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Wearablesoversized crochet scarf pattern

Oversized Crochet Scarf

Clara Hartwell, Wavode pattern designer
By Clara Hartwell
11 min read
Free pattern · Step by stepJump to the crochet steps
Woman in a cream sweater wearing a rust oversized crochet scarf with raised bobbles and a long fringe, on an autumn path

This free oversized crochet scarf pattern makes a big, cozy wrap about 17 inches wide and 69 inches long, with a 10-inch fringe at each end. The whole texture comes from one easy idea: little bobbles set between single crochet stitches, staggered like bricks so they read as a field of tiny leaves. It's worked flat in rows with bulky #5 yarn on a 6.5 mm hook. You'll need about 1,200 yards, and it takes 15 to 18 hours.

Key Takeaways

  • Two stitches do all the work: single crochet and a 4-double-crochet bobble.
  • A 4-row repeat that you'll have memorized by the second pass.
  • Budget ~1,200 yd (1,100 m) of bulky #5 yarn, about 9–10 skeins of 137 yd.
  • Fully adjustable. Any multiple of 4 plus 3 stitches works for the width.

Why I love this oversized crochet scarf

This is the scarf I reach for the first cold morning of October and don't take off until March. It's wide enough to wear as a wrap over a sweater, long enough to loop twice, and the fringe gives it that easy, thrown-on look. It's a scarf that feels like a small blanket.

The texture is the fun part. On one row you pop a bobble every fourth stitch. On the next bobble row you shift them over by two. That offset is what turns plain single crochet into rows of little raised beans that look like falling leaves. It looks far fussier than it is.

Rust is my favorite color for it. The bobbles catch the light, and burnt orange makes every shadow between them look deliberate. It's just as lovely in oatmeal, forest green or charcoal.

Skill level. Advanced beginner. If you can single crochet and double crochet in rows, you can make this. The only new move is the bobble, and I break it down step by step below.

Want a faster scarf first? My chunky striped crochet scarf uses one stitch and takes about two hours. And if you love a big textured layer, my balloon-sleeve crochet sweater uses the same bulky yarn weight.

What you'll need

Yarn

  • ~1,200 yd (1,100 m) of bulky #5 yarn in rust or burnt orange. A wool blend gives the crispest bobbles. Lion Brand Hue + Me (137 yd / 125 m per skein) is a good match, and any bulky #5 wool-acrylic blend works. Plan on 1,100–1,350 yd (1,000–1,235 m), so buy 10 skeins from the same dye lot.
  • About 150 yd of that total goes into the fringe.
  • Heads up: a scarf this size is heavy, around 2.5 lb (1.1 kg). That's what makes it feel like a wrap. If you want something lighter, see the narrower version in the variations table.

Hook and notions

  • 6.5 mm (US K-10.5) hook.
  • 2 locking stitch markers.
  • A tapestry needle and sharp scissors.
  • A piece of stiff cardboard about 11 in (28 cm) long, for cutting the fringe.

Gauge

In pattern: 11 sts × 11 rows = 4 in (10 cm).

Chain 16 and work Rows 1–5 below three times on 15 sts, then measure the center. Gauge matters more than usual here, because a small difference over 69 inches adds up. If your swatch is bigger, go down to a 6 mm hook. If it's smaller, go up to 7 mm.

The fabric should be dense and squishy, with no big gaps around the bobbles.

Abbreviations (US crochet terms)

  • ch = chain
  • sc = single crochet
  • dc = double crochet
  • st(s) = stitch(es)
  • RS / WS = right side / wrong side
  • rep = repeat

Bobble: [Yarn over, insert the hook into the st, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops] 4 times, all in the same st (5 loops on the hook). Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops. The bobble counts as 1 st.

UK crocheters: this pattern uses US terms. US single crochet = UK double crochet, and US double crochet = UK treble.

Finished size

  • Width: approximately 17 in (43 cm).
  • Length: approximately 69 in (175 cm), before fringe.
  • Fringe: about 10 in (25 cm) at each end, so roughly 89 in (226 cm) tip to tip.

How the bobble texture works

Here's the whole trick in plain words. Bobbles are made on wrong-side rows. A bobble is a cluster of four half-finished double crochets squeezed into one stitch. It's taller than the single crochets on either side, so it has nowhere to go but out. It pops toward the back of the work, which is the right side of your scarf.

Every bobble row is followed by a plain single crochet row, which locks the bobbles in place. The two bobble rows start at different points, so the bobbles land two stitches apart, in a brick pattern. That's the whole design.

The pattern — step by step

Turn at the end of every row. The ch 1 at the start of a row doesn't count as a stitch.

Part 1 — Foundation

Foundation: Ch 48.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (47 sts)

Put a marker in this row to show the right side. You'll want it later when you attach the fringe.

Step 1 of the oversized crochet scarf: rust bulky yarn, hook, scissors and markers, then the foundation chain of 48 and the first row of 47 single crochet

Part 2 — The 4-row bobble repeat

Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, sc in the first 3 sts, *bobble in the next st, sc in the next 3 sts; rep from * across. Turn. (11 bobbles, 36 sc)

Row 3 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (47 sts)

Row 4 (WS): Ch 1, sc in the first st, *bobble in the next st, sc in the next 3 sts; rep from * to the last 2 sts, bobble in the next st, sc in the last st. Turn. (12 bobbles, 35 sc)

Row 5 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (47 sts)

Step 2 of the oversized crochet scarf: four partial double crochets gathered on the hook and closed into a bobble, a row of bobbles, a plain single crochet row, and the staggered bobbles of the first repeat

Don't skip the top of the bobble. On Rows 3 and 5, the top of each bobble sits a little crooked and is easy to miss. Look for the loop that closed the bobble and put a sc into it. If you have 46 stitches at the end of a row, this is almost always why.

