Checkerboard Lace Scarf
I love this pattern because it’s made up of just basic yarn overs, knit two togethers and slip slip knits. Never will you have to purl three together through the back loop or slip one, knit two together, pass the slipped stitch over. The simple geometry of the pattern also makes it really easy to catch mistakes.
Made out of The Fibre Company’s Canopy, a fingering weight yarn that is 50% baby alpaca, 30% merino and 20% bamboo, it makes a perfect spring scarf. The alpaca contributes a soft drape, while the merino adds bounce and life. The bamboo gives a subtle luster to the whole thing.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Update: Now In Tussock!
August 23, 2019
We’ve revisited this charming lace pattern in our mohair-silk Tussock! Our Checkerboard Lace Scarf In Tussock is magically voluminous and downy soft. You’ll need just three skeins, some pointy needles, and some nice, quiet lace-making time! Read all about our updated pattern here!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoCheckerboardLaceScarf. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Materials
- 3 skeins of The Fibre Company’s Canopy Fingering/Sport, 50% baby alpaca, 30% merino and 20% bamboo. This color is Sasparilla. (I used two and a half skeins. If you want to cast on 10 fewer stitches or make your scarf 12 inches shorter than this one, 2 skeins would be enough.)
- US 7 (4.5 mm) needles, straight or circular. I used a 24 inch Skacel Addi Lace needle and highly recommend it. The sharp point of Addi’s lace needles makes lace knitting a whole lot easier!
Shop our wonderful collection of fingering-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!
Gauge
21 stitches = 4 inches in the checkerboard lace pattern, unblocked
Size
Finished Dimensions: 10 inches wide x 70 inches long, after blocking
Note
This pattern can be worked over any number of stitches that is a multiple of 10 plus 8, ie 18, 28, 38, etc.
Pattern
Cast on 58 stitches.
Knit 4 rows.
Row 1 and every odd numbered row: K2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.
Row 2: K6, *yo, ssk, k1, (k2tog, yo) 2 times, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2.
Row 4: K2, *k3, (yo, ssk) 2 times, k1, k2tog, yo, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, k6.
Row 6: K4, *(yo, ssk) 3 times, k4, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, yo, ssk, k2.
Row 8: K3, *(yo, ssk) 4 times, k2, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, yo, ssk, k3.
Row 10: Repeat Row 6.
Row 12: Repeat Row 4.
Row 14: Repeat Row 2.
Row 16: K2, k2tog, yo, *k4, (k2tog, yo) 3 times, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 18: K3, k2tog, yo, *k2, (k2tog, yo) 4 times, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
Row 20: Repeat Row 16.
Repeat Rows 1-20 until piece measures 60 inches from the cast on edge (it will become 70 inches when you block it), ending with Row 5.
Knit 4 rows.
Bind off loosely.
Gently block your scarf and you’re done!
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I love this scarf, VERY PRETTY!
What do you mean by ‘blocking the scarf?”
Hi Melissa,
Here is our tutorial on blocking knitting, its something you definitely want to do with lace knitting to even out your stitches:
http://purlbee.squarespace.com/blocking-tutorial/
Very very pretty and simple. Thank you for sharing! I’m interested in this pattern for my bridesmaids’ shawls .. any quick tips on how to knit this up in a triangular piece?
I am not clear how you can either use circular OR straight needles. If you use circular are you then knitting in the round? Do you finish differently?
it’s very pretty. thanks for sharing.
This is beautiful! I think I’m going to have my “teacher” give me another knitting lesson so I can try this (chuckle). The photography is stunning as well. Thank you for generously sharing the pattern. 🙂
Your scarf is gorgeous. I like the yarn you used for it.
This pattern looks great! I can’t wait to give it a shot!
I went to queue it on Ravelry, and had a bit of a hard time of it. is it possible to name your blog entries so that they can more easily queue-able on Ravelry? If not, it’s no big deal, I’ll still find them, just thought it might be helpful…
Hi Jenn,
Thanks so much for your comment. We would love to hear more about what you mean. If you could maybe give an example or two of what would make a pattern name more queue-able vs. what we’ve been doing we are all ears!
Thanks again! –Joelle
This is a beautiful scarf. Thanks for sharing the pattern. I’m adding it to my list of next projects, right after I finish a pair of toddler socks. I will definitley add it to my queue on ravelry too!
I just queued the scarf on Ravelry….. what a lovely and simple pattern! I have a lot of sock yarn that would be perfect for it. Thank you.
That’s gorgeous. Will have to have a go sometime soon!
the Fibre Company Canopy Fingering yarn is sold out in your store! Can you recommend a replacement yarn?
Thanks!
Hi there, love this pattern and have just started it with canopy (loving the internet and getting these fantastic yarns sent from overseas!). Just wondering if you have a list of ‘standard’ abbreviations, as I am reasonably new to knitting and some of the abbreviations I know (or thought I knew) are not what is used on here. Thanks heaps!!
