Finishing a scarf with fan/ shells.

[TinaKB]

I'm making a scarf and using fan stitch or it may be shell, it all looks the same to me!

 

Anyway, how do I finish it off?

 

One end will be scalloped and the other - the end I first started with - won't because it has the straight row of chain stitches. So what do I do to make each end look nice?

[Granny Square]

Often, patterns that are unidirectional like this start in the middle of the scarf and go to one end, then are picked up at the starting chain and worked the other direction to the other end.  This leaves a different look in the middle, not quite a 'seam', but leaves the ends matching.

 

You might try adding 1 row of shells worked 'the other way' from the beginning.  Or, work the last row in a way that fills in the valleys, to make a straight line  (like the bottom half of a Catherine wheel, sort of).  http://newstitchaday.com/how-to-crochet-the-two-color-catherine-wheel-stitch/   Or add an edging with a different pattern at each end to disguise the difference.

[magiccrochetfan]

Sometimes the beginning end will also form subtle scallops. You could try blocking it into that shape.

[Kymberlina]

It sounds like you're going to have to improvise. Your best option would be to add an extra final row to the scarf that would create a flat edge, not a scalloped one. For example: if your shell stitch pattern is made with dc, chain 3 at the beginning of the row (or the height of the shell) and the then perhaps working sc and chain stitches across the tops of the shells, so there is a straight line across for your final row. If there are gaps or non-shell sts between the shells, you may need to work taller sts between them, to fill in gaps if need be. Does that make sense? It's difficult to explain it without seeing what the stitch pattern looks like. Do you have a picture?
 
Another option would be to add scallops to your flat end. Join your yarn at the edge and work a row of shell sts across to match the other end. In most cases though this would not look right because all the other shells are going the other way, but I would imagine there are certain stitch patterns out there where it may not be hugely noticable, especially in the more open and lacy shell patterns.
 
Another idea, which may or may not sound appealing to you, is to attach large pompoms to each end.

[TinaKB]

Hello that all makes sense, thank you ladies