The Crime Scene Tape Scarf
A long striped scarf in caution yellow and black, built from a single repeating stripe unit, with DO NOT CROSS hand embroidered along four of the black bands and fringe at both ends. This is the free base pattern. The Full Edition adds the stripe map, the measured size table, and the arithmetic audit.
About This Pattern
This is a one repeat pattern: memorize twenty rows of yellow and four rows of black, work it twelve times between two matching black borders, and the scarf is done. No shaping, no decreases, nothing that needs a chart except the word itself. The stripe count was solved before any yarn was touched, which is the only reason a 65 inch scarf could be planned instead of guessed at.
Materials and Gauge
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Yarn | Worsted weight (#4) acrylic or wool blend. MC: caution yellow, 340 yd. CC1: black, 130 yd. Scrap black embroidery floss or yarn for the lettering. |
| Hook | 4.0 mm (US G/6), series gauge. |
| Notions | Tapestry needle, stitch markers, a cardboard fringe gauge or ruler. |
| Gauge | 16 sc and 18 rows = 4 in (10 cm), blocked. Series gauge; swatches from Patterns 01 through 18 transfer. |
The Pattern
Lettering (embroidered, CC1 or floss)
On the black stripe closing repeats 3, 6, 9, and 12 (four stripes total, evenly spaced along the length), backstitch or chain stitch DO NOT CROSS across the 6.5 in width, letting each letter run about 0.5 in wide. Center the phrase so the margins on both ends match.
Fringe (CC1 black)
Cut strands 10 in long. For each end, fold one strand in half and pull the fold through a stitch along the foundation or final row edge with a hook, then pull the cut ends through the fold and tighten. Space one bundle every 2 sts across the 26 st edge, 13 bundles per end, 26 bundles total. Trim ends even.
Get the stripe map and the arithmetic audit
The Full Edition PDF adds a plotted stripe map showing exactly where the lettering falls, the full size math behind the 65 inch length, and a complete audit table.
Get the Full Edition · $13More From The Field Kit
Care and Finishing
Hand wash cold and dry flat; a long striped panel like this can stretch under its own weight if hung wet. Block gently before embroidering the lettering so the stripes sit square and the letters land straight.
Copyright 2026 Rita Williams, Clutch Justice. Personal use pattern; sale of finished items is permitted with credit appreciated but not required. The pattern itself may not be republished, redistributed, or resold in any format.