Hi Karen,
We have this list of terms:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knitting-terms-/
Also, for a really complete list, check here with the Craft Yarn Council for their list of standard abbreviations:
http://www.yarnstandards.com/knit.html
Hope this helps!
Am I the only one having trouble with this pattern? I have now gotten about five inches down, and ripped it out 5 times! I will be going along fine, only to suddenly find I have lost one or two stitches for no reason I can determine. I have made many projects in the past, but this one has me stumped! Help!
Hi Wendy,
We are happy to help out, but we’ll need a little more info. Can you tell us what row you’re losing the stitches on? Is it the same row every time? Were the 5 inches you did looking right? Any other info you can provide? If we can figure out where you’re having the problem we should be able to help you solve it!
Thanks so much! I even put in “Life Lines!” I was able to correctly do at least one full 20 row rotation without mistakes, but I think that I run into trouble someplace between rows 16 and 20. I think that rows 16 and 18 in particular have been giving me the trouble.
This is really pretty. I just bought yarn for it to start for a present for my mom. I knit a swatch of one pattern repeat and it took me nearly 2 hours! Yipes! I guess this will be a long term project for me!
Thanks for the pattern though, it seems very clear and easy to follow.
Love the pattern! I am just starting to become a bit more adventurous with knitting patterns and have a question about using either circular or straight needles. Like Lisa, I don’t understand how the pattern should be read. If I am using straight needles for the pattern as written, do I knit the reverse stitches for every alternative row as I will knitting on the wrong side? I understand that with circular needles, you always knit on the right side. Is this correct?
I’ve run into a problem with this pattern. On row 2 of the lace pattern, the repeated part takes 13 stitches. 13 times 4 repeats (52), plus the k6 (6) and k2 (2) border make 60 stitches, not the 58 that I originally cast on.
Am I doing the repeated lace pattern incorrectly? Or is there an error in the pattern or cast-on number?
Thank you. I love the picture of this scarf and can’t wait to finish my own copy.
Hi Jeeyun,
The repeated part actually only takes 10 stitches: 2 for the ssk, 1 for the k1, 4 for the two k2tog’s, and 3 for the k3. (2+1+4+3=10) Repeated 5 times, this section equals 50, plus k6 and k2 equals 58.
I’m not sure how you’re arriving at 13 stitches for the repeated part, but I hope this lights a bulb!
Thank you for asking and for making the project!
Whitney
Ah! I learned that I’ve been making a mistake with ‘yo.’ I’ve been doing a ‘yo k1’ for ‘yo’ forever … Thank you for clearing this up for me! This explains sooo many previous project mishaps for me. 🙂
Hi –
Is the (k2tog, yo) (row 2, 16, 18) saying yarn over and knit two together or knit two together and then yarn over? Does that make sense? Knitting two together with a yarn over versus knitting two together , then bringing my yarn over and knitting the next stitch.
Thanks!
Hi Kirsten,
It is saying, Knit two together and then yarn over, so knit 2 together, then bring your yarn over.
Hope this helps!
Love your scarf thanks for sharing, can’t wait to make it.
I am trying to knit this scarf, but everytime I do row 2, I seem to end up with 3 stitches at the end instead of 2. Can someone please help.
I am doing the following: Knit 6 *(yo) yarn over, ssk (slip stitch knitwise?), K1 (knit one),
then (knit 2 tog, yarn over) 2 times (I assume this means the 2 times refers to the instruction in brackets?, Knit 3 repeat from * to last 2 stitches – I end up with 3 stitches to end! Hellllllp
Hi LInda,
It sounds like you are not doing the ssk the right way which is a left slanting decrease. To do an ssk you slip 2 stitches knitwise and then knit them together. Here is a link to our tutorial on ssk:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/decrease-tutorial/
Hope this solves your problem, but if not, please let us know and we’ll be happy to help you further!
I absolutely love this pattern, it is SO very pretty. However, I am having a problem with the pattern. I am doing the scarf with 28 stitches, and I am running out of stitches on the second row of the lace pattern.
K6, *yo, ssk, k1, (k2tog, yo) 2 times, k3 repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
When I begin to do the repeat from *, I only get halfway through the repeat before I am out of stitches.
Any hints?
So you started with 28 stitches did and should be doing 2 repeats of the 10 stitches and the beginning and end equalling 8 stitches. Are you counting ot make sure you have 28 stitches when you finish every row? I count the stitches made in the row you are working on (not the previous row) so YO = 1 ssk =1 , k1 =1, k2t x2 =4, k3 =3 = 10 stitches x 2 repeats = 20 and 6 to start the row and 2 to end = 28 Count the stitches before you start and at the end of the row once knit . Make sure you are on the right row.
Recognize how the pattern should look and learn to read the pattern in the row to also make sure it looks right . Also watch the purl row as it is easy to pick up 2 stitches where the yarn overs are and then purl as one stitch instead of the 2 it should be.
