Not the heavy velvet if you are going to tie it!
Thoughts from my hipscarf basket...
- Stretch velour type velvet: OK, not too bulky to tie, clings for a nice fit, but might slip down if the decoration is anything but very lightweight. Had to reinforce mine with non-stretch ribbon.
- Big squares that fold on the diagonal: can also slip cos they can stretch out along the side that's going round you.
- Keep beading/decoration out of the bit you'll need to tie unless you don't mind when the beads/crochet get damaged.
- The medium weight chiffon that a lot of Egyptian ones are made of can carry a LOT of coins, beads etc, and if cut on the straight grain of the fabric they don't stretch out.
My favourite hipscarf for class is one I made from a velvety scarf - rectangular so it doesn't stretch and slip off, hooks so I'm not fiddling with the knot all the time, beads and coins sewn on with strong thread so no shedding issues.
I've got one with those teardrop beads - it's got round ones and teardrops then a coin on the end. I'm not a crochet expert, but the only way I think you could incorporate it into crochet would be to pre-thread as many of the dangling sequences (through beads, end coin, then back up through the beads) as you need, and crochet them in as you need them. Fiddly or what?!