The pattern was from the Crochet Pattern-a-Day 2006 calendar. Once again, as with so many patterns from this calendar, it was loaded with mistakes. The pattern was labeled "easy" which is why I decided to try filet crochet. But the pattern instructions did not quite match the picture of the scarf. The problem is, for an introduction to filet, filet crochet is not at all described properly.
Luckily, filet is actually a simple concept of using a set number of stitches to represent blocks and the blocks are either filled in or open. It is a very logical type of pattern to follow. The key is following the grid, which is part of the pattern in a set way. The grid is like graph paper with some blocks filled in black and other left white. In this case, double crochet was used and I thought of the pattern this way: the lines of the grid were each a double crochet, a filled in block put two double crochets between each of the lines, and the open blocks were worked by making two chain stitches and skipping two stitches before working the next double crochet. This is not at all what the pattern described but is definitely what the picture showed.
Anyway, once I got the hang of it, the scarf worked through quite nicely. Initially I tried a worsted weight yarn but it was too heavy for this delicate scarf, so I switched to a lighter weight yarn. I actually used a beautiful Bernat yarn that I picked up from Value Village. The label looks rather old and I've looked on the Bernat site and it doesn't look like they make it any more. It's 76% cotton, 14% nylon, and 10% silk. The yarn is squiggly rather than straight and alternates between being really thin and thicker which leads to a great texture which is far clearer in person than in the pictures.
Hook size:
G
Materials used:
Bernat Cott'n Silk, 3 skeins of 1.75 oz.