Hi Alison,
There are a couple of things that come to mind that could be causing your shortage of stitches. First, when you do your yarn over, simply wrap the yarn over the needle, a yo does not include any knitting (this is sometimes an issue for new knitters, if this is not your issue, read on). Second, the pattern says (k2tog, yo) 2 times, this means 2 times for only the part in the brackets not from the beginning of the row, or from the star.
If neither of these two solutions fix your problem maybe this will help: If you analyze the pattern you’ll see that after the knit 6 and before the knit 2 at the end that the repeat takes 10 stitches, so you should have just the right amount with 28 to do the repeat twice. For instance:
yo (takes 0 stitches), ssk (takes 2 stitches), k1 (1 stitch), k2tog, yo 2 times (4 stitches), k3 (3 stitches) = 10 stitches.
Hope this helps!
I just wanted to say that I love this pattern! I’ve been knitting it up for a scarf for myself the past couple of weeks and it’s one of my first proper forays into anything resembling lace patterns – I was nervous about trying it, but i’m so glad I did.
Can’t wait to have my scarf finished and keeping me warm 🙂
Thank you very much 🙂
ok. it took me a long time, as a new knitter on my first lace project. but i love it. i made my share of mistakes (and left them in, chalking them up to “quaint and charming” – yeah right), but still turned out so very prettily.
thank you, so much!
Beautiful scarf! LOVE the color and the yarn looks so amazingly soft.
I just finished this scarf a few weeks ago and it's beautiful. I love the pattern. My only problem is with the blocking. My edges were curling under but I figured a bit of blocking would help that. I wet it, pinned it out on a beach towel, and hung it over the shower curtain. Once it was completely dry, I unpinned it and the edges curled right back up again. Any tips?
making this for my sister for Christmas. New to knitting, and this is my first lace pattern. I knitted about 30 rows until I figured out I was totally doing the YO incorrectly. Thank goodness for the comments and advice on here. I'm learning from books, and the tips and pointers here cleared things up. I “frogged” the whole thing, started over–and so far so good 🙂
Thank you so much for this pattern! I'm *not* new to knitting, but I haven't ever felt comfortable picking up a lace project. I saw this scarf, and thought it looked both elegant and simple (which is necessary for one's ego when knitting their first lace project, I think ^_^ ). I'm extremely happy with it already, and I only cast on about an hour ago.
I will say that I ignored your advice about the needles and grabbed a trusty old set of bamboo size 7 straights, and got about 5 rows into the scarf before I understood why you'd recommended sharper needles. *sigh* I will learn to listen to pattern makers one of these days. 😉
Hannah – use lace blocking wires, and block the scarf on a stable surface (not a beach towel that isn't anchored to anything). Try pinning it to your bed if you have no other place to block it.
So, I figured out some of my errors, but I am still trying to figure out how you get 10 stiches in the repeat of pattern row 2, yo – 1, ssk – 2, k1 – 1, k2tog – 2, yo – 1, k2tog – 2, yo – 1, k3 – 3, that is 13, not 10. What am I missing?
Thanks.
Hi Lynne,
It is 10 because you are taking one away in each decrease, but adding one in the yo- so you don't count the second stitch in the decrease.
Hope this helps!
.
Ah, I was doing YO with a K1 and that was adding an extra stitch. Thanks for your time. So looking forward to seeing the pattern take shape!
I have some quesions regarding yarn and needle – since I live in Berlin, Germany, I need to find a substitute for Canopy. Looking up more details on it, I became insecure wether Canopy worsted is ment or Canopy fingering/sport. I assume it should be fingering/sport, but the needle size made me hesitate. Shall I look for an alpacka-merino-bamboo-yarn with 200 yards by 50 gram and use needlesize US7 (4.5mm)? (Suggested for the yarn was US 1-3, therefore my question.) I would be very greatful for an answer! I'm so much looking forward to getting started with this beautiful scarf!
Hi Christina,
When we published this story there was no Canopy Worsted only Canopy Fingering which is why the materials don't mention it (I'll fix that now). It's knit on the loose side for the yarn to emphasize the drape of the fiber. Your best bet would be to use the yarn that Whitney used which you can find at the link below, or something as close to it as you can find.
Hope this helps! –Joelle
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/3951-Fibre-Company-Canopy-FingeringSport
Thank you Joelle for quick and helpful answer! Time to get out in the snow to look for yarn! /Christina
so pretty, i queued this scarf on my ravelry account and am finally starting it for my mom – hope to finish it by christmas – thanks for the pattern
Thank you so much for this pattern, pearl bee. It's beautiful. Thank you also to everyone who has asked questions. This was my first lace project and I ran into many (if not all) of the problems my fellow knitters did. Reading you work through your own quandaries helped immensely. I can now proudly say that I can properly do a YO and knit a lace project. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this scarf guys – it was my first lace project, and despite a number of restarts it turned out brilliantly – and made my nan very happy with her present! It looks great 🙂
I love this scarf! I've made it three times for different friends. It is enough of a pattern to keep your mind a bit busy, but easy enough to get it in your head. Thanks so much for this and all of your lovely patterns.
nearing the end and the scarf is beautiful!
how do you recommend blocking it?
would you use blocking wires?
thanks
Hi Susan K,
I personally never use blocking wires or pins. I'm sure you can talk to lots of other knitters who swear by their methods, but this is how I do it!…
First, I soak the finished piece in warm water with very mild soap (I love Soak because you don't have to rinse it, and it really makes your piece softer! You can find it here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/search/?search_keywords=soak ). Then I roll it up in a towel and squeeeeeze. Then I lay it out on a new dry towel and arrange all the edges just how I want them, and it always dries just how I left it!
