The Fallen Leaves Scarf is a stunning accessory featuring hand-dyed yarn and the easy repeating crochet arcade stitch for a one-of-a-kind addition to your cold-weather wardrobe!
Scroll down for the free crochet pattern for the Fallen Leaves Scarf and click here to PIN this for later!
The leaves are showing out . . .
Nature is putting on a show, and it’s been gorgeous here in central North Carolina over the past few weeks. The leaves have been changing slowly since October began, but all the trees seem to have burst into color overnight. Everywhere you look, you see those saturated yellows and oranges and reds – and when the late afternoon autumn sunlight shines through? It’s breathtaking.
But with the blaze of color on the trees come the crunch and rustle of fallen leaves on the ground, and there is something beautiful in that too that evokes warmth and coziness for me, and childhood memories of jumping into leaf piles in the backyard. The Fallen Leaves Scarf captures all of that beauty and nostalgia and I am so happy with the look of this project using the crochet arcade stitch!
The Crochet Arcade Stitch
I have been a fan of the crochet arcade stitch ever since I found it in one of my crochet books, and it’s featured in the Autumn Fade Infinity Scarf pattern here on the blog. In fact, that was the inspiration for this project – it’s essentially the same pattern written as a long scarf design with fringes. Both designs use DK weight yarn, but not all #3 yarns are created equal so there are slight variations in the texture and width of the Fallen Leaves Scarf. This four-row repeating stitch is easy, using double crochets, single crochets, and chains that look fancy and deceptively complicated.
That hand-dyed yarn . . .
Oh, how I adore hand-dyed yarn. One-of-a-kind and unique, using hand-dyed yarn in your projects is sure to elevate any design to a stunning showstopper, and I was so lucky to get a few hanks of the Hocus Pocus collection from Trista at While They Dream. Her Black Flame colorway is full of deep browns and muted oranges with little flecks of gray and black that just screamed fallen leaves to me. This exclusive colorway is no longer available this year but there are loads of independent yarn dyers with amazing colorways to choose from if you want to use hand-dyed yarn to create this crochet arcade stitch. And of course, any #3 DK weight yarn can be used for this decorative lacy stitch.
Purchase the ad-free PDF digital download versions from my pattern shops below!
Tips for working with hand-dyed yarn
Hand-dyed yarn comes in twisted hanks that have to be wound into balls or skeins for ease of use, and there is no better tool for that than a ball winder and yarn swift! This is one of those fiber arts items that you never knew you needed, but trust me it’s worth the purchase to avoid a giant mess of yarn tangles. Also keep in mind that due to the unique handmade nature of hand-dyed yarn, hanks in the same colorway will differ slightly in color or tone even when dyed in the same pan. Because of this, it’s important to rotate your skeins several times while working on your project to avoid any unwanted color pooling or hard lines.
I can’t wait to see what yarn and color choices you use for your crochet arcade stitch scarf, happy crocheting!
Scroll down for the free crochet pattern for the Fallen Leaves Scarf and click here to PIN this for later!
Free Crochet Pattern – The Fallen Leaves Scarf
SKILL LEVEL: Easy +
MATERIALS:
US Size I/9 5.5 mm crochet hook
#3/DK weight yarn, approximately 693 yards used
Options – City Tweed DK, Moroccan Nights Yarn
- Featured yarn details: Weight: #3/DK 85% Superwash Merino/15% Donegal Nep – 231 yards/100g)
Recommended if using hand-dyed yarn: Ball Winder and Yarn Swift
GAUGE: 5 completed Arcade stitches (Row 3) = 7.5 inches.
(Gauge is not important for this project as long as 5 Arcade stitches are worked as indicated in the instructions for Row 3 to create the width of your finished scarf)
ABBREVIATIONS:
ch – chain
sc – single crochet
dc – double crochet
sk – skip
st(s) – stitch(es)
tc – turning chain
ch-sp – chain space
ch-3 space – chain 3 space
PATTERN NOTES:
- This easy crochet scarf is created using the Arcade stitch, a simple four-row repeat after an initial set-up row.
- Ch 1 and Ch 3 do not count as a stitch.
- There is no wrong side or right side to the finished scarf.
- There are five Arcade stitches or arches in Row 3.
- Row 2 is the set-up row, after which rows 3-6 are repeated until your desired length. The scarf pictured has 187 total rows with 46 total 4-row repeats.
- Photos are provided to outline each step.
THE PATTERN – Fallen Leaves Scarf-Crochet Arcade Stitch
Foundation Chain: Ch 31
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from the hook and across, turn. (30)
Row 2: Sc in the stitch at base of tch. *Ch 3, sk 3 sts, sc in the next 3 sts*. Repeat from * to * until 5 sts remain. Ch 3, sk 3 sts, sc in each of the last 2 sts, turn.
Beginning of repeat rows:
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in stitch at base of tch. *7 dc in the next ch-3 space, sk next st, sc in the next st*. Repeat from * to * across the row, ending with 7 dc in last ch-3 space. Sc into the last st, turn.
Row 4: Ch 4 (counts as a ch-space), sk first 2 dc from the previous row, sc in next 3 sts. *Ch 3, sk 5 sts, sc in next 3 sts*. Repeat from * to * across the row until 3 sts remain. Ch 1, sk next 2 st and dc in the last st. Turn.
Row 5: Ch 3, 3 dc in the ch-sp from the previous row. Sk next st, sc in the next st. *7 dc in the next ch-3 space, sk next st, sc in next st*. Repeat from * to * across until only ch-sp from previous row and tch remains. 4 dc into the ch-sp, turn.
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in same st at base of tch. Sc in next st. *Ch 3, sk next 5 sts, sc in next 3 sts*. Repeat from * to * across until 6 sts and tch remain. Ch 3, sk 6 sts, sc in the top of the tch, turn.
Repeat Rows 3-6 until the desired length is reached.
Final Row: Ch 1, 3 sc in 1st ch-3 space. *Sc in next 3 sts, 3 sc in next ch-3 space.* Repeat from * to * ending with last sc in top of tch. (30 sc). Fasten off.
Adding fringe to your Fallen Leaves Scarf
Adding fringe to your Fallen Leaves Scarf is totally optional and super easy! The process is outlined in detail for the Mountain Sunset Scarf here on the blog; visit that page for step-by-step instructions and photos.
Photo References – Crochet Arcade Stitch
The beginning of Row 2, after completing the foundation chain and first row of single crochet. 
Completion of Row 2. 
The beginning of Row 3; the needle and stitch marker indicate the 1st single crochet worked in this row. 
The end of Row 3; the needle indicates where the last single crochet is placed. 
Completion of Row 3. 
The beginning of Row 4; the needles indicate the two stitches that are skipped. 
The end of Row 4, showing the double crochet worked into the last stitch. 
Completion of Row 4. 
The beginning of Row 5; the needle indicates the turning chain with three double crochet stitches to the left. 
The last single crochet stitch in Row 5, with the turning chain remaining. 
The end of Row 5, showing the last four double crochets worked into the turning chain. 
Completion of Row 5. 
Beginning of Row 6. 
The end of Row 6, with the remaining 6 stitches (6th stitch indicated with the gold needle) and the turning chain (indicated with the blue needle) remaining. 
The end of Row 6, with the last single crochet worked into the top of the turning chain. 
Completion of the four row repeat!
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