Four Peaks Scarf is a newly remastered, rectangular variation of the L-shaped Five Peaks Shawl. (Five Peaks first appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine.)

This is a use-any-yarn design: any weight, fiber, amount, and Tunisian hook size. Compare the dense wintery wool scarves with the breezy summery examples pictured.

“Four Peaks” refers to what it’s like to start in one corner (a “peak”) and then crochet Tunisian rows diagonally to create the remaining three “peaks” of a symmetrical Tunisian rectangle (i.e., a scarf; or…stole, shrug, headband, afghan, and more!). This geometric construction method frees you to do several other promising things with Tunisian crochet.

The eyelet edging is built in to each biasing row for uninterrupted striping with variegated yarns. (It wouldn’t look the same if the edging had to be added later instead.)

Four Peaks introduces the “Tunisian foundation slip stitch.” The Five Peaks pattern uses an alternate method I developed called the “double half-hitch.” (Developing stretchy, pretty, and symmetrically draping Tunisian crochet edges is a big design priority for me; see this blog post.)

Skill Level Intermediate. Almost all of the scarf is Tunisian Simple Stitch (a beginner-level stitch), and the return pass for each row is the standard one that beginners learn. How each forward pass begins and ends is what makes this Intermediate level. My free Symmetrical Tunisian Diamond 101 pattern is the best preparation for a Four Peaks experience. Burly, a Tunisian Simple Stitch men’s scarf pattern for beginners, would be a basic review. Tunisian Shakti Scarfythings is also a good way to experience simple lacy biasing.

After using this pattern, you will know (if you didn’t already):

• How to start a Tunisian crochet project in one corner and build a scarf on the diagonal by increasing along both edges.
• How to shape the left edge with a Tunisian Foundation Slip Stitch so that it matches the stretch and drape of the right edge.
• How to edge Tunisian crochet with lacy eyelets as you go.
• How to choose a good combination of hook size and yarn for this kind of design.

Pattern includes a stitch diagram and easy customizing instructions for any scarf size, and any amount of yarn you have on hand. My favorite way to crochet the Four Peaks Scarf (and the Five Peaks Shawl) is with its chart, because all rows face the front.

Finished Measurements (measured flat)
One skein of the summery rainbow bamboo-rayon yarn yielded a 50” x 9.5” {127 x 24 cm} scarf.
One skein of the wintery wool yarn yielded a 34” x 10” {86 x 25.5 cm} scarf.

About the Yarns Used
For Summery rainbow scarf, Mondial Bamboo (100% Bamboo rayon; 252yds/230m per 3.5oz/100g skein): 1 skein in color #680 Parrot. (This yarn seems like a #3 Light Weight one to me, a.k.a. DK, light worsted wt.)
For Wintery wool scarf, Patons Classic Wool Worsted (100% Wool; 210yds/192m per 3.5oz/100g skein): 1 skein in color Palais for a wide neckwarmer, 2 for a full length scarf.

Substituting Yarns: I’ve swatched several types of yarn and hook sizes for this pattern. Each new yarn I try gives unpredictable results because biasing Tunisian eyelet fabric is more dynamic than any other Tunisian crochet I’ve done. So, try some swatches.

Block it briefly (just spritz with water and stretch out evenly to dry) before making decisions about your swatch. Extra ease is purposely built into the edges, and blocking evens it out to bring out its elegance.

You might like a thin yarn from the #2 Fine Weight category (a.k.a. sock yarn, fingering, light sport, baby) with a size J/US10/6mm or K/US10.5/6.5 mm Tunisian crochet hook. For a light breezy scarf, I liked a K hook with my Louet Euroflax swatch.