Scarves are one of the best first projects for new knitters. You can build your muscle memory and start to see how much you can do with just two stitches, knit and purl. Here are five of our favorite scarf patterns, all in not-too-big, not-too-small worsted-weight yarn on a US 8 (5.00 mm) needle. We used Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok 150, a beautiful heathered fine Peruvian wool. Each skein has 370 yards, so you’ll only need one!
Our favorite scarves, from 1 to r: Garter Stitch, 2x2 Rib, Seed Stitch, Mistake Stitch, and Basketweave. Click to enlarge.
Garter Stitch Scarf Pattern
If you're just starting out, the garter stitch scarf is a great choice. You cast on and knit every row, no purling required! Just keep repeating the knit stitch until it reaches your desired length, then bind off and weave in the ends. It’s wonderfully squishy, lies flat, and helps you get that comfortable knitting rhythm.
Cast on 30 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Repeat row 1 until two yards of yarn remain or the desired length.
Bind off and weave in ends.
Finished scarf is approximately 6 inches wide and 60 inches long.
Ribbed Scarf (2×2 Rib) Pattern
Ready for a little variation? The ribbed scarf alternates pairs of knits and purls for a stretchy, textured result. Cast on and work K2, P2 across the row. Then repeat that same row until it's as long as you'd like. When you bind off, do it in pattern (still following the K2, P2), and you’ll have a reversible, polished scarf.
Cast on 40 sts or a multiple of 4.
Row 1: K2, P2; repeat from * to end.
Repeat row 1 until two yards of yarn remain or desired length.
Bind off in pattern and weave in ends.
Finished scarf is approximately 5 inches wide and 62 inches long.
Seed Stitch Scarf Pattern
By now, you’ve probably got knitting and purling down—so you can mix them a bit more. In the seed stitch scarf, cast on and alternate single knit and purl stitches across the row. Every row begins the same way, but because there’s an odd number of stitches, every knit stitch sits above a purl stitch and vice versa. The result is a beautifully textured, pebble-like fabric.
Cast on 31 sts or an odd number.
Row 1: * K1, P1; repeat from * to end.
Repeat row 1 until two yards of yarn remain or desired length.
Bind off in pattern and weave in ends.
Finished scarf is approximately 7 inches wide and 60 inches long.
Mistake Rib Scarf Pattern
Here's one that looks more complicated than it is. Cast on and repeat K2, P2 across the row until there are 3 stitches left—then end with K2, P1. Keep repeating that row until you're done.
Cast on 43 stitches or a multiple of 4+3.
Row 1: * K2, P2; repeat from * to last 3 stitches, K2, P1.
Repeat row 1 until two yards of yarn remain or desired length.
Bind off in pattern and weave in ends.
Finished scarf is approximately 6 inches wide and 48 inches long.
Basketweave Scarf Pattern
Basketweave is the most challenging of these patterns because every row isn’t the same. You need to keep track of what row you’re on, which you can do with a row counter or by making hash marks on a piece of paper.
Cast on 36 stitches or a multiple of 8+4.
Row 1: K4, P4 across, ending with K4
Row 2: P4, K4 across, ending with P4
Row 3: repeat Row 1
Row 4: repeat Row 2
Row 5: repeat Row 1
Row 6: K4, P4 across, ending with K4
Row 7: P4, K4 across, ending with P4
Row 8 & 9: repeat Rows 6 & 7
Row 10: repeat Row 6
Work Rows 1–10 until two yards of yarn remain or desired length.
Bind off in pattern and weave in ends.
Finished scarf is approximately 7 inches wide and 64 inches long.
Yarns We Recommend
While we knit these scarves in Woolstok 150, you can easily use any worsted weight yarn, like kettle-dyed Malabrigo Rios or Loop Flora, our tonal hand-dyed merino. You’ll need approximately 370 yards of yarn, so that’s three 50-gram hanks of Woolstok, and two of Rios or Flora. And remember, if you want to make your scarf wider or longer, you’ll need more yarn.