Thanks for making the scarf – I'm so happy you like it! And thank you for your question!
Whitney
Thank you so much for this scarf pattern. I just finished knitting it and need to weave in the ends. I used a cotton fingering weight yarn from KnitPicks, and it worked out beautifully. I had no problems with the pattern whatsoever, except for my own mistakes of forgetting a YO here and there and having to unravel a bit of my work. : )
What I'm wondering is how to deal with the edges of my scarf that curl under. Will blocking using your recommended Soak help with that?
I’ve seen this same (or a similar pattern) where the seed stitch was used for 3 rows at the beginning and end of pattern, as well as the first 3 and last 3 stitches of every row. It “frames” the pattern and helps prevent the edges from curling.
Hi Lisa,
Since this lace pattern is essentially stockinette stitch (knits on one side, purls on the other), it will have a tendency to curl into a tube. You can block the scarf flat, but it will eventually want to curl up no matter what you do. Soak, by the way, is a wonderful soap, but it has no impact on whether something lays flat or not!
Thanks for your question and please let us know if you have any others!
Whitney
Hello,
Please could you clarify the end of this line, because I know how to do a yarn over to increase a stitch after wrapping the yarn, but the end of this line makes me think I am not doing it right –
Row 6: K4, *(yo, ssk) 3 times, k4, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, yo, ssk, k2.
If I have to save four stitches to do a YO (1 stitch), SSK (2 stitches), K2 (2 stitches), I need five not four stitches at the end of the row. Perhaps I am doing a YO wrong – do you mean yarn forward, ie bring the yarn to the front of the work and then SSK? That wouldn't work?
Thank you for your help:)
Kim
Hi Kim,
It does sound like you're making a very common yarn over mistake which is thinking that a yarn over includes knitting a stitch. It doesn't! A yarn over is actually just the act of bringing the yarn forward (when you're between two knit stitches; it gets a little more complicated when purl stitches are involved).
So, when the pattern says that there are 4 stitches remaining and that you should "yo, ssk, k2", that means you should bring the yarn forward into the purl position, ssk, and k2.
I hope this helps and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Whitney
If you mean, in row 6, to simply bring the yarn forward, then why not rewrite the pattern to say, “bring yarn forward,” or “wyif”?
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! The Yarn Over technique that Whitney was referencing creates an extra stitch by moving the yarn from the back of the work, under the working needle towards the front of the work and then over the working needle to the back. This can be hard to visualize from reading the instructions but luckily we have a video of the technique that can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/11/11/yarn-over-yo/
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hell, that it is not yarn over, it is “pass the yarn as if to purl”, because if you do the “yarn over” it will make a new stitche.
Hello Pnina,
Thank you for your comment! Yes, this yarn over is making a new stitch. You will yarn over, creating a new stitch, then slip slip knit decreases one stitch. This creates the hole for the lace pattern.
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you Whitney, that is excellent. I had read your similar replies in the thread, but hadn't realised I was making the same mistake!
I think it is because all the tutorials you find have to knit a stitch to demonstrate how it works, so over time you start to think that is how it works. Now that has been cleared up, the project is coming out perfectly.
Kindly,
Kim 🙂
So far, I love this pattern! I just finished the first 20 rows (after the four knit rows).
Reading through the comments, I haven't run into any of these problems, though sometimes I run into a problem at the end of a row and have an extra stitch or can't go all the way through a repeat, so I just knit stitch what's extra. Is this okay to do?
Hi Bobbie,
When a lace pattern doesn't end exactly at the end of the row, then it's likely that the "holes" of the lace won't line up and the pattern will be disrupted. This could be anywhere from a very small problem to a very big one. If when you look at your lace, it's making sense and a proper pattern is forming, then you may be okay so far! If, however, it looks like a jumble of holes, then you may need to go back and do each row very carefully so that each row ends exactly where it should, at the end!
Please let us know if you have any more questions. Thank you so much for this one and good luck!
Whitney
What are the finished dimensions on this scarf? I'm looking for something exactly 12" wide. I like this pattern and also like the fact that it's adjustable to different widths.
Hi Jodi-
The finished size of this scarf is 10-inches wide. That info is listed under "Finished Size" in the pattern above. If you'd like to make it 12-inches I would cast on 68 stitches. But it might not end up being exactly 12-inches. But it would be pretty close if you are working with the same gauge.
Thanks for your question!
