I’ve written several books with the words “Last-Minute” in the title, so you can imagine that I occasionally relish the exact opposite! Especially in the depths of winter, I love to sink my teeth into a project whose gratification may not be immediate but whose pleasure is deeply satisfying. My Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf is just that!

Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf | Purl Soho

Not only does this scarf represent a month or two of on-again-off-again knitting, but its pinstripes actually serve as a record of my production. I wanted the stripes to be syncopated and unexpected, but have you ever tried to be intentionally random? It’s hard! So instead, I devised a rule that would ensure arbitrary line-placement: If I put the project down for more than eight hours I would start the next knitting session with a stripe. I figured my available knitting time was the most random thing I could chronicle!

Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf | Purl Soho

For a three-season decandently soft scarf, I used our very own Line Weight. It creates such luminosity with its fine halo of downy merino, and in Heirloom White with fine lines of Dark Loam, the effect is like a graphite drawing on cotton rag paper, loose and mysterious.

Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf | Purl Soho

For long-term knitting, I almost always choose garter stitch. I love its rhythmic certainty, its simplicity and lofty warmth. And knit on the bias, garter stitch has a fresh, graphic impact that satisfies my inner aesthete! I hope you enjoy the mesmerizing cadence of my Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf as much as I did! -Joelle

UPDATE: NOW IN QUARTZ

MARCH 2022

Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf | Purl Soho

Now in our Quartz yarn, too, choose from twenty beautiful colors, making your Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf as striking or as subtle as you like. The way this mix of merino and suri alpaca glows, these fine lines look fine indeed!

Designed by Purl Soho founder and co-owner, Joelle Hoverson.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoDiagonalPinstripeScarf, and #PurlSohoLineWeight. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf | Purl Soho

  • Main Color (MC): 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 494 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1482 yards required. We used the color Heirloom White.
  • Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein of Line Weight; approximately 38 yards required. We used the color Dark Loam.
  • US 3 (3.25 mm), 24-inch circular needles

Gauge

7½ stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch

Size

Finished Dimensions: Approximately 11 inches wide x 74 inches long

Note

Work all slip stitches knitwise with the yarn in back.

Pattern

Increase Section

NOTE: There are no stripes in the increase or decrease sections of the scarf.

With Main Color (MC), cast on 3 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Set-up Row: Slip 1, knit into front and back (kfb), k1. (4 stitches)

Increase Row: Slip 1, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1. (1 stitch increased)

Repeat Increase Row until there are 120 stitches.

Main Stitch Pattern

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, Knit Two Together (k2tog), knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1.

NOTE: If you want, place a removable stitch marker (or safety pin or scrap of yarn) on the right side of the work to help you keep track of where you are in the pattern.

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to end of row.

Stripe Pattern

At the end of a wrong side row, cut MC yarn.

Stripe Row 1 (right side): Switching to Contrast Color (CC), slip 1, k2tog, pick up tail end of CC and k9 using both working yarn and tail, drop tail, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1.

Cut the CC yarn.

NOTE: When working each of the next 2 rows be sure to knit the nine double stranded stitches as only one stitch each.

Stripe Row 2 (wrong side): Switching to MC, slip 1, k1, pick up tail end of MC and k9 using both working yarn and tail, drop tail, knit to end of row.

Stripe Row 3: Slip 1, k2tog, pick up tail end of MC from 2 rows below and k9 using both working yarn and tail, drop tail, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1.

Stripe Row 4: Slip 1, knit to end.

Trim tail ends that have been knit in. Carefully weave in tail of CC from the end of Stripe Row 1 through the stripe stitches. For the most invisible results use Duplicate Stitch for garter stitch. Trim tail end.

Continue with Rows 1 and 2 of the Main Stitch Pattern, working the Main Stitch Pattern and Stripe Row as desired, until work measures approximately 74 inches from the cast on to the top left corner (with right side facing you).

Decrease Section

Decrease Row: Slip 1, k2tog, knit to end of row. (1 stitch decreased)

Repeat Decrease Row until 2 stitches remain.

Finish

Cut yarn and thread it through the remaining stitches.

Weave in beginning and end tails and block as desired.