This dramatic early-20th-century scarf uses a white ground with a narrow sequence of rainbow-colored rows. The vintage instructions describe a fluffy original stitch and finish the scarf with chain-loop fringe and knot stitch along both long edges.
Pattern at a Glance
The scarf begins with a chain of 68 stitches. Most of the body is worked in white, followed by a compact rainbow stripe in red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, indigo, light blue and violet.
Materials
- About 6 skeins white Saxony or floss
- About 1/2 skein of each color used
- Medium-sized bone crochet hook, or a modern hook that gives a soft but stable fabric
Vintage Instructions
Foundation: Chain 68 stitches in white.
Row 1: Turn. Draw the stitch on the hook out to about 3/4 inch. Pass the hook under the single thread of wool, draw it through the stitch, pass it under the wool, work a slip stitch, then chain 1. This forms the first stitch of each row.
For the second and following stitches: pass the hook through the next stitch, draw the loop up to about 3/4 inch, catch the wool and make 2 close chains. Repeat across the foundation chain.
Turn and repeat this row until 76 rows have been worked in white.
Rainbow Stripe
Fasten in red and work 2 rows. Continue with 2 rows in each of the following colors, in order: orange, yellow, light green, dark green, indigo, light blue and violet. Finish the end with 2 or more rows of white.
Fringe & Finishing
Chain 35 and fasten down in the next stitch with a slip stitch. Repeat across the end. Finish both long edges of the scarf with a row of knot stitch.
Crochet Board Editorial Note
Historical yarn names such as Saxony and floss do not map perfectly to modern yarn categories. Choose a soft yarn and swatch first. The original instructions use a long drawn-up loop, so consistency in loop height will strongly affect the finished texture.
Vintage Source
Publication: Priscilla Wool Crochet Book
Editor: edited by Lola Burks Hettich
Publisher: The Priscilla Publishing Company, Boston
Year: 1912
Original printed page: 6–7 (scan pages 9–10)
Rights: Public-domain historical work; Library of Congress states that books in this collection are public domain and free to use and reuse.