Braiding a Crochet Scarf

Finally, my Rapunzel Scarf is finished! The strands were easy and quick; the braiding had me unnecessarily intimidated.

Finishing is always the hardest part for me. I will admit that I had all of the strands finished and ready to braid for a couple of weeks. Maybe it was the thought of untangling all of those strands as I braided. The first time I attempted the braid, they did get hopelessly wrapped around each other every time I wove a strand into the braid.

Let me back up a moment. The first thing you need to do is find someplace you can secure the top. I laid the crochet scarf on my living room floor and pinned the top to the carpet. Pinning the top of the scarf vertically, perhaps to a curtain, might have worked as well and kept the strands from becoming tangled, but I don’t have a curtain that is solid enough. If you decide to try this method, please let me know how it goes.

After I had pinned my crochet scarf to the carpet, just left it there for a few hours as I contemplated the best way to tame the tangles. Inspiration struck as I was stepping over my scarf for the umpteenth time—note to self, next time pin it someplace a little more out of the way.

In order to easily braid the strands, I wrapped each one into a spiral. When braiding, I picked up the entire spiral and wove it over and under as the pattern stated. Periodically, I would have to pause to straighten the strands that invariably moved left as I braided and to unwind the spirals.
Even with stopping intermittently to tighten and even out the braid, I finished the scarf quickly. It was much simpler than I thought.

The Rapunzel Scarf is fun and easy—even the braiding. The pattern is from the Interweave Crochet Accessories 2011 issue. You can also download the Rapunzel Scarf pattern individually or check out the fantastic kits in Fuchsia, Goldenrod, or Caribbean.  So jump right in and make your own!

Best wishes,