LEVEL: Beginner
LEARN HOW: cast on, knit stitch and purl stitch, change balls of yarn, bind off, and block the finished scarf
Want the Kit? CLICK HERE.
Materials:
YARN:
Any worsted weight wool; we recommend Erika Knight Vintage Wool, Jorstad Creek Arranmore, or Sincere Sheep Cormo Worsted.
In your beginner kit, we’ve included enough yarn to make a 65” long scarf.
If you’re not using one of our kits you will need at least 320 m (350 yds) of yarn.
Yarn amounts given are based on average requirements and are approximate.
NEEDLES & NOTIONS:
Size 5.5 millimeter straight needles (or US size 9)
Tapestry needle for sewing in the ends
Scissors (not included in the kit)
GAUGE:
4 stitches to the inch, although matching gauge exactly isn’t necessary for this project
FINISHED DIMENSIONS:
8” Width, 65” Length (or the length you choose)
Getting started:
For all abbreviations please check the glossary at the end of the pattern.
Make a slipknot. To learn to make a slip knot CLICK HERE
Using knitted cast-on, cast on (“CO”) 33 stitches. To learn to cast on CLICK HERE
Row House Pro TipIt’s good practice to keep a pen with you to keep track of your rows. You can simply make a mark on the pattern for each row that you complete. Alternatively, you can purchase a row counter that sits on your needles that you increment each time you pass it. |
ROW 1 - 7:
Knit (“K”) every row for 7 rows. To learn to knit CLICK HERE
Knitting every row is called a garter stitch. To see a video of garter stitch CLICK HERE.
Row House Pro TipWhen you are starting a new row, make sure you hold the working yarn underneath and to the back of the needle, and make sure that you don’t accidentally create a new stitch by knitting into two loops of the first stitch. Don't worry if the knitting looks loose just under the first stitch, as this will resolve itself once you start the next row. CLICK HERE to see an example. |
ROW 8:
Knit (“K”) the first 4 stitches, move the yarn over the top to the front of the work, then purl (“P”) for the next 25 stitches, move the yarn over the top to the back of the work, then knit (“K”) the last 4 stitches. To learn to purl CLICK HERE
ROW 9:
Knit (“K”) all stitches
RepeatRepeat Rows 8 and 9 until the piece is 6 inches shorter than your desired length (read below to decide how long to knit/purl). When you knit a row and purl a row in this way, it makes a “stockinette stitch” pattern, so your scarf will be stockinette stitch with a garter stitch border.
|
How much do I knit:
First, figure out how long you want your scarf to be. To do this, we recommend that you use a measuring tape to measure the length of a scarf that you like (or that the person you are making the scarf for likes).
It’s likely that you will need to use more than one skein to get the length you want. When you are nearing the end of your first skein, knit until you have a 6 inch tail left, then join your second skein and continue.
Joining a new skeinYou can do this anywhere along your row, although you might find it easier a little bit away from the edge. Take a 6 inch tail of second ball of yarn, and hold that end in your left hand behind the work. Hold the new and old yarns together in your right hand and knit or purl (depending on where you are in the pattern) one stitch, then drop the old yarn on the “purl side” of the work and continue knitting with the new yarn only. This is how you add in a new ball of yarn - you can see an example of this HERE. |
Knit (“K”) with the second ball of yarn to 6 inches less than the desired length (so, if you want it to be 65 inches long, then knit 59 inches). Measure the length without stretching the scarf.
Why am I stopping 6 inches short?Knitted fabric stretches, and there’s a process called “BLOCKING” - see below - that will relax and stretch wool (and many other natural fibers). Based on our experience, the scarf will stretch about 6 inches in length during the blocking process and still maintain the right kind of feel (if you stretch it a lot, it can start to look and feel a bit weird). |
Almost Done:
Knit (“K”) 7 rows in garter stitch just like at the beginning.
Then on the next row, bind off (“BO”) all stitches. CLICK HERE for a video tutorial.
Finishing:
Weave in ends of all yarn using a tapestry needle - both ends of the scarf, and any yarn changes in the middle of the scarf. You can see examples of how to weave in yarn ends HERE.
Blocking:
Finally, you have to “block” the scarf. This means that you wet the yarn and relax it a little bit, which will also help even out your stitches. Because you’re knitting with wool, the yarn will stretch, so you want to gently lay it out so that you don’t stretch it too much, just enough that the scarf is as long as your desired measurements.
How do I block?Let the scarf sit in cool water for around 30 minutes. Gently drain the water. You can gently roll the scarf in a towel to remove excess water, or you can let it sit in the sink and drain for an hour or so. Make sure that you handle the wet fabric gently and don’t wring it out. Once you have removed the excess water, lay the scarf out on fresh towels or on a blocking board (you need a surface that will allow the water to drain from the wool), and arrange the scarf in a rectangle of the measurements that you desire - keeping the rows even. Let it dry before picking it up again.CLICK HERE for a video tutorial. |
Congratulations!
Once it is dry, you are done. Stand back and admire your work. You are a knitter.
We want to see your scarf, so please post a photo on Instagram or Facebook and use the tag #rowhouseknits