Which Craft: Crochet Nursing Necklace / Scarf

What is this you ask? A scarf? A necklace? A nursing what? Well, let me explain... This is my first stab at the art and craft of crochet. So if it looks a bit wonky and weird (or even quirky), that's why.

When you go into a yarn store there is just this panorama of beautiful textures and hues. I love buying yarn. There are several fantastic yarn store in my area which specialize in natural fibers. Wool, mohair & organic cotton are my favorites. I use it for doll hair, but that only uses up a small portion of a skein and then I end up selling the dolls, and bye bye beautiful yarn. I wanted a use for all this extra yarn and a way to actually keep some of the things I make with with it.

Most crafty gals I know, if they don't knit or crochet, have at least made one of those crochet cords. It's just a double chain of slip stiches. (I use them for ties on my Renaissance costumes instead of ribbon.) I've made those without much enthusiasm. This time I wanted to learn crochet for real, but I can't bear to sit and make sampler squares. Most times what we need to get us off our asses to learn something new is inspiration.

Enter Esty... I was browsing and saw this gal doing really cool scarves. They look like vines, with trailing tendrils and leaves, and gorgeous wet felted flower brooches attached. Very neat. Also, very expensive. I zoom the photo and squint. Hmm, that looks like crochet. Uh oh, we've discovered WHICH CRAFT we'll be doing today!

For years I've been wanting to make some sort of necklace to wear while nursing. Something to keep my little darlings from grabbing and pinching and scratching my breast while they feed. A nursing necklace must be safe for a baby to mouth, because they will mouth it. A sort of narrow scarf with dangly leaf bits for baby to grasp. It can even double as a bare minimum modesty drape. Crocheted in soft organic cotton yarn. Yes, perfect. Now to make it.

I purchase a lovely variegated green yarn in organic cotton from Blue Sky Alpaca for the project. (Q: Hey, what about the whole using up the yarn you already have thing? A: You can never have enough yarn.) A quick look at the old crochet pamphlet from my bookshelf about how to cast on and do a slip stitch, and I'm off!

Okay, now here's the pattern part.

Foundation Chain

Tie a slip knot onto your crochet hook. Then start making slip stitches. Keep going. Yes, some more. No, don't stop, just go. An actual measurement? Well, okay. Drape it behind your neck and along your arms. It should be long enough to extend about 6 inches past your fingertips on each side. When it's that long, stop.

First Vine

Turn around and make more slip stitches, this time inserting your hook into the back ridge of the chain for each stitch. Do this for about 6 inches. You now have the beginnings of your first vine. It looks cool, huh? You should be varying the size of your stitches slightly, this will give it a twisty, viney look.

Leaves

Now to make the first leaf. Leave the chain and make some more slip stitches. 8 to 12 should do, depending on how big you want your leaf to be. Then turn and go back, stitching along that back side of that chain, just like with the vine end you completed previously. Now, before you rejoin the vine, turn back again, this time inserting your hook into one of the loops of the top V of the chain before making each slip stitch. Just before the end of the "leaf", turn around and go back, You should now have a sort of leaf-shaped segment of 4 lines of slip stitches. Continue working in slip stitches along the back edge of the leaf, then rejoin the original chain. Continue working your slip stitches into the back ridge of the chain. Add a leaf every 6 inches or so or whenever you feel like it.

Determine Vine Length

Time to decide how long the vines should be. Drape the chain over your shoulders again. Keep your arms down. See where your elbows are? Put a marker (a safety pin or actual crochet ring) on the chain on each side level with your elbows.

Build Scarf Body

Keep working slip stitches onto the chain, pass the marker, keep going until you reach the second marker. Turn and go back, working your stitches into half of the top V of the main chain. Keep going until you return to the marker on the other side.

Next Vine

Now for a tricky bit. Leave the old chain and continue making (guess what?) slip stitches, only this time separate from the old chain. You are making the next vine off the body of the main scarf. Continue until this new vine is the length you want, then turn and go back, working your slip stitches into the back ridge of the chain, just like before. Stop to make leaves as you go. When you've reached the first marker again, you're done with the second vine.

Build More Scarf Body

Continue working slip stitches onto the body of the scarf until you reach the second marker. Then, as before, turn around and go back.

Rinse & Repeat

You will do this whole procedure over and over again until you've completed four vines on one end of the scarf and returned to the marker on the other end.

Just For Flair

Add a branch to your vines occasionally, just a short chain with a leaf or two will suffice, then return to the main vine.

Vines on Other Side

You should now have a thick, narrow "scarf" with a fringe of long, leafy vines at one end and one lonely chain of slip stitches at the other end. Next we make the vines for the other side.

Starting from level with the second marker, make a chain of slip stitches apart from the main body. You are starting the first vine on the second side. Make the vines as before, only when you rejoin the body of the scarf, attach one slip stitch to the body, then turn and make another vine. Make three vines.

Last Vine

For the fourth and last vine, work your slip stitches into the back ridge of the original chain. (Knew that was there for a reason, eh?) Make a few leaves along the way. When you come to the beginning point of the original chain, tie off and you're done!