Elemental Scarf

Way back in September, a friend suggested making a scarf to represent the four elements: earth, air, fire, water. I instantly fell in love with the idea and came up with a pattern to go along with the representative colors. Spirit was included as the fifth element tying everything together. After some writing, experimenting, testing, blocking, and photographing, I'm finally ready to share my typed up pattern for the Elemental Scarf!

The pattern is written in sections which are approxiamately the same length and width. Dimensions will vary somewhat with your crochet style and blocking/stretching technique. You can arrange the sections however you please or repeat a section as you would like. Colors are my personal representations of the elements, so change them to whatever fits well with you. As always, feel free to ask questions and leave comments.

Abbreviations
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
dc - doule crochet
fpdc - front post double crochet
bpdc - back post double crochet
tch - turning chain
cluster - group of stitches closed at all once together
shell - group of stitches worked into same space or stitch

Materials:
Hook, I/9 5.5mm (or hook recommended for yarn)
Approximately 100 yards each color of worsted weight yarn
Yarn needle recommended for sewing in ends
 

Earth:
green, solid stitches
1: ch 16, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across (15 sc)
2: turn, ch 1, 15 hdc
3: turn, ch 1, 15 dc
4: turn, ch 1, 15 sc
5-36: Repeat rows 2-4, ending with row 3
36 rows = 12 sets

Air:
white, clusters & shells
1: ch 3, dc across (15 dc)
2: ch 5, cluster in first 3 dc, *ch 2, cluster next 3 dc.* Repeat * to * to end; ch 2, dc in last sc (5 clusters + 2 dc ends)
3: ch 3, *3dc shell in top of cluster, repeat from * across. dc in 3rd ch of previous tch.
4-23: Repeat rows 2&3
Final row: ch 3, dc across
24 rows = 11 pairs + dc rows

Fire:
red, post stitches
1-3: ch 3, dc across (15 dc)
4: ch 3, 3 bpdc, 7 fpdc, 3 bpdc, dc in tch
5: ch 3, 4 fpdc, 5 bpdc, 4 fpdc,  dc in tch
6: 5 bpdc, 3 fpdc, 5 bpdc, dc in tch
7: 6 fpdc, 1 bpdc, 6 fpdc, dc in tch
8-21: repeat rows 1-7.
22-24: ch 3, dc across (15 dc)
24 rows = 3 sets + final 3 rows

Water:
blue, ribbed & wavy
1: 15 sc
2: hdc, hdc, sc, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, hdc - all front loop only
3-35: repeat row 2
36: 15 sc
36 rows = 12 sets + sc rows

Spirit:
purple border
Single crochet around evenly. Following this general guidline for help placing stitches into the sides of rows: 1 sc into sc row, 3 sc in 2 hdc rows, 2 sc in dc row

Snowdrop Flower

I'm currently involved in a year-long swap, exchanging gifts with a new friend. She recently mentioned that snowdrops start appearing near her around the start of February (when her next package from me should arrive). I searched high and low for a snowdrop flower inspired crochet pattern, but nothing I found was satisfactory in the least. So what was I to do besides write a pattern? :)

**This is not a beginner pattern. Please read all of the instructions before starting. I have include lots of pictures after the instructions, so hopefully that'll be helpful.**

Stitches:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
fsc - foundation single crochet
fhdc - foundation half-double crochet
fdc - foundation double crochet
slst - slip-stich

first foundation single crochet:
1. Insert hook into 2nd chain or loop from hook, yarn over and pull through.
2. Yarn over and pull through one loop (forming the foundation chain).
3. Yarn over and pull through two loops.

foundation single crochet (fsc):
1. Insert hook into foundation chain of previous stitch, yarn over and pull through.
2. Yarn over and pull through one loop (forming the foundation chain).
3. Yarn over and pull through two loops.

foundation half-double crochet (fhdc):
1. Yarn over. Insert hook into foundation chain of previous stitch, yarn over and pull through.
2. Yarn over and pull through one loop (forming the foundation chain).
3. Yarn over and pull through three loops.

foundation double crochet (fdc):
1. Yarn over. Insert hook into foundation chain of previous stitch, yarn over and pull through.
2. Yarn over and pull through one loop (forming the foundation chain).
3. Yarn over and pull through two loops.
4. Yarn over and pull through two loops.

Materials:
worsted weight yarn
    green - approx 3 yards
    white - approx 6 yards
4.5 mm hook
yarn needle


Directions:

Green
Stem:
1. Staring with green, ch 2. Insert hook into second chain from hook.
2. yarn over, pull through ch
3. yarn over, pull through one loop (foundation chain portion of stitch made)
4. yarn over, pull through two loops (fsc made)
5. insert hook into foundation chain portion of previous fsc
6. yarn over, pull through ch
7. yarn over, pull through one loop
8. yarn over, pull through two loops
9. repeat steps 5-8 six more times (total of 8 fsc)
10. ch 2, 6 sc into 2nd ch from hook
11. slst to first sc make a circle, finish off

White
Inner Petals:
1. attach white with slst to any front loop of green sc
2. sc into front loop of next green sc, ch 2, sc flo of next green sc (first petal made)
3. repeat step 2 twice more (three petals made)
4. slst to next green front loop

Outer Petals:
5. slst into closest back loop of green sc
6. ch 1, insert hook into same green back loop of sc as previous slst to start fsc, complete fsc
7. insert hook into foundation chain of fsc, make fhdc
8. continue inserting hook into previous foundation chain to make fdc, fhdc, fsc (half petal made)
9. ch 1, using foundation chains of first half of petal: sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc (petal made)
10. slst to next green back loop to attach petal; slst into next green back loop
11. repeat 6-10 twice more (three petals made)
12. weave in ends
You're done! 




And now for lots of pictures: 

ch 2

insert hook into 2nd ch from hook, yarn over, pull through

yarn over, pull through: foundation chain made

yarn over, pull through both loops: first fsc

insert hook into foundation chain of first fsc

yarn over, pull through

yarn over, pull through one loop; yarn over, pull through both loops: second fsc made

eight completed fsc

ch 2

6 sc into ch

slipstitched into a circle

attach white with slst to a front loop; ch 1; insert hook into next front loop to start sc

sc

sc, ch 2, sc - first inner petal

three inner petals

slst to nearest back loop

ch 1, insert hook into next back loop to start fsc; yarn over and pull through green

 yarn over pull through one white loop

yarn over pull through both white loops: fsc made

insert into foundation chain portion of fsc, start fhdc

half petal

ch 1, insert into foundation chain of last fsc of petal to start sc

first petal complete

slst into next back loop to finish first petal; slst into next back loop to start next petal

two petals

three petals

ends all sewn in