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.
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 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!
Gauge
5 1/4 stitches = 1 inch in the checkerboard lace pattern, unblocked
Finished Size
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!
Update: New Pattern
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!
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