Copyright © 2007-2015 Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Friday, December 11, 2015

The Mount LeConte Scarf

Mount LeConte
Source
Mount LeConte is the third highest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, Tenn., and the only way to get to the top is on foot.

There are several trails leading to the top of the mountain, and they are lengthy and steep so supplies are trekked in via llama-train as their feet cause less wear and tear on the trails than do horses' shod feet.
Source
 Once atop the mountain there are rustic resort cabins to stay in provided reservations were made in advance.  When hiking to Mount LeConte in cooler weather one needs a scarf to keep one warm and cozy on the trail.

The Mount LeConte Scarf is a very quick crochet project, not to mention cozy and stylish.  Here are directions just in time for a last minute gift giving idea.  Just a few hours of crocheting and you'll have a scarf for yourself or someone on your list.

Materials:

bulky yarn or two or three strands worsted held together
size N crochet hook
three 1 1/2 in. buttons
yarn needle 
Directions:

Ch 52 sts if you use the half-double crochet stitch, 53 if  using the double crochet stitch.
1.  hdc (or dc, your choice) in 3rd (4th if dc) ch from hook to end = 50 sts , measuring about 28-30 in. long -  12/16/15  Note:  The scarf must be at least 28 inches long so if you need to then add more     stitches to get the right length.
2.  ch 2, turn work, hdc to end
3.  Repeat row 2 until scarf measures about 8-9 inches wide
There's no need to make buttonholes as the buttons should slide easily through the stitches.

For the homemade buttons you'll need:

polymer clay
rolling pin
stamp - if you want a design on them
polyurethane spray to seal them
paint - for antiquing
1 1/2 in. clay cutter or cookie cutter
bamboo skewer to make holes

I heated a 2-in. piece of clay in the microwave on high for 30 seconds to soften it a bit to make it easier to knead.  Take care, though, if it gets hot it will start to harden.  I used a pizza dough roller to roll it about 1/8 in. thick.


To stamp an impression in the clay I used a stamp I already had which happens to be a French recipe for chicken soup.  Stamp the design you want on the buttons before cutting them out.   Cut out the buttons in the shape you want then use a bamboo skewer to make holes large enough for the yarn to pass through easily when sewing them on the scarf.

Follow the baking directions on the package of clay to harden your buttons.  For the light/off-white colored buttons I used white clay then painted them with gold paint, let the paint dry for 30 mins. then wiped some off  for a great antique look.


Edited 12/12/15:  Spray them with the sealer then let them dry.  Sew the buttons along the right side of one end of the scarf.  To wear, place the scarf around your neck and line up the end with no buttons over the side with the buttons and button in place.

For this scarf I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn in Mushroom that I had in my stash.
I used the hdc stitch for this cozy scarf and named it after a unique area in the Smokies.
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Barley which is a dark taupe color.
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Copyright © 2015 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved

Stay warm, y'all!
Shared at The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Maple Hill Hop

38 comments:

  1. Very pretty! And those homemade buttons are wonderful. What a nice way to make your creation your own. Learning to crochet is on my bucket list.

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. Jane, you will enjoy crocheting just as soon as you get over the awkwardness that we all go through when learning a new needle art. Crochet is much, much faster than knitting, too. You can knock out a scarf like this in 1-2 hours. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Oh lucky us, how pampered we are today with nice views of the Smoky Mountains, a scarf pattern and a tutorial on how to make our own buttons! I surely will give this a try. :-)
    Stay warm and have a great weekend!

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked the post, Alhana. Hope you enjoy the pattern and button making.

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  3. Love the idea of naming your scarf after a local area! It is very romantic sounding :) And the scarf itself is very classy!! And does look darling with that denim jacket! Will have to pass this pattern on to my daughter (who crochets) in hopes of a warm winter gift! :)

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    1. Ah yes, it's very nice to have a crocheter in the family. I hope your daughter enjoys the pattern, and if there are any questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them.

