I'm trying to crochet a scarf and need some advice

[SheilaT]

9. I have always understood the turning chain

to be three when the next stitch will be a double crochet. Essentially, what you're creating is a fake stitch with the chains. It takes three chains to equal a double crochet. 2 would equal a half-double. Use one if the next row is going to be single crochets.

And yes, a border is very useful to disguise an irregularities in the edges. Goodness knows, I should do borders and edgings far more often than I do.