Molly
I have completed my first repeat of 20 rows. I have ended with the right number of stitches at each row, but what I have looks like a random patterns of left and right leaning decreases and hardly any "space". I do tend to knit a bit tight, so upped my needles to 10.5 vs 7, so the pattern would be clear. I am going to go another repeat, but may have to bail on this pattern. Not sure where this is going wrong, other than all the odd rows are essentially a purl row, with knit stitches to hold the sides. Any advice so appreciated.
Hi Leigh,
I don't know how experienced a knitter you are, but if you're new to lace patterns, you may want to double check that you're doing the yarn overs properly. They are the step that creates the nice, open holes, so if that's what your scarf is lacking, that may be where you're going wrong. We have a video tutorial here that shows you how to do a yarn over: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knitting-tutorials-increases/2013/11/11/yarn-over-yo.html
I also think it's a good idea to give the pattern a chance to sort itself out. It often takes a few inches for the logic of a lace pattern to emerge!
Thanks so much for your question and please let us know how it goes!
Whitney
Thanks, Whitney-
I knit in an odd, modified continental style my mom learned from Eastern European women in the 1970s, so I do struggle to find the right YouTube videos. I was totally doing a make one, with the twist, rather than a giant yarn over.
I'll give this another try and now off to verify continental decreases to verify my weird technique leads to the right directional decrease. This is my first lace project, so my instinct to make a tighter increase makes sense, until I actually stop to think about the goal!
I am gearing myself up to trying a lace scarf for the first time, and this is so attractive and so well explained that I choose this one! Thank you for being so generous in sharing your pattern and expertise in helping less experienced makers like me surmount their difficulties. I'm off to find a suitable yarn now – what fun, on a lovely spring day in West Sussex!
If I want to make this scarf narrower, how do I do that? I love the pattern!!!
Hi Carol-
This pattern can be worked over any number of stitches that is a multiple of 10 plus 8, ie 18, 28, 38, etc. So to make it smaller I might 38 or 48 stitches- depending on how wide you want it.
Thank you!
Molly
I love knitting the scarf (I'm doing a shawl for my daughter's wedding). One question, are the sides supposed to kind of roll to the back of the scarf? I did the edging where you slip knitwise the first stitch and purl the last stitch on the ends. Would that be making it roll? It doesn't look so bad rolling, just wondering before I go too far. Thanks so much for the pattern, too!
Hi Joy,
Yes, this stitch pattern does roll, as do all stitch patterns that are essentially stockinette stitch. Even edge stitches don't stop this natural tendency!
If you'd like the wrap to lie flat for your daughter's wedding, try blocking it. It should stay flat for a little while, hopefully until the cake!
Thanks so much for asking and congratulations to the happy couple!
Whitney
Row 16 only counts out to 26 stitches and row 18 only counts out to 24. What am I doing wrong? I am starting after row 15 with 28 stitches on my needles.
Thank you.
Hi Laurel,
You should be ending every row with 58 stitches on the needles. I imagine you’re making a common mistake, which is thinking that a yarn over includes knitting a stitch. In fact, a yarn over is just the act of bringing the yarn forward into the purl position (at least, in this case that’s what it is!).
You might want to check out our Yarn Over Tutorial for a review of the technique: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/11/11/yarn-over-yo/
I hope this gets you on the right track. If not, please let us know and we’ll try to diagnose the problem again!
Whitney
I would love to make this into an afghan. Would it be correct to cast on 258 stitches?
Hi Susan,
Yes, that cast on number will work with this pattern, and if you get the same gauge we did, your blanket will be about 49 inches wide. Beautiful!
Thanks for your question and please let us know if you run into any more along the way!
Whitney
Is there anything that can be done to stop the curling. Can you add a couple of stitches to the edging would that stop the curling. I love the scarf but do not like the fact that in curls. I have completed several scarfs that curl and I do not like wearing or giving them as gifts when they curl. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi Margie!
Sometimes curling is an unavoidable aspect of certain stitches. Since this pattern is similar to stockinette stitch in structure, it will always curl some. You can certainly add about 1/2 to 1 inch of garter or seed stitch as a selvedge on both sides. Also blocking (directions here) might help for a while as well.
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
Can this pattern be adapted into an infinity scarf?
Hi LouAnne!
You probably could make it as an infinity scarf! I think the easiest way, though, would be to knit it as a scarf, and sew or kitchener the two ends together.
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
Hi
Would you please tell me what you mean by ssk? And yo?
I use some book’s abrevation but i cant done it.
Hi Mina-
Here are some videos that should help:
Slip Slip Knit (ssK) https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk-2/
Yarn Over (yo) https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/11/11/yarn-over-yo/
Please let us know if you have any more questions and thank you for getting in touch!
Best-
Molly
You can also do a backward sloping decrease by doing:
K2 tog tbl
= Knit 2 together through back loops. Insert needle point through the back of the next 2 stitches and knit them together. It’s much quicker than slipping stitches.
Knitting through the back loops on knit rows of stocking stitch (stockinette) also makes an interesting variation to the texture.
