Crochet Broomstick Lace Scarf

Oh my goodness, 3/4 of January just slipped away in light speed while I turned myself into a busy bee buzzing around between my sewing room and craft room, office, kid’s back to school errand and other daily chores. Finally, I managed to squeeze a good time to share with you on how to crochet this cozy lovely elegant Broomstick Lace Scarf. This is a beginner level crochet pattern, as long as you can do crochet stitches like the chain, single crochet, slip stitch you should be able to get it done without much problem 🙂

Broomstick lace, also known as jiffy lace and peacock eye crochet, is a historic crochet technique from the 19th century which is done using a crochet hook and another long slender item such as a knitting needle. Traditionally a broomstick was used, hence the name, but the modern variant is a lightweight plastic knitting needle or smooth wooden craft dowel. A larger knitting needle or dowel will result in a lacier effect, while a smaller will provide a more closely woven effect. Because the fabric created is soft yet stable, it is well-suited for clothing and blankets. [Source: Wikipedia]

Most online tutorials (written or video) will show you to pick loops and place on the left needle but this broomstick lace scarf does it a little differently. The different is just to turn your work, pick loops to place on the right needle. A flatter but more defined straight v line between the broomstick lace layers is the result of this little change. Get more detail on the pattern and view the differences between the left vs right needle pick.

Broomstick Lace Scarf

Crochet Pattern
Finish dimension: 66″ x 20″
Difficulty Level: Beginner

Materials & Tools:
1. Cotton lace, 14 wpi (wrap per inch), Weight Type : Lace [Note *]
2. Crochet hook: 4.0 mm
3. Knitting needle or dowel rod: 18mm
4. Scissors

* I bought the lace thread from a local online shop, Cotton House, the range is Fine Cotton 100. You need about 3 balls (90-110 gram each) of cotton thread. I am not sure if they will ship internationally but no harm dropping them a message to ask.

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
st = stitch
slst = slip stitch
sl knot = slip knot
fo = fasten off

Crochet Pattern:

Broomstick Lace
Slip knot to begin crochet
Row 1: ch 424, increase or decrease every set of 4 ch until you reach 66″ of length,
Row 2: ch 1, sc on second ch from hook until the end of the row, lengthen last loop and place on the 18mm needle (this is the first loop of next row), turn [note **]
Row 3: Pick loop from next stitch until the end, turn. Check: You should have the same number of loops as the ch sts you made in row 1
Row 4: Insert hook through the first set of 4 loops, yarn over and draw through all 4 loops, chain 1 follow by 4 sc on the same 4 loops, one broomstick cluster made. Repeat 4 sc in each set of 4 loops until the end, turn. Check: you should have a total of 424/4 = 106 broomstick clusters.

Repeat row 3 and 4 until you reach the height of about 20″. I repeated row 3 and 4 25 times.

Last row: slst on each st until end. Continue crochet with the side border.

** This is the “pick loop and place on RIGHT needle” and it is different from most of the online tutorial that showing “pick loop and place on LEFT needle”, the former method need to turn the work and the latter don’t. Refer picture below to see the slight different on the segment line between the broomstick lace layers.

Use this method

Not this method

Side Borders
ch 1, sc on first st, ch 5, sc on next broomstick row, repeat until you reach the end. fo
Repeat the same to the other edge

Fringe
I used twisted fringe method to make the 4″ long fringes. I adapted this tutorial to make the twisted fringe but I make it longer and skip 1 stitch between the fringe.
Insert hook into the first st and pull the loop to about 8 1/2″ long before start twisting it for about 40 turns with the hook, fold down the twisted loop into half and it will twist back to form the twisted fringe. slst into the same st, slst to the next st. Repeat the pull loop and twisting to complete the entire side with twisted fringes.

Crochet Row 1 and Row 2 by following the crochet pattern above to make a long chain and single crochet base before starting the broomstick lace stitch.

Leave a big loop at the end of row 2, remove the hook.
With the needle of the right, insert the needle through the loop from the right.
Insert hook into the next stitch, draw loop through and place it on the needle.

Repeat picking up loops of every stitch until you have reached the end.
Check: You should have the same number of loops as the ch sts you made in row 1.

Insert hook through the first set of 4 loops, from right to left.

Yarn over and draw through all 4 loops, chain 1, this is commonly known as locking stitch in the broomstick lace pattern.
You need to make the locking stitch at the beginning of each broomstick row to lock the loops.

Follow by 4 sc on the same 4 loops, one broomstick cluster made.

Repeat 4 sc in each set of 4 loops until the end, turn. Check: you should have a total of 424/4 = 106 broomstick clusters.

Repeat loop picking and single crochet rows until you reach the height of about 20″, it is about 26 broomstick lace layers.

Slip stitch on every stitch at the end of the row.

Continue to crochet the short edge side border. Fasten off and crochet the other side.

Make twisted fringe at both short edges to finish off the broomstick lace scarf. Fasten off and hide all yarn ends.
Block the scarf before using it.

Love the scarf so much as it looks good on me 🙂