Joining and seams · Beginner
Joining an infinity scarf
To turn a scarf into an infinity scarf, bring its two short ends together and seam them, so that the scarf becomes one loop. Lay it flat for a plain loop, or turn one end over first for a loop with a half twist. A whip stitch, sewn with the tail left at the end of the last row, is a simple seam for it.
How to work it
Bring the ends together
Lay the scarf out flat with no twist in it. Bring the two short ends round until they meet edge to edge: the last row against the starting chain.
Or give it a half twist
For a loop with a twist in it, turn one end over once before the ends meet. The loop keeps that half twist once the ends are joined. This shape is called a Mobius loop.
Seam the ends
Thread the tail on a yarn needle and whip stitch the two edges together, one stitch through each pair of stitches. Any seam you like will do in its place: a row of slip stitches worked through both edges with the hook, before the yarn is cut, or a mattress stitch.
At a glance
- Used for
- finishing a scarf worked flat in rows as a loop with no ends; closing a cowl or a headband that was worked as a flat strip
- Edges joined
- The two short ends: the starting chain and the last row.
- Seams used
- Whip stitch, slip stitch or mattress stitch.
- Half twist
- A choice. A plain loop has none.
- A common length before joining
- About 60 in (152 cm), long enough to wear doubled.
An infinity scarf is a scarf with no ends: one long loop, worn once round the neck or doubled. Most are worked flat, as one long strip in rows, and become a loop only at this last step. Left unjoined, the same strip is an ordinary scarf.
A scarf can also be a loop from the first round, with no seam at all. Chain the whole distance round, join the last chain to the first with a slip stitch, taking care that the chain is not twisted, and work in rounds until the scarf is as wide as you want. For a Mobius loop made this way, the chain is given a half twist on purpose before it is joined.
When it goes wrong
- My scarf has a twist I did not want.
- Take the seam out and lay the scarf flat again, with the same side facing up all the way along. Then bring the ends together and seam them once more.
Variations
- Whip stitch. The sewn seam, over and over through both edges.
- Mattress stitch. A sewn seam worked from side to side between the two edges.
- Slip stitch and other crocheted seams. Seams made with the hook, compared with the sewn ones.
Questions
- Do I twist an infinity scarf before joining it?
- Only if you want the twist. Joined flat, the scarf is a plain loop. With one end turned over once, the loop has a half twist in it.
- What stitch joins the ends of an infinity scarf?
- A whip stitch is a simple choice, sewn with the tail left when the last row was fastened off. A slip stitch seam or a mattress stitch also works.
- Can an infinity scarf be made with no seam?
- Yes. Join the starting chain into a ring and work the scarf in rounds.
- How long is a scarf before it is joined?
- About 60 in (152 cm) is common for a loop that is worn doubled.