Hi,
Thank for this lovely pattern.
How do you change your ball of yarn? Usually I make a knot, but here I’m afraid that we will see it.
What do you suggest?
Thank you
Hi there!
I typically avoid making any knot for changing yarns. I would suggest knitting 1 stitch with both strands of yarn, and then continue knitting with the new ball of yarn. Leave 6 inch tails for both, and when you are finished with the pattern, you will weave in the ends!
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
I do a Russian join. It creates a very secure and (mostly) seem less transition.
Here is an easy tutorial for Russian join. However, I tend the splinter the thread through the middle and snip the one half so that my joined thread looks thin and seamless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWrh8VmTJug
Hi Mikarin,
Thank you so much for the link! How helpful!
Best,
Cassy
I am a beginner and I am confused about the parts of the pattern that are in parentheses. For example, in row 2, why is k2tog, yo in parentheses? Do I complete those stitches and are they included both times since it says two times?
Thanks!
Nicole
Hi Nicole-
The information in the parenthesis is repeated 2 times. So, in the case of “(k2tog, yo) 2 times”:
knit two together
yarn over
knit two together
yarn over
Please let me know if you have any more questions! I know learning how to read knitting patterns can be so confusing! Here is a very informative article about how to read knitting patterns that might be good to read: http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/tip_knit.html
It is obvious that knitting 2 stitches at the ends of each row as edging will not control the tendency to roll. Maybe if you were to cast on 60 or 62 stitches, you would have 3 or 4 stitches to serve as edging might work better. I think the best curl control would be casting on 62 stitches, using seed stitch for the first and last 4 rows, and seed stitch over the 4 stitches at the beginning and end of each row. Using seed stitch will give the body of the scarf a good frame.
I am confused by the gauge referenced for the yarn used. I find no “Canopy fingering/sport” on the Fibre Company website.
I find “Canopy fingering” which says 8-9 stitches per inch on size 2 or 3. I find “Canopy worsted” which says 5 1/4 stitches per inch on size 6 or 7.
Your pattern instructions say 5 1/4 per inch on 7 which matches the Canopy worsted. Perhaps you did use fingering but in the lace pattern it just coincidentally matches the gauge for Canopy worsted! Please advise Thank you.
Hi there!
You do need to use a fingering weight wool! It is merely coincidence that the gauge is closer to the worsted gauge. This is often true of lace patterns, which are typically knit much looser than other knits.
Thanks for your question!
Thomas
Can you recommend another yarn blend for this scarf? My store doesn’t have wool, bamboo and alpaca blend? Also is the yarn a 4 weight?
Thank you
Hello Debi,
We unfortunately don’t carry this blend anymore either! I recommend using the Anzula Cricket or the Purl Soho Mulberry Merino for this project. I’m not sure what “4 weight” refers to exactly, but you’ll want to find a yarn that recommends on the label somewhere around 6.5 stitches per inch. This pattern purposefully asks you to use a larger needle to yield a gauge of 5 1/4 stitches per inch to accommodate the lace pattern.
Here’s a link to the Cricket: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8710-Anzula-Cricket
And here is the Mulberry Merino: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9650-Purl-Soho-Mulberry-Merino
Thanks so much for your question and happy knitting!
Alyson
where do I find your abreviations. I do not know what
means yo. ssk. k1. I do understand the yo and k1 but I do not
know what ssk is
Hi Elza-
All of our abbreviations can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knit/terms/
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I did find the meaning of ssk myself, it
seems to me it is only a case of knit two together
through back of loop. If you do that all stitches
work out and it looks just like the knitted one online
What is a skip, skip, knit? I am not familiar with this stitch.
Hello! SSK refers to a decrease that stands for slip, slip, knit. Here is our tutorial for this stitch: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk/
Let us know if you have any outstanding questions! -Alyson
Isn’t a #7 way to big? The type of yarn you used calls for a #3.
Hello Lorel!
The yarn’s needle suggestion is quite small, but the pattern requires a larger needle so that the lace pattern is open and visible! Give it a try and see what you think. Best of luck! -Alyson
Hi, I’m trying out this pattern but didn’t go far from row 1 – after the first 4 rows. Is it K2P2 (4 stitches) or K2P1 (3 stitches)? I’m using the 58 stitches and I did the K2P1 which left me with 1 stitch at the end. Your pattern said to knit the last 2 stitches but because I did K2P1, I had to knit the last 4 stitches . Does that make any sense? Have I done something wrong?
Thanks,
Indri
Hi Indri,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I see where things went awry. For row 1 and every odd numbered row you will knit 2 and then purl all stitches until you reach the last 2 stitches in the row and then knit the last 2 stitches.
I hope that this clears things up!
-Cassy
I’m having a hard time deciding what yarn join to use. The yarn I’m using is 50% wool, 30% nylon, 20% alpaca. What join did you use?
Hello, Lorel!
