Four Easy Knit Scarves

Here are four easy to knit scarves that all have a slightly different pattern. I would consider myself a beginner knitter although, in the 1990’s, I knitted a couple of jumpers which included cabling. That was long before I became a mother and I wasn’t so easily distracted.

In the last few years when my two eldest girls started secondary school and needed a red scarf as part of their uniform, I bought some red wool and decided to try my hand at knitting again. Unsurprisingly, it was a lot easier than jumpers!

Because it had been decades since I knitted (knat?) I had forgotten how to cast on and off, thankfully YouTube had been invented in the interim. I discovered that knitting scarves is actually quite satisfying for impatient people like me because you actually get to finish the project. I normally prefer to make things on my sewing machine than knit as it seems quicker.

However, during lockdown when we had oodles of time, I knitted the most recent two scarves. I had stumbled across some interesting different types of wool in the sale section in Aldi so knitting plus Netflix became my nightly anti-Covid de-stress ritual. I loved that I had a project to return to each evening. Sort of like a reverse Madame Defarge as I wish life for all!

Each of the four scarves below have a different stitch, I made up the patterns as I went along. Now after a bit of research I realise these stitches actually have names. Because I’m not an experienced knitter, I don’t know how to write proper scarf patterns but I will do my best to explain how I made them.

Rebecca’s School Scarf (Simple Infinity Loop)

This is the easiest of all the scarves I knitted as I made it with chunky wool and thick needles and it is quite short.

The stitch is called rib stitch and is made by alternating 1 plain stitch and 1 purl stitch and then when you turn it over you do the opposite, ie purl 1 then knit 1. This forms a vertical stripe pattern.

You need:

100 gm chunky wool + 8mm needles.

Method:

Cast on 24 stitches. Knit 1 purl 1 until the end of the row. Next row purl 1 knit 1.

Continue until the wool is almost finished (approximately 90 rows), reserving a long piece. Cast off. Using the leftover piece of wool and a large blunt ended sewing needle, sew the two ends of the scarf together to create an infinity loop. This scarf is quite short as the wool is thick and creates a single cosy loop around the neck.

Eva’s School Scarf (One Twist Infinity Loop)

This is also rib stitch like above but is made by alternating 2 plain stitches and 2 purl stitches.

You need:

100 gm thin wool + 4½ mm needles

Method:

Cast on 62 stitches. Knit 2 purl 2 until the end of the row. Next row purl 2 knit 2.

Continue until the wool is almost finished (approx 240 rows), reserving a long piece. Cast off. Using the leftover piece of wool and a large blunt ended sewing needle, sew the two ends of the scarf together to create an infinity loop. I put one twist in the scarf before I sewed it up to give it a bit of cosy bulk around the neck when it is worn. The loop is long enough to be twisted once around the head as well to create a double loop at the neck

Kait’s Aqua Scarf (Wide infinity Loop)

This is the first time I knitted with T-shirt yarn which made out of polyester so is 100% synthetic but is incredibly soft against the skin. It has a good stretch in the yarn so passes easily over your head in a one twist infinity loop. I made this without knowing who it was for but when my friend Kait spotted it and said she loved the colour I decided to give it to her for her birthday which happened during lockdown.

I discovered this pattern is called seed stitch, I love the little knobbly effect. This is so easy to knit as you basically knit every row the same, the trick is you need to cast on an uneven number of stitches.

You need:

200 gm T-Shirt yarn + 8 mm needles

Method:

Cast on 41 stitches. Knit 1 purl 1 until the end of the row. Next row knit 1 purl 1 again. Continue until the wool is almost finished (approx 280 rows), reserving a long piece. Cast off. Using the leftover piece of wool and a large blunt ended sewing needle, sew the two ends of the scarf together to create an infinity loop.

My Most of the Year Scarf

This is a Most of the Year Scarf because the climate is so changeable here in Ireland, I was wearing it in June, July and August when we normally have summer. Also, it is made from a lovely yarn which is 50% cotton, 50% bamboo so not only is it very soft, the natural fibres also allow for some temperature regulation against my skin. This yarn was an absolute delight to work with and I love the pewter colour.

This pattern is called moss stitch, a sort of elongated seed stitch which consists of little blocks of 4 stitches throughout the scarf, creating an elegant lacy look.

You need:

200 gm 50% bamboo 50% cotton yarn + 4½ mm needles

Method:

Cast on 50 stitches. *Row 1: Knit 2 purl 2 until the end of the row. Row 2: Purl 2 knit 2. Row 3: Continue as row 2. Row 4: Continue as row 1. Row 5: repeat from*.

Continue until the wool is almost finished (approx 3200 rows). Cast off. I left this one open ended.

For a beautiful FREE scarf pattern download in Pebble Rib stitch click here.

Shop for similar knitting needles and yarn below:

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Verlike 1Pc 50g Per Skein Soft Bamboo Cotton Knitting Yarn

Mira Handcrafts 50g T-shirt Yarn Bonbons – Starter Kit Including 12 Multicolour Yarns and 7 Ebooks with Patterns

Knitting Needle Set

Did you pick up any new hobbies during lockdown? I love to hear from you in the comments below!