Q&A for How to Crochet a Scarf for Beginners

The number of chains you'll need depends on how wide you want the scarf to be and how thick your yarn is. If you're using a medium-width yarn, each chain will be about 1/4 inch. If you want your scarf to be 5 inches wide, then that would be 20 chains. For a thinner yarn, it might be 1/8 inch wide per chain, so you'd want to double that to 40 chains. If it's a really chunky yarn, you could probably do 10-12 chains.

To change colors, complete the last step of whatever stitch you are using with the new color and continue your row or begin a new row with the new color. Trim off the end of the original color leaving a 6-8" tail that you can sew in later.

Simply stitch the two ends together with a darning needle. Make sure the yarn you use is the same, and the knots on the end of each are small so they will go unnoticed.

You may knit a similar scarf, but you'll need a different pattern.

Whenever you reach the length you desire. You can take a look at scarves you already own (or scarves at a store) and figure out what length you like.

Yes, you should turn normally unless your pattern says to do it differently.

You can mostly prevent this by stretching the piece out. This might also fix itself as you add more rows and the scarf begins to weigh itself down.

It depends. For most beginners, the process will be long while you learn the stitches and get comfortable with holding the hook and yarn. Like anything, practice makes perfect. The more you do, the faster you’ll get.

The number of chains in a scarf depends on the size you want, your yarn, and your hook size. Just crochet as many chains as you think will make it long enough (and remember that scarves can stretch out under their own weight as they grow).

Make sure you're not skipping stitches, and use a turning chain! (Make a chain before turning your work for the next row.)

Fold a completed scarf, and from the fold, fasten one edge for 9". This is the simplest method. There are many free patterns available online if you prefer a particular style.

Put it in water and let it soak for about 15 minutes. Then take it out and let it dry on a towel.

Instead of working into the chain, chain 1 and work into the next space. Continue this for the remainder of the scarf. Or, you can take scraps of yarn and tie together posts to make gaps.

To make a triangle shawl, consistently skip stitches so that the triangle shape just appears.

This may be because when you reach each end ,you are not chaining 1 ( 2 for double crochet ).

You're probably skipping over some stitches by accident, a common mistake amongst beginners. Unfortunately, you do have to unravel if you want to keep it the same width all the way through. Just pay more attention the next time.

You might want to us the herringbone stitch, which is yarn over. Insert your hook in the stitch, yo, pull through one loop instead of two and yo and pull through three.

The length can be as long as you make it. Once you have the basics of crocheting from a chain down, you can make the chain as long as you need it; because the length of the chain decides the length of the piece.

Absolutely! Double crochet is more durable, thick, and soft so it's ideal for scarfs. But if you know other stitches, you can definitely move on and use other ones.