Thank you for writing in! To join a new ball of yarn we stopped knitting with the old ball when there were at least 8 inches of yarn remaining. To begin the new ball, put the right needle into the next stitch. Leaving an 8-inch tail of the new yarn, begin knitting with the new yarn as usual. Do not tie a knot.
This leaves two tails. It also leaves stitches that seem loose and a small hole in your knitting, but never fear! You will fix this at the end of the project when you weave in the ends. At that point, you will cross the tails so that you weave the right tail to the left of the hole and the left tail to the right.
It’s a good idea to add new balls of yarn a few stitches from the beginning or end of a row, rather than in the middle of the row. This way your woven ends will be near the edge of the knitting rather than conspicuously in the middle.
If you have further questions, please let us know!
Happy knitting,
Kumeko
For a beginner, this pattern struck me as fairly easy to understand. One thing I wonder is if I’m using straight needles, will I need to revise the pattern so that every other row is the opposite of what is written? Or do I just proceed as is written with each turn? Does this make sense? I am excited to get started on this!
Hi Emily,
Good question! Although we used circular needles for this project, we knit the scarf flat, meaning back in forth in rows, turning the work at the end of each row. If you are knitting on straight needles, you need not make any changes to the existing pattern.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Thanks so so much for the info! This is so great! Thanks for the great pattern!
Hi
I started knitting about a year ago.
I have 2 questions:
1. Can I use DK weight for this pattern? Of so what chnages should I make?
2. If I wanyed to modify rhis to a triangle shawl could I cast on 18 and then do the increase on the WS like so to avoid extra holes?
WS ( odd numbered rows): k1, kfb1, purl till 2 sts remaining, kfb1, k1.
Thank you in advance so excited to get started.
Marissa
Hello Marissa,
Thanks for your interest in this pattern! This pattern can be knit in DK weight, however it might come out a little wider than the finished measurement listed in the pattern. I think this is totally fine for a scarf! If you wanted to make this scarf into a triangle shawl, it would be difficult because of the checkerboard lace pattern, but possible with some swatching!
Best of luck!
Adam
Hi Adam,
Thank you for your reply. For DK should I use size 5 needles then? I think I will go with a wide scarf that can double as a rectangular stole for now instead. Would I cast on 98 for that?
As for a triangle shawl I will be sure to revisit that once I have some more experience under my belt. 🙂
Thank you
Hello Marissa,
Thanks for writing back! Needle size is a general suggestion, so I recommend that you cast on 18 stitches and do a small swatch on a US 5 to see if you like the way your stitch definition looks. I like this part because you get to see how different gauges make different fabrics in the same yarn. Also, once you start knitting your scarf you’ll know for sure that your stitches will look the way you want. Your cast on amount depends on your swatch width. For example, if 18 stitches yields 3″ on a US 5, then 98 stitches will yield roughly 15″ in width. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
Hi Adam
Thank you for your reply. That totally makes sense. I will be sure to try and swatch it tonight and see. I really appreciate all of your help and can’t wait to work on this!
Thanks again
Marissa
Hi,
I am all the way through row 6, but each time I end an even row, I have an extra stitch left over. I knit this stitch into the end. Is there a way I could be missing a yarn over without knowing? I am following the pattern very carefully but somehow even after restarting 3 times, I am running into this same problem with one extra stitch left over. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
Alie
Hi Alie,
Thanks for writing us! Sorry you are having trouble with this pattern! I think that you could be doing one of a number of things. Firstly, make sure you are not missing a SSK or K2tog because this can result in one extra stitch. Also, you’ll want to double count that you are casting on the correct amount. Oftentimes people forget to count the slip knot as a stitch. And lastly, you want to make sure that you are repeating the directions in the parenthesis the exact amount of times it tell you to in the pattern. I hope one of these is it and that the problem works itself out!
Best,
Adam
Am looking forward to making your beautiful Checkerboard
Lace scarf. However, after reading through the pattern,
see that there is no ROW 3. Could you please let me know
what instructions are for this row 3. Thank you. Donna
Hi Donna,
Thanks for writing in! Row 1 and every odd numbered row (row 3, row 5, etc) will all be K2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi! I would like to make this with one of Purl’s yarns. Could you please give me some suggestion and how many skeins I would need? Thanks!
Hi Blair,
Thanks for writing in! I think that this lovely scarf would be great using our Linen Quill. To get an equal size scarf, you will need 1 and a quarter skeins. If you want to cast on 10 fewer stitches or make your scarf 12 inches shorter than this one, 1 skein would be enough.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Fantastic! i have been wanting to try linen quill. Should I still use a US#7 needle? Thanks!
Hi Blair,
Indeed! You will still use the US 7 needles with the Linen Quill!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Is this thread still active? I have a question about adopting this pattern for a cowl, with circular knitting.
Hello Meg,
Thanks for checking in! This comment section is indeed still active. I think this pattern would work beautifully as a cowl and relatively easy to adapt. I would take out the border and knit the odd number rows rather than purling them.
