How to crochet a Slytherin scarf

It all started with a pair of socks.

It was one of those rare occasions when I managed to bring my husband to the mall. This means a mandatory (though painless) stroll through the collectibles merchandise store.

Twenty minutes and two bored children later, we emerged with two transformer t­shirts, one promise to come back with my son’s allowance, and a pair of Slytherin socks almost as fantastic as a nargle.

And what’s a pair of Slytherin socks without the matching scarf?

After looking at the selection in the store (dismal and somewhat pricey) I remembered that I knew one crochet stitch. One stitch should be enough to make a scarf, right? It turned out the answer is a resounding yes. Thank you, Grandma, for teaching me the single crochet!

After wasting time on the internet… I mean research… I found there are actually two styles of Slytherin scarves. The earlier Harry Potter movies feature a blocked version (11 rows green, 11 rows grey, repeat ad nauseam) and the later movies showcase this lovely striped version. I chose the striped scarf.

So how do you start making this scarf?

You’ll need a few things first. Pretty basic, really. You’ll need:

• 2 skeins of green yarn, worsted weight
• 1 skein of light gray yarn, worsted weight
• 5.0 mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Darning needle

If you’re not sure what worsted weight yarn looks like in the store,  look for a big number 4 on the wrapper. I found the deep green by Caron Simply Soft to be a really nice weight to work with, as well as having a bit of luster to its finish. The label on the side says to use a 5.0mm crochet hook, so you’ll need one of those. And a pair of scissors for trimming ends.

How big do I make this thing?

It turns out that a Slytherin scarf is both quite wide and quite long. I made mine less wide than the movie pictures show. If you like the width of my scarf, I went with 25 stitches wide (just under 7″ wide). To get the more movie­ accurate sizing, you’ll need it to be about 40 stitches wide (about 10 inches wide). Yowzas.

Alrightey. Let’s get cracking!

So, to start off, chain your 25 stitches.

Once you’ve got the 25 down, add an extra stitch and then loop back the other way. Keep single crocheting rows back and forth until you have a nice wide swath. Mine is 11 rows high.

Then comes a lovely new skill I learned, switching colors (thanks, youtube!)

You’ll need 2 rows of gray, 2 rows of green, and then another 2 of gray.

Once you’re done that, you can start on another 11 rows of the green. Repeat until you’ve got your scarf to a nice length. In the movies, the scarf ends around mid­-thigh. Make sure your last swath is 11 rows of green, then tie off your ends. My scarf turned out to be 13 repeats of the 11 rows of green, which made an 87″ long scarf since I’m tall and wanted the scarf to be long on me. The movie scarf is 69″ long.

But what about that stupefying fringe?

There’s a bit of variation in whether to add a fringe or not, how long to make it, and whether you want to alternate gray & green, or just do it green. I preferred the green version.

I like a nice long fringe on my scarves, so I took a tip from the other crochet gurus online and wrapped the yarn around a DVD case once for each stitch – 25 times altogether. Then you cut the ends, and voila! You have 25 same – length pieces of yarn perfect for a fringe. You can use your crochet hook to pull the yarn through each stitch at the ends of your scarf to make the fringe.

Once you’ve added your final fringe pieces, you’ll get something as fabulous as this:

Happy scarf making! If you make a scarf, send me a photo – I’d love to see it!

Download the Pattern

2019 Update: I’ve made up a printable pattern for those of you who prefer to follow the written word. And while I was at it, I drafted up a pattern for the color-blocked scarf featured in Chamber of Secrets as well as the striped one shown above. Happy crocheting!