Check your first repeat against the photo. On the right side you should see bobbles in positions 4, 8, 12 and so on from Row 2, and a second row of bobbles exactly halfway between them from Row 4.

Part 3 — Work the length

Rows 6–189: Rep Rows 2–5 another 46 times, for 47 repeats in total. End after a Row 5.

The scarf measures about 69 in (175 cm) at this point. If you'd like it longer or shorter, stop after any Row 5. Each repeat adds about 1.5 in (3.5 cm).

Fasten off and weave in the end.

Step 3 of the oversized crochet scarf: repeating the bobble rows, staggered rust bobbles in a brick pattern, and the full-length scarf body laid flat

Count every few rows. Put a marker in the last stitch of each Row 5. Then you can check at a glance that the edges are still straight. A scarf that slowly narrows has usually lost the last stitch of a row, which is easy to do on a sc row after a bobble row.

Part 4 — Cut and attach the fringe

Each end gets 24 tassels of 5 strands, so you need 240 strands in total.

  1. Cut the strands. Wrap the yarn around your 11-in cardboard 60 times, then cut along one edge. That gives you 60 strands about 22 in (56 cm) long. Do this 4 times.
  2. Attach a tassel. With the RS facing you, fold 5 strands in half. Insert the hook through the first stitch along the short edge, from front to back. Catch the fold and pull it through to make a loop.
  3. Lock it. Pull all 10 cut ends through that loop and tug firmly so the knot sits snugly against the edge.
  4. Keep going. Attach a tassel in every other st across: sts 1, 3, 5 and so on to st 47. That's 24 tassels.
  5. Repeat on the other end, working into the foundation chain.

Step 4 of the oversized crochet scarf: wrapping yarn around cardboard, cutting the strands, folding a 5-strand bundle and pulling it through the edge with the hook to knot a tassel

Part 5 — Finishing

  • Trim the fringe. Lay the scarf flat, comb the fringe straight with your fingers, and trim it level at about 10 in (25 cm).
  • Block it gently. Lay the scarf flat on towels, mist it with water and pat it to 17 in wide. Let it dry fully. Don't press or iron it, because that flattens the bobbles.
  • Weave in the tails at both corners for at least 2 in, then turn and go back the other way.

Step 5 of the oversized crochet scarf: combing and trimming the fringe, misting the scarf flat on a towel to block it, and the finished rust scarf worn over a cream sweater

Make it yours — quick variations

Variation Change from base pattern
Lighter scarf Ch 36 for 35 sts (about 13 in wide). Row 2 has 8 bobbles and Row 4 has 9. Uses about 900 yd.
Extra-wide wrap Ch 60 for 59 sts (about 21.5 in wide). Row 2 has 14 bobbles and Row 4 has 15. Uses about 1,500 yd.
Shorter scarf Stop after 40 repeats for about 58 in of body. That's easier to wear under a coat.
No fringe Skip Part 4 and work 1 row of sc around the whole edge, putting 3 sc in each corner.
Matching accessory Pair it with my autumn leaf crochet earrings in terracotta.

Troubleshooting the three things that go wrong

The bobbles are on the wrong side

The bobbles are showing up on the side facing you as you make them. That means you're working your bobble rows as RS rows. Check where your RS marker is. Bobbles always go on the even-numbered rows, with the WS facing you.

The scarf is getting narrower

You're losing a stitch. It's almost always the top of a bobble that got missed on the next sc row, or the last stitch of a row, which hides against the edge. Count to 47 at the end of every sc row for the first few repeats, until it becomes automatic.

The bobbles look flat

The bobbles are either too loose or on too big a hook. Keep the yarn-overs snug and try a hook half a size smaller. A soft, splitty yarn can also blur them, so a smooth wool blend shows the most texture.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this oversized crochet scarf take to make? About 15 to 18 hours in total. The body is roughly 189 rows, and the bobble rows are the slow ones. Cutting and attaching 48 tassels takes another 1.5 to 2 hours. Over two weekends, or a couple of weeks of evenings, it comes together comfortably.

How much yarn do I need? About 1,200 yd (1,100 m) of bulky #5 yarn for the size shown. The body uses roughly 1,050 yd and the fringe about 150 yd. Tension and yarn brand shift that, so plan on 1,100–1,350 yd. That's 9–10 skeins of a 137 yd yarn. Buy 10 from one dye lot.

Can I use a different yarn weight? Yes. For a lighter scarf, use worsted #4 on a 5.5 mm hook and cast on more stitches. Keep the count at a multiple of 4 plus 3. For example, 63 sts is about 17 in wide in worsted. Always swatch first, and expect the yardage to go up.

Is this pattern good for beginners? It's a good second or third project. The stitches are only single and double crochet, and the repeat is 4 rows. The bobble takes a few tries to get even. If it's your very first scarf, start with my one-stitch chunky striped scarf, then come back to this one.

How do I wash it? Follow the yarn label. For most wool blends, hand wash in cool water with a little wool wash, squeeze the water out in a towel and dry the scarf flat. Don't wring it or hang it, because the weight will stretch it out of shape.

Can I sell scarves made from this pattern? Yes, you're welcome to sell finished scarves made from this free pattern at markets, on Etsy or as gifts. Please credit "Pattern by Wavode" in your listing and link back to this page. What you can't do is republish this write-up or my photos as your own pattern.

Related patterns on Wavode

Made this scarf? Tag #wavodecrochet on Pinterest. I re-pin every finished make and credit the maker.

Pattern by Clara Hartwell for Wavode. Questions? Email me at support@wavode.com.