I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hi, could I use the Manos Del Uruguay Fino yarn for this project? I’ve fallen in love with the colors…
thanks!
pilar
Hello Pilar,
Thank you for this question! I agree with you- the Fino palette is lovely. I think this scarf would be beautiful in Fino, though the yarn we used for this project is slightly thicker so I would recommend knitting a little swatch to see if you are happy with the texture. If it knits up to open you can go down in needle size and just cast on more stitches to get the desired width. This pattern can be worked over any number of stitches that is a multiple of 10 plus 8.
Let me know how it goes or if you have any further questions.
Happy Knitting!
-Marilla
Sorry if this question was already posted, but how many yards of yarn are used? I have a different brand in a lovely texture. . . Just want to make sure I have enough before I get started.
Hi Kim,
Thanks for writing in! You will need 500 yards of fingering weight yarn!
Best,
Cassy
What does (ssk) mean?
Hello Gladys,
Thank you for writing in! Ssk just means “slip slip knit” For a more in-depth description check out our tutorial.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Does this scarf have a matching hat pattern?
I need one to go with the scarf.
Thanks
Hi Ann,
Thanks for writing in! At present we do not have a hat pattern that matches this lovely scarf but we will certainly keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Cassy
How many yards are in the Fibre Company’s Canopy fingering/sport yarn.
Hi Louise,
There are 200 yards in The Fibre Company’s Canopy fingering.
Best,
Carly
I have got to row 16, all previous pattern rows were worked in 10 sts ( plus the knits at each end
is this right for row 16?
K2 2
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K2 2
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K2 2
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
K2 TOG 2
YO
K4 4
58
Hi Rose,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help! There is a small error in your transposing of the row.
Row 16 reads:
K2, k2tog, yo, *k4, (k2tog, yo) 3 times, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 16 expanded reads:
K2, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k4
The “k4, (k2tog, yo) 3 times” repeat accounts for 10 stitches each time (repeated 5 times), with the row beginning with 4 stitches (k2, k2tog, yo) and ending with 4 stitches (k4) for a total of 58 stitches.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Thank you. From the first row I thing It is has to be a multipal of 4 stitches + 2.
Hello Pnina,
This pattern can be worked over any number of stitches that is a multiple of 10 plus 8, ie 18, 28, 38, etc.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi there. Would Posy be a good choice of yarn for this scarf?
Thanks –
Hi Diane,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, I think Posy would be a great option for this scarf! You would need two skeins of Posy to knit the same size scarf.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Beautiful pattern. I had no problems with it.
Thank you for sharing.
Nina
Hi! I dropped a stitch doing a purl stitch on a yarn over in a Row 1 and only noticed partway through Row 2. How can I pick up the stitch and preserve the look of the hole it’s supposed to create? Thanks!
Hello Zoo,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend securing your stitch so that it doesn’t drop down any further and then carefully going back to where you dropped your stitch. It is always tricky to help with dropped stitches without being able to see the scarf, so let us know how it goes or if we can further assist you!
Good luck and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! If anyone needs the instructions in pattern form, go here:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c9/1d/0a/c91d0a13f37bdafdc161136de776799f.jpg
I would like to make this as a gift for someone. What kind of washing instructions would you include for this project?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for asking! I’d recommend hand washing, squeezing out extra water with a towel, and then laying flat to dry. We have a great tutorial on washing sweaters (and other hand knits!) here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/how-to-hand-wash-a-sweater/ Please let me know if you have any other questions – I’m happy to help!
Best,
Cassandra
Hi. I saw somebody had commented about using this pattern to Knit a throw\afghan. I can’t find the comment any more but could you confirm it was 248 stitches. I’m also turning this into a bed spread.
Many thanks
Denise Mowat xx
Hi Denise,
Thank you so much for getting in touch, and I apologize that our comments aren’t available at the moment! We are experiencing a few technical difficulties with our site right now, but our web team is hard at work to get everything restored as quickly as possible. The comments should be back in the next day or two! You almost remembered it – you will actually need to cast on 258 stitches for a 49 inch wide blanket.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you for this lovely pattern! I’ve been looking for something like this to use a yarn I purchased last year and this looks perfect! One question I have is can you clarify how many yards/meters of yarn would be needed? (Or how many yards/meters the alpaca yarn is?) That will help me know if I can complete the pattern as written or if I will need to adjust the width.
Thanks so much!
Hi Heather,
Thanks for writing in! The original yarn we used for this pattern was 200 yards per skein, and we used approximate 500 yards (2 1/2 skeins) for the scarf!
I hope this helps!
Gianna
Hello. I should probably read all the comments before mine but… ugh… pls forgive me if this is a repeat question.
Do you think a linen yarn would be ok to use for this pattern? I might try it for a friend’s birthday present.
Thank you!
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for reaching out. Linen would be a great choice for this scarf! Linen has a wonderful drape, so it would be an exceptionally flowing scarf. The only thing to keep in mind is that it won’t be very warm, since linen doesn’t trap heat like wool does. It’s the perfect choice for a spring or summer scarf though!
All the best,
Lili