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  4. Oh my gosh! these are so cute - i wish I had one! I've hiked to the top of Mt LeConte 4 times and always wished I had made reservations to spend the night :) I have heard that they stay booked for years in advance!

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    1. They do book up quickly in advance at Mt. LeConte, and I'm impressed that you've done this hike so many times. :)

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  5. Hello, I love the beautiful view of the mountains. And your scarves are just beautiful. Have a happy weekend!

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  6. I've read about Mount LeCont and the accomodations up at the top. You'll probably never find me there because of the hike but the view must be spectacular! The scarf is adorable! I like the beige color. Have a blessed day.

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    1. Thank you, Melanie, I hope you'll try the pattern sometime when you live in a cooler clime. :)

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  7. wow, these are just beautiful! love that you make the buttons, too!

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    1. Thank you, Theresa, it's a fun project. Thank you for stopping by. :)

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  8. Love the scarf with beautiful buttons! And your photos are always so gorgeous!

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    1. Thank you, Kerrie! I hope you are doing well. Nice to hear from you.

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  9. I love scarfs (winter is my favorite month for accessories), so I'd definitely love one of these! Too bad I don't know how to crochet- maybe I should learn....

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    1. Jacki, I think you would enjoy crocheting. Everyone feels awkward at first, but soon you'd be stitching happily along. Needle arts are a relaxing way to accomplish something while resting or watching a movie. There are some great videos to help get you started here: https://www.anniescatalog.com/crochet/content.html?cat_id=368&

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  10. Wow, I am so impressed with the Mont LeConte, beautiful view
    and also beautiful photo's.
    Lovely scarf with georgeous handmade buttons !!!

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    1. Thank you, hobbyloes, I appreciate you stopping by. :)

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  11. oh Wow I loved this post especially the buttons-gotta try that for sure
    Merry Christmas

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    Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Kathy. Merry Christmas to you, too.

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  12. What a beautiful place to explore! The llama-train is a riot!

    If only I were talented enough to make a scarf like that. And handmade buttons? Oh my! Just gorgeous!

    Thank you for sharing on The Maple Hill Hop!

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  13. I LOVE your Mount LeConte scarves! I love Mount LeConte although I've never been to the actual mountain. I had no idea about the llamas packing necessities up there. It would be wonderful to go to the top and stay there, I'm sure. Thank you for the pattern. I've not been online for several days because I've been knitting and crocheting gifts for Christmas. I'm REALLY excited to make the buttons. I purchased a few colors of the Sculpey clay weeks ago but haven't tried it yet. I'm going to now since you've supplied the directions.

    Merry Christmas my friend,
    Lesley Ann

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    1. LesleyAnn, I hope you enjoy making the buttons, I had to make myself stop. :) If you warm the clay in the microwave, be careful - I got some too hot today, and it hardened before I could roll it out.

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  14. Wow those scarves are amazing! Love them! I dont crochet except the apghan stitch and even that one i dont remember well. Born and bred in the Smokies area...love seeing the pictures!!

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    1. Glad you liked the pictures, Debbi, and thank you for sharing about being born here. That's cool.

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  15. Your scarves have such a rustic beauty! I'd love to make one. :-)

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    1. Hi Gina! Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the pattern.

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  16. You did a beautiful job on the scarves! How neat that the buttons are even homemade! The mountain sounds like an isolated, peaceful, and lovely place to spend a vacation. The cabins are probably pretty cozy--I can imagine nice, warm fireplaces! Really interesting that they have to carry the supplies up with llamas!

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  17. What spectacular scenery and equally spectacular photos! The scarf is very clever. Shame I can't crochet!

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  18. Thank you for this pattern!
    I'm making a couple for my mama for Christmas. She will love it! And she will wear it more than she would the bulky socks I was going to make.
    Thank you again!

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  19. What beautiful photos and oh...I just love your scarves. Very cute!

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Thank you for your comments!