Color Change Scarf

Purl Soho’s most subtle yarns come from Habu Textiles. They tend to be extremely fine and very delicately colored. They also tend to leave customers scratching their heads, “I LOVE this yarn, but what can I possibly make with it?” A great answer has been Habu’s all white Kusha Kusha Scarf pattern, but, for this project, I wanted to also engage with Habu’s amazing spectrum of colors.
I envisioned a scarf that would shift from one color to the next, making a beautiful color journey from one end of the scarf to the other. Joelle, with her unique genius for color, picked these five Fine Merinos. While knitting, my excitement grew and grew as I introduced each new color. More like painting with watercolors than knitting with yarn, it was a fascinating process!

This simple lace ladder stitch is a perfect antidote to such fine yarn. With only two easy rows to memorize and so much open lace work, you’ll be surprised how quickly you fly through this scarf. The result is a perfect accessory for fall that will inspire you every day! -Whitney
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoColorChangeScarf. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials

5 cones of Habu Textile’s Fine Merino, 100% Merino Wool. We used the following colors…
- Color A: # 3042
- Color B: # 3044
- Color C: # 3046
- Color D: # 3043
- Color E: # 3055
You will also need…
- A US 7 (4.5 mm) 24-inch circular needle. We used (and really recommend!) a Skacel Addi Lace needle for this project. With sharper points than the traditional Addi Turbos, these needles make knitting with fine yarn much easier. They also have a slightly stickier shaft for keeping slippery yarns in control.
NOTE: These five cones are enough for two identical scarves. Or, for four or five different scarves, switch the colors around so that the lesser used colors become the greater used colors. It will be so interesting to see the changes!
GAUGE
36 stitches = 4 inches in lace pattern
SIZE
8 inches wide x 66 inches long
Note
Throughout this pattern you will be knitting with two yarns at the same time. One yarn will always be COLOR A and the other yarn will change from B to C to D to E, as instructed in the pattern.
Pattern
Holding COLOR A and COLOR B together, cast on 72 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Rows 1-4: Knit
Row 5 (right side): K4, *k2tog, yarn over (yo) twice, ssk, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4.
Row 6 (wrong side): K5, *(k1, p1) into the 2 yo’s from the previous row, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until piece measures 12 inches from the cast on row (always end each color section with a wrong side row). Cut COLOR B and join COLOR C (so that you are now knitting with A and C).
Continue to repeat Rows 5 and 6 until the second section of color measures 15 inches. Cut COLOR C and join COLOR D.
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until the third section of color measures 18 inches. Cut COLOR D and join COLOR E.
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until the fourth and final section of color measures 20 3/4 inches, ending with a wrong side row.
Knit 3 rows.
Cast off very loosely (use a needle one or two sizes bigger if you have to).
Cut both yarns.
Weave in the ends and lightly block your scarf. It may grow a little bit, but it will be wonderfully flat and soft!
I would like to make this scarf in a DK or worsted and not change colors…would I still cast on 72 or less?
Thanks so much
Hi Deb-
It would probably be less. You should do a little gauge swatch, approximately 4-inches square, to figure out how many stitches you are going to get per inch and then multiply that number by 8 (inches) which is the desired width, and round to the nearest multiple of 12 to get your cast on number.
Please let us know if you have any more questions and thanks for getting in touch!
Best-
Molly
Since the MC is used for the entire scarf won’t I need to purchase more than one cone of that color? I don’t want to run out of the MC then have to try and find it again. THANKS
Hi Jean-
The materials listed on this project are correct. You only need one cone of the main color. Each cone has over 700 yards so you won’t run out!
Thanks for your question!
Molly
I want to use one colorway of yarn, how many yards do I need? Thank you.
Sandi
Hello Sandi!
Judging from other knitter’s finished scarves, you will need no more than 400 yards to complete the scarf in total.
Happy Knitting!
-Alyson
I am going to knit this scarf using only one color of lace weight yarn.
Do I still knit with two strands at a time?
Hello Nancy,
Thank for the great question! Yes, in order to achieve the proper gauge you will need to hold your lace weight yarn double. I recommend doing a little gauge swatch since all yarns are a little different and don’t always achieve the same gauge.
Please let us know if you have anymore questions!
Happy Knitting,
Jake
Hi, this pattern looks simple enough for an advanced beginner such as myself. Can you clarify “knitting with two yarns at the same time”? Do you basically hold both yarns and knight as if they were one strand?
Thanks!
Hi Nang,
Thanks for commenting! You are absolutely right, when we hold two yarns together you treat them as if they’re one yarn.
Happy Knitting!
Jake
where will I find the yarn to buy living in Sterling Hts Mi.
Hello Jutta!
The yarn for this pattern is available for purchase here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/2980-Habu-Textiles-Fine-Merino
Thanks for writing in! -Alyson
Hi Jutta-
We sell the yarn and we ship everywhere! You can click on any of the links in the “Materials” section to get to the yarn.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Best-
Molly
I live in Canada and would like to know where I can purchase this yarn or could you tell me of a substitute yarn I can buy in Canada. Thanks
