This is a crochet pattern review of the Colour Block Granny Scarf pattern by designer MJ’s Off the Hook Designs. Review done by A Stitch Shy of Normal for EyeLoveKnots.
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Find the crochet pattern review below, or you can click here to view the free crochet pattern or click here to find the paid pattern on Etsy!
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It’s me, Abigail with A Stitch Shy of Normal.
We all like cozy. That’s not a secret. Everyone, no matter what that specifically means to them, wants to be warm and cozy and snuggled up during cold and dreary days.
Well, this scarf looked like the perfect answer when I spotted it on Ravelry. It looked thick and warm, and like it would add layers of warmth around my neck and torso without adding a ton of heavy bulk. And I was correct! It’s crocheted by making a fake “bulky” yarn out of two strands of worsted, but the stitch is a granny stitch (if you couldn’t guess from the name) and worked with a large hook. This combination gives it a lot of warmth but looks like it’s a looser and more open stitch. It also allows you to work up a whole big scarf very quickly, with the big hook!
I recommend the pattern as a good way to practice your granny stitch and learn a little twist on it with a chevron granny technique. The technique is explained well, and the scarf is just that stitch the whole time so you get to work on it for quite a few rows! I appreciated a simple stitch used in a different way, and I liked the simplicity of this piece. It also made for a great stashbuster!
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What Materials Do I Need to Crochet a Granny Stitch Scarf?
- About 1300 yards of Worsted Weight Yarn – I used stash yarns for this so I’m not entirely clear of the colorways but these are my best guesses from memory. (Side note–I’m doing my best this year to use stash yarns for these reviews as a fun challenge to myself!) The pale pink should be Red Heart With Love in “Cameo” and I swear the darker pink is this line too but I can’t find a colorway! The pale lavender shade is Lion Brand Pound of Love in “Quartz”, and the medium purple is Red Heart Super Saver in what I think is, well, “Medium Purple”. Each of these were partial skeins that I wound into two balls to hold double for this pattern.
- N/P-10mm crochet hook – I like to use Clover Amour Ergonomic Hook
- Yarn needle and scissors for finishing
- Colour Block Granny Scarf Crochet Pattern from MJ’s Off the Hook Designs – Free Pattern on Blog or Paid Pattern Paid Pattern via Etsy
Material Notes:
I realize I’m speaking on yarn I’m not entirely sure of the origin of, but I can tell you with 95% certainty that I have those lines correct. When it comes to basic worsted-weight acrylic, I pretty much entirely use Red Heart Super Saver/With Love, and Lion Brand Pound of Love so all 4 colors are very likely one of those.
Did they work? Absolutely. I found it clever that this pattern mimics a bulky weight by doubling strands of worsted. I’m sure I’m not alone in having a fairly large stash to work through of a lot of medium-weight yarn. All of these yarns worked together closely enough that the sections don’t feel different, and they were all easy to work with on the hook. Each of these is also machine-washable and a yarn that I’ve known in the past to be durable. Would I do this again with these yarns? Definitely.
If you’re thinking of making one of these, I just suggest finding worsted weight yarns with a similar feel to each other. You wouldn’t want to use a thicker one like Vanna’s Choice and then one that’s basically a category 3 in the next section. But any of the go-to options like Super Saver or even Joann’s store brand Big Twist line should work great!
How Long Does it Take to Crochet a Granny Stitch Scarf?
This is going to slightly depend on your comfort with a larger hook and thicker yarn. Personally, I don’t work with bulky yarn all that often and especially not a hook as large as N/P. I have them for when I need them but that’s a rare occasion. So I found my hands struggling a bit, despite the hook being very comfy! I probably took about 12 hours in total to make this, over a couple of weekends.
Gauge & Measurements:
The pattern gauge given is 4″ being 12 stitches or 3.25 rows. In comparison, my finished scarf (unblocked) has the same 12 stitches but I have about 3.5 rows in that height. So my width should be similar but my length might not be the same (since I “fit” more rows in the same 4 inches, and followed the row total of the pattern, over a long scarf I probably lost a couple of inches in the end).
The total size suggested is 13″ by 91″ in length, mine measures about 80″ which is still plenty long! I did only work 70 rows, since my final color was running out and that was only 4 rows short of the pattern. I didn’t want to add a 5th color for that small of a section. (See below for why I have more colors than the pattern and why my blocks are different sizes.)
Pattern Notes:
This is a very simple pattern based on a very popular stitch. And yet it’s still something I hadn’t personally seen before, and I don’t remember ever working a chevron pattern in granny stitches before! It’s always fun even after a decade in this hobby to find something new to try.
I mentioned my color blocks being different from the pattern, and I also ended up with 4 colors instead of the pattern which has only 3. I saw this was color-blocking and thought it would be fun to use it as a bit of a stash-bust, finding a few of my partial but mostly-full skeins of acrylic in coordinating colors. That way I could use up several skeins in one project! When I looked at the materials listed in the pattern, I realized especially when holding the yarn double-stranded, I couldn’t be sure I would have enough yardage in each yarn to make the sections as the pattern lists (the designer does give instructions on when to change color if you want your scarf to turn out like the examples in the pattern). So instead I just decided to start with one color and work it until I couldn’t complete another row. I did work the “correct” number of rows in the first color since I had enough, but from there I just stitched until I ran out and then grabbed the next pink or purple color from my shelves. I think this was a great way to use up some of my stash! It doesn’t hurt the pattern to have four stripes instead of three. I got a good length, a warm scarf, and a bunch of yarn off my shelves!
You might notice the pattern picture has tassels. I chose not to work these up for two reasons. One, I was using my yarn until it ran out so I only really had the final color left (and was packing so any remainder of the first color for tassels on that end was in a box at that point I’m sure), and I also wanted the ability to throw this scarf in the washing machine without worry. Tassels can survive that, but I don’t count on it always working out. So if it’s an item I want to wash, I like to leave fringe or tassels out of the picture.
The pattern is very well written and walks you through the surprisingly simple technique! Like I said, I hadn’t done it before that I remember. But once you get through a row or two, you’ll get the hang of it. Then from there it’s mostly a matter of keeping both strands on your hook. Be careful that you always have both strands on there, because it’s not pretty if you drop one! You end up with a loop sticking out of your stitch that might come loose. I’m saying this because it happened to me during this project. Thankfully I caught it each time but you need to be on the lookout for sneaky yarn strands misbehaving.
I can’t think of any complaints about this pattern. It’s simple to work up once you get the technique down, and provides a lot of practice if granny stitch is something you need to work on. It can be a carefully coordinated and planned color-block project, or a stash-buster like mine where you find out what your next color is when you get there! And the finished item is warm and snuggly and will keep me cozy for years to come. As I write this review the last of our current snow is melting, but it’s only March and I’m sure we’ll get at least one more nasty storm to really test this thing out.
Are you a careful planner when it comes to stripes and color blocking? Or do you take it as it goes like I did, and see what happens? I’d love to know your approach and know if I’m out of the ordinary!
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