticking out of the first chain-4 space, and your yarn is sitting in the next space ready to make the next set of loops.

Repeat the above steps (chain 9, single crochet, chain 9, single crochet, chain 9, then single crochet 2 together in current space and next space) until you reach the other end of the scarf. It's starting to look ruffly, isn't it?

For single side ruffle scarf:
In last side space of scarf, make 2 chain-9 loops as usual.
For the last loop, chain 5, then triple crochet in chain-4 space.
Chain 1 and TURN. Your Row 1 is done!

Single ruffle scarf, end of Row 1

For double ruffle: Continue around end of scarf, making 3 chain-9 loops in end space, and continue the pattern up the other side.

Double ruffle scarf. Row 1 continues around the other side

(Double ruffle Row 1 continued): In other end space, make 2 chain-9 loops as usual.
For the last loop, chain 5, then triple crochet in the single crochet at the base of the very first chain-9 loop.
Chain 1, TURN. Your Row 1 is done!

Time to add another tier to your ruffles.

Row 2: Remember that you have turned and are now working in the opposite direction.

Single crochet in chain-9 loop.
*Chain 7, single crochet in same loop.
Chain 1, single crochet in NEXT chain-9 loop.

That's it! Repeat this step (chain 7, single crochet same loop, chain 1, single crochet in NEXT loop) until you reach the other end of the scarf. Be careful not to miss any of the chain-9 loops - there are an awful lot of them.

For single side ruffle: After making first single crochet in final chain-9 loop:
Chain 4, then triple crochet in same loop.
Chain 1, TURN. You're ready to start row 3.

Single ruffle, end of Row 2.

For double ruffle: Continue in pattern around end of scarf and back up the other side.

After making first single crochet in final chain-9 loop, connect the stitches as follows (you're about to make 2 partial half-double crochets and connect them up):

Chain 5, yarn over,
Insert hook into same chain-9 space and draw up loop;
Yarn over, insert hook into first single crochet of Row 2, and draw up loop (5 loops on hook);
Yarn over, draw through all loops on hook.
Chain 1, TURN. Your  Row 2 is done!

Double ruffle, ending Row 2

First partial hdc made

Second partial hdc made.
Draw through all loops on hook.

Ready to add that fleur-de-lis touch? Here we go with the final row.

Row 3: Again, remember that you have turned and are now working in the opposite direction.

Single crochet in chain-7 loop.
*Chain 3, single crochet (you just made a short picot);
Chain 5, single crochet (tall picot);
Chain 3, single crochet (another short picot).

Double crochet in the chain-1 space of row 2 below (the space between 2 chain-7 loops).
Chain 1,
Single crochet in next ch-7 loop.

Don't forget to chain 1 before attaching to next loop!

Now you're ready to make the next set of picots.

Keep repeating these steps (single crochet, chain 3, single crochet, chain 5, single crochet, chain 3, single crochet) in each chain-7 loop, then make a double crochet and chain 1 in between each set, until you reach the other end of scarf.

For single ruffle: You're done! Cut yarn and weave in ends. That was a lot of chain stitching, wasn't it?

Single ruffle - last stitch

For double ruffle: Continue in pattern around end of scarf and back up other side.

After final double crochet, chain 1 and slip stitch to first single crochet of Row 3. Now you're done! (And you probably never want to make another chain stitch for a long, long time.) Cut yarn and weave in ends.

Double ruffle - last stitch

I highly recommend blocking this scarf. Although it's a bit of a pain, it will be worth it. See my notes above (at the end of the shorthand pattern) for tips on how to do it.

Fling your blocked and beautiful Liliaceous scarf around your neck, arrange your luscious ruffles, and foot it fleetly out the door to wherever time and tide may take you.

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting! You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern.

P.S. Why "Liliaceous"? I really wanted to call this scarf "Fleur de Lis" (in honor of the triple picots which edge the scarf), but that excellent name is already in use for several items on Ravelry. So I settled on Liliaceous, which means "belonging to the lily family". It's a rather fun, flirty-sounding word which I think describes the scarf exactly.

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