Hi Carolyn-
I’m not sure if you can buy this in Canada but we ship all over the world! Here is a link to our international shipping page. https://www.purlsoho.com/shipping
Or, if you’d like to substitute you can use any smooth lace weight yarn.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I love this scarf! However I would classify myself as an advanced beginner. Would this be appropriate for me? I would really like to knit a lighter weight lacy scarf like this one to wear at work (especially looking forward to spring). I just want to make sure before I buy the yarn that it isn’t too hard. Or would you have an alternative I should consider?
Hello, Sue!
Thank you so much for writing in! Sorry about the delayed response! I think that as an advanced beginner you could easily handle this pattern, however, many folks have said that the wool we used for this project is quite tricky to work with. If you really like this, I say go for it, just proceed with caution. Otherwise, I recommend our Checkerboard Lace Scarf. You could easily substitute the wool with a cotton or linen to make it more appropriate for warmer temperatures. I recommend Cascade’s Ultra Pima (https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet/ultra-pima.html) or even Habu’s Gima (https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn/knitting-crochet/wide-gima-n-100.html). Whatever you choose, just be sure to knit a gauge swatch to make sure that you get the right gauge. If you have further questions, please let us know!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
I have some lace weight alpaca. Would this work instead of the merino? Thanks.
Hello, Karen!
Thank you so much for writing in! Sorry for the delayed response! I think your lace weight alpaca would work just fine for this scarf. Your lace weight alpaca might have a heavier gauge than the fine merino we used so, I recommend doing a test swatch to see how it looks in the alpaca. If you like it, I’d follow the pattern as written. If it comes out a little bit larger you could experiment using a different number for the cast on or dropping a needle size. Please keep us updated on your progress!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
If making this with fingering weight yarn, will I still need about 400 yards? And will I need to use 2 strands together or can I just use the single strand?
What about using sport weight yarn?
Thank you.
Hello, Carla!
Thank you for writing in! Sorry for the delayed response! If you make this with fingering or sport weight yarn you can hold the yarn single stranded. I recommend making a test swatch of the pattern using both yarns to see if you like the look of it and to help you figure out how many stitches you’ll need to cast on. Since you are planning on using a larger gauged yarn for this scarf you’ll use less than 400 yards.
Best wishes,
Kumeko
What does ssk mean!
Hello, Cecile!
Thank you for your question! SSK stands for Slip, Slip, Knit. It is a type decrease stitch. We’ve got a great tutorial here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk/ on the SSK. If you have further questions, please let us know! Again, thank you for writing in!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
If I want to make this into a loop would I do this?
1. Provisional cast on
2. Knit maybe just one or two rows before starting lace pattern
3. Follow lace pattern. Proceed to end, ending with one row of knit.
4. Pick out the provisional cast on to get live stitches and then graft the ends together (like on the Churchmouse Mohair loop or similar).
Any cautions about this approach?
Thanks!
Hi Jenny,
Great question! Your plan sounds spot on! You could also knit the scarf as written and whip stitch the ends together. It will not be seamless as your plan is but the seam should be minimal given that the yarn used is quite thin. Either way, I think it will come out great!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I received an email today that had the instructions for making the beautiful scarf shown above, however living in South Florida I find that the yarns you are using can tend to be quite warm in most places. What other lightweight yarns would you recommend using instead, as well as using just a MC and perhaps one other color to carry along instead of so many other color changes.
Hello Suzanne,
Thank you for writing in. I’m happy to hear that you were inspired by this scarf pattern. When it comes to substituting yarns all you need to do is make sure you are getting the correct gauge. I think that Habu’s Linen Wrapped Silk could work. I believe you only need 400 yards of lace weight yarn to complete this scarf so you would only need 2 cones. If you wanted to make this scarf with a single strand, as opposed to holding 2 strands, you could use our Linen Quill or our Cattail Silk.
As always you will want to be sure to knit a gauge swatch before getting started. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I would like to make this pattern just as pictured with the five color changes, but I’m finding the yarn is not available, nor have I found easy substitutions. Please advise.
Thank you.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we no longer carry Habu Fine Merino; however, I think you could substitute our Line Weight in Peony Pink, Red Pine, Pink Apricot, Kiln Red, and Autumn Oak to create a very similar look!
Best,
Julianna
Thanks again for this lovely pattern. When working the 2 yarnovers, k1, p1, do you mean k1 in the first yo, and p1 in second yo?
Thanks,
Karen Thiemermann
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for your question! Yes, you are correct, you will knit 1 into the first yarn over and purl 1 into the second yarn over.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret