Diagonal Pinstripe Scarf
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!
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!
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.
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
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
- Main Color (MC): 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this fingering weight yarn 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.
LEARN ABOUT LINE WEIGHT + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Line Weight is a lovely choice for this project because it is sumptuously soft with a subtle luster. A lithe single ply of 100% merino wool, this fingering-weight yarn knits up into a smooth fabric that blooms beautifully when you hand wash it. Enjoy 494 yards of beautiful knitting with every 100-gram skein and choose from nearly 20 riveting colors!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Line Weight patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool yarn
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 and the fact that the stripe placement method creates a chronicle or journal. What a fabulous gift it would make for someone very special, like my busy daughter. She would appreciate the large number of stripes it would end up with. A knitted gift with its own story.
Wow, what a beautiful scarf!! Great idea. Thanks for sharing the pattern!
Happy 2014 and have a nice Sunday 🙂
Nata
I was wondering I f there is any reason you couldn't carry the Heirloom White (main color) instead of cutting it every time you add in a stripe of Loam? Thx, Gwen K
What a simple and elegant looking work of art! I love how delicate and feminine the edges look, with the random stripes on the bias adding impact. The colors are soft and neutral, so easy on the eye. Thanks so much for beautiful patterns, Gwen K
Love! When I'm done knitting my Brioche Scarf (my not so immediate gratification but highly pleasurable winter project) then I want one of these!
I absolutely love this yarn. Thanks for always providing inspiration Joelle.
Hi Gwen,
Because the Dark Loam is a single row stripe the Heirloom White is not available to pick up at the end of the stripe row (it is still back at the beginning of the stripe row).
Hope this clarifies it for you!
Joelle
If a circular needle is used to knit the scarf, once the pinstripe row has been knitted, wouldn’t it be possible to snip that colour, slide the stitches down the needle to the other end where the white yarn is and resume knitting without having to cut and rejoin it?
Hello Deborah!
That is brilliant! That would definitely work as long as you don’t mind having the small float of white yarn on the edging of your scarf. Give it a try and let us know how it works! -Alyson
I am a novice knitter and every new project presents its challenges and I do have a hard time keeping edges neat etc.
I have tried using a circular needle and sliding the stitches along and this definitely helps keep things tidier as there are less tails. However by sliding the stitches it means you are knitting the “right” side twice in a row and to keep the garter stitch effect the second time you knit the right side it is necessary to knit the row in purl otherwise it turns into stockinette (? in any case not garter). Then I revert to plain stitch on the next row but this leaves a slight ridge in the knitting between the purl and the plain row, this isn’t noticeable for me as I am using a dark main colour but might be with a pale colour.
I suppose I could carry on using purl until the next time I use the stripe colour and slide the stitches but then would have to revert to plain as I would again be knitting the right side of the work twice.
Not sure I am being clear but I am persevering with the circular needles and sliding the stitches as the finish is much neater!
What a beautiful scarf…I bet this design would look lovely in a dishcloth also!
Another work of art that I must make this year! I too choose garter for large projects…and some small ones. Thank you, Joelle for your amazing talent and generosity….for being you!!
Julie
This is a beautiful scarf, simple and very elegant. Can you recommend a substitution yarn that would give the same effect, for someone who is extremely allergic to wool? Thanks so much for offering this pattern. Lori
This scarf is divine and such a clever idea.
Am I correct in reading that there is an increase in stripe row 3? In this row there is a kfb but I can't find a corresponding decrease stitch. ( It is more than likely there and when I start knitting it will be obvious )
Thank you for the lovely pattern.
Nikki
I'm thinking if you change the dimensions it would make a great blanket!
Stunned by how beautiful this is, Joelle.
I love this, but I don't think I have the patience for size 3s. Maybe I'll try it with a worsted weight yarn and less stitches.
Gruezi from Switzerland Joelle – as usual your inner aesthete delights. I have not done a test – but to avoid the cutting of Heirloom with every Stripe – would the overall beauty be ruined if one worked 2 rows of the Dark Loam? I do hope to actually visit your store one day… best wishes for 2014 Louise
Hi Louise-
I feel it would be very different. I tried it that way and did not like it as much, and I felt it made it feel far less delicate. Note that the ends are knit in as you work (except for 1) to minimize sewing in – see stripe section.
Good luck with the project!
Joelle
HI Nikki-
You are correct! Joelle is adding it to the pattern. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention.
Thank you!
Molly
HI Lori-
This pattern will work with any lace weight yarn:
The 2 ply cashmere would probably be the most similar in loft and drape, but might not work for someone with a wool allergy. Find it here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/614-Jade-Sapphire-2-ply-Cashmere
If not cashmere then perhaps the Anzula Mermaid (it would be very different in loft but the right gauge and it would be very pretty).
Find the Anzula Mermaid here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8321-Anzula-Mermaid
All of our lace weight yarns can be found here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/3-knitting-crochet-yarn?filters%5B%5D=2
Thank you so much for getting in touch about this!
Molly
Absolutely gorgeous! I picked up some purl soho line weight last time I was in NYC, and I love it. This scarf looks nice and light, and the stripe adds class. Beautiful!
Love this & must make one! Will be visiting NYC next month & will drop in to Purl Soho pick up the yarn. Save some for me!
So lovely! I have been working for ages on my Brioche scarf, but this is an equally beautiful and elegant project that I foresee in my knitting future.
What a beautiful scarf. Could you possibly post an image of the entire scarf so we can see the shape. Or describe it? Fr some reason I am not able to visulize the scarf. Thank you!
I love this beautiful scarf! I'd love to get the whole effect by seeing a picture of someone modeling it. It's always hard for me to grasp the project without lots of visual aides!!! 🙂
Thank you for the inspiration! I was finally able to cross a visit to Purl Soho off my bucket list last month when we made a trip from Indiana to pick up our daughter from her internship in NYC. It was a dream come true! Lovely store with wonderful people helping the Saturday before Christmas!!!
Lisa from Indiana
I absolutely love this design! I have been looking for the perfect design for a hallway runner rug and think I will adapt this pattern for just such project (with heavy-weight yarn and #16 needles of course)!
Greetings from sunny South Africa – my daughter in law who has just moved to NYC – sent me your web address today – love your stuff! Please can you tell me why I cant print this awesome scarf pattern – do I have to sign up first…? Look forward to knitting this scarf Candy
I agree- in the depths of winter and the holiday rush is over, it is satisfying to do a long-term project. I love this pattern- I think this is next on my knitting list. I am working on a long- term chevron scarf now that I haven't picked up in a couple of weeks. Maybe I will start on this one next!
This is a perfect alternate pattern to a linen stitch project I just don't have the patience for. Do you mind making recs for adapting it to a DK yarn?
Hi Ruby-
This pattern will work with any size yarn! Do a swatch to determine what needles you would like to you use with the yarn and then just get stared! Then do the increase section until your bottom horizontal edge is approximately 11-inches wide and from there you can do the main stitch pattern. Once you've reached a length you like you then do the decrease section.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Hi Candy-
To print our patterns we recommend that you copy the text and photos and paste them into a Word or Text doc.
Sorry it's a bit of a hassle, we're working on improving it in the future!
Thank you!
Molly
Rather than weaving in yarn ends, do you think it would work to leave them a uniform length – say 3 or 4 inches – and then knot them together for a random fringe?
Hi Harbormom-
Unfortunately I think this would end up being rather messy looking since there is only one tail every several inches. However most of the ends in this project are knit in, not woven in, so it isn't as hard as it might first look!
Thank you!
Molly
This is such a lovely scarf and it has made me want to knit it NOW! 🙂 I was wondering about the amount of yarn used for the stripes. Did it take the entire skein of the Line Weight? I am considering making it for myself and for someone else and I wondered it I needed to buy 2 skeins of the yarn for the stripes or if 1 was enough for both. Many thanks for your help.
Hi Tlobner-
You can make several scarves out of one skein of the stripe yarn.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Joelle,
It's beautiful! I want to knit!!
can we see a picture of it on?
xoxox
Hi, if I wanted to knit this as a baby blanket, do I just knit the increase section until the bottom edge is the width that I want, knit the main stitch section and then start the decrease section when it's the length that I want? (as per Molly's instructions to Ruby above) Thanks!
Hi Donne-
Yes, you've got the idea! We would love to see your blanket when you're done!
Good luck with it!
Molly
It is such a modern design yet charming and old worldly. Love it and thanks for sharing the design.
Hi! As I've come to the end of my first stripe I'm confused: the pattern seems to say you have to pick up the main colour's end twice. Is it correct that in the second row you shoul pick up the contrast colour's tail and in the third row the main colour's tail? At that point the main colour is not two rows below but otherwise you would get a 9 stitch second stripe, right?
Hi there,
I am trying out the stripe before I get into making the scarf and am having some issues. When I follow the pattern the stripe isn't going all the way across. Also in step 3 where you pick up the main color again it doesn't seem to line up and I am unsure of when to use the main color and when to use the stripe color. I'm also using straight needles, so I don't know if that might make a difference? Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Hi Annika-
In rows 2 and 3 you are only picking up the Main Color's tails, not the Stripe Color. In row 2 you are picking up and knitting the tail that was formed at the start of row 2. In Row 3 you are picking up the previous tail from two rows below, the tail that was formed when you cut the Main Color at the beginning of the Stripe Pattern section.
I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
Hi Charlotte,
Here are a few suggestions, please let us know if you need further help.
First, straight needles should make no difference at all.
Note, before you work the stripe color, you will cut the main color (leaving a tail to knit in later).
Stripe Row 1: Pick up the stripe color. Slip the first stitch, k2tog with the stripe color, and then knit the next following 9 stitches with both the working yarn of the stripe color and the tail of the stripe color. After 9 stitches, drop the tail and continue to the end with the working yarn (working a kfb in the second to last stitch). When you get to the end of the row, cut the stripe color (leaving a tail to weave in later).
Stripe row 2: Pick up the Main color. Slip the first stitch, k1 with the main color, and then knit the following 9 stitches with both the working yarn of the Main Color and the tail of the Main Color. After 9 stitches, drop the tail and continue to the end with the working yarn.
Next row, continue with Main Color and slip 1, reach down and pick up the tail end of the Main Color from 2 rows below and knit the following 9 stitches with both the working yarn of the Main Color and this tail end. After 9 stitches, drop the tail and continue to the end with the working yarn.
Work Row 4 of stripe section in Main Color.
We hope this clarifies the directions for you, thanks for your question!
Joelle
Yes, that clears things up! Thanks so much.
Hi there,
thank you for this nice pattern. But I have a problem with the stripe section. On the pictures I see three rows with the stripe colour. In the pattern there is just one row with the stripe colour. I have a problem to imagine how it will look like on the picture with just one row with the stripe colour.
I hope you can help me.
Thanks a lot,
Claudia
Hi Claudia-
I'm not 100% sure what you mean by your question- so please let me know if this doesn't answer it for you.
The stripe section is actually only produces one colored stripe row and is meant to be worked at random intervals throughout the scarf. Our version actually has several stripes. It's up to you where you place them!
Please let us know if this answers your question!
Molly
Thank you Molly, that answers my question.
So if I would like to get the same result as on the picture, I would knit more rows with the stripe colour before changing back to the main colour.
Greets,
Claudia
Hi Caludia-
No, you always knit just one row of the stripe color. You do the stripe section at random intervals. So mostly you will just be knitting with the main color. Then whenever you want to place a stripe you do the stripe section. Then back to the main color until you want another stripe.
Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
Hi there,
This is so beautiful. I have also been admiring the whit's knits cotton striped cowl, but wanting something lighter/thinner. I am wondering if you think this yarn and diagonal stitch might work well with working in the thread like the striped cowl? would it be really hard to knit in cotton thread with a wool yarn because the cotton wouldn't stretch and give like the wool does? Also, are you currently out of this white yarn in the diagonal scarf pattern? I was thinking of randomly knitting in a few rows with the colored thread here and there, and not using the white thread like was done in the cowl pattern.
Any advice would be appreciated. I love this blog and am so inspired!
Thanks, Willow
Hi Willow-
I think that would be lovely! We are currently sold out of the white used in this project but are expecting more soon. If you'd like to be informed when we get it back in stock please email customerservice AT purlsoho DOT com
Thank you!
Molly
I will try again to get my question answered before I have to scrap this beautiful scarf. How do you slip the first stitch when adding the new color for the stripe? Mine does not look right. I really, really want to knit this scarf for my son. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for any info you can impart!!!!
Hi Judy-
I'm so sorry I missed your question before! You just slip the first stitch in the stripe section as you would for the rest of the work, meaning that you slip it knit wise onto the right needle. You then start using the stripe yarn. I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
Thanks for your answer, Molly, but when I do this, I do not get a straight line edge; it juts out to the right. And I still do not understand how you slip a "stitch" that is not yet on your needle (the stripe color yarn). Would it work to do the last stitch in the row before in the stripe color and then I would have a "stttch" to slip?
Hi Judy-
The first slip stitch at the beginning of the stripe section is done exactly the same way as the slipped stitches in the rest of the pattern. You simply slip the first stitch on your left needle (which will be in the main color yarn) to the right needle, knitwise. Then you start using the Stripe yarn to do the k2tog and onward. Make sure you are slipping the stitches gently and not pulling them out of shape.
Any unevenness on the edge is caused by loose stitches when you join a new color but in the end they pretty much even out.
If the slipping is really messing you up you can also simply knit the first stitch with the stripe color if it looks better to you, the pattern will still work.
I hope this helps!
Molly
If I wanted to make this in PS Worsted Twist, how many skeins would I need for the MC and the stripe? What size needle would you recommend?
Thanks!
Josephine
Hi Josephine-
This is just an estimate but we think you'll need 3 skeins of the Heirloom White (or whatever main color you choose) and 1 skein of the Loam. We'd recommend trying a size 8 needle.
Thank you, and please let us know how it comes out!
Best-
Molly
Thank you, Molly! I will give this a go 🙂
Hello Molly,
The way you randomly placed the dark lines as a time record of your knitting activity is lovely. I am totally obsessed with this scarf since I saw it yesterday!
A dear friend pointed out that the idea reminds her of the Sunday stone calendar found in a mine in the North of England.
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/favouritethings/index.php?selector=Kennedy
I am posting this link because I thought you may find that of interest!
Many thanks for sharing all your lovely ideas on the Purl Bee website!
That’s really cool – thanks for sharing! I just started this project with a dark green, and now I’m thinking of adding a white pinstripe on Sunday’s instead of just lighter green every “long break” as I’d planned. Might keep track of how many weeks this actually takes me to complete.:)
I'm about 7 rows into the Main Stitch Pattern and have developed what can only be described as a corner on one side of my work. Is this intended? None of your pictures seem to show that section.
Hi Susan-
Yes, you should have the first corner, which was created when you did the increase section, and then the second corner, which should be opposite of the first one. The length between these two corners is the bottom edge of the scarf.
It sounds like you're doing it correctly so if this isn't making sense just keep going and I think you'll soon see what I mean.
Thank you for writing in!
Molly
I too was wondering about that ‘corner’ thought I had made a mistake. To clarify your answer, I will create the second corner when I do the scarf ending decrease? or should I have that ‘corner’ on each side now? Because I have a smooth, no corner, on the other side of my scarf now, just a few rows from the increases in the main stitch part.
Hello Melanie,
Thank you for reaching out! You are correct, your second corner will be made with your first decrease.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I am wondering about how much of the CC you had left over?
Hi Sacha-
Joelle estimates that she had approximately 370 yards left over of the stripe color.
Thanks!
Molly
I'm obviously doing something wrong because when, in the set-up row, I slip the stitch knitwise with the yarn in back and then kfb, I keep dropping the slipped stitch. Help, please!
Hi Remi-
I'm so sorry to hear you're having this problem! The slipped stitch shouldn't be involved in the kfb. In other words, you are doing the kfb into the second stitch, not the slipped stitch. You might want to review our kfb video here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/the-purl-bee/2014/1/5/joelles-diagonal-pinstripe-scarf.html
You might also be knitting too tightly which could pull the slip stitched off. If that's the case you should to try using a needle in a larger size and knitting a bit looser.
I hope this helps! Thanks for writing in!
Molly
I'm almost finished with this scarf in ballet pink with a gray stripe and have really enjoyed this project. I think I need block it to even out the stitching, but I'm afraid of stretching out the garter stitch. How do you recommend blocking this scarf? Thanks!
Hi Sarah-
We recommend lightly blocking it as described in this tutorial:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knitting-tutorials-finishing/2006/11/13/blocking.html
Your colors sound lovely! Thanks for your question!
Molly
First thank you for sharing this beautiful pattern. Can you clarify the decrease section for me.
Do I start the decrease section on the wrong side i.e. the longest will be the start of rhe row, and I can't picture decreasing each row. To me I would not get a square edge as the begining,
Hi Barbara-
It doesn't matter if you are on the right or wrong side when you begin the decrease section. Since you are decreasing at the beginning of every row both wrong-side and right-side rows will decrease at an equal rate and form a 90-degree angle to mirror the increase section. It may be hard to visualize but once you get going I think you'll see the shape taking form and it should all make sense.
Thanks so much for your question!
Molly
Is this especially feminine when it's complete? Do you think that it would work for a man if I picked darker colors like blues and greens?
Hi Magiie-
It's hard to say since every man (and woman!) has different taste. But the fact that it is garter stitch, on the bias, and fairly wide do put it more into traditional women's wear territory. You might want to check out our men's project gallery for more inspiration! https://www.purlsoho.com/create/mens-knitting-projects/
Thank you!
Molly
Is there a printer friendly version of this pattern? I know your last website setup had that as an option. I’m just not finding it on this one. When you have a chance, please direct me on where to look. Thank you!
Kim
I’m a huge Agnes Martin fan. This reminds me of some of her line paintings. I LOVE it!
Hi Sylvia-
We are big Agnes Martin fans too! Have you seen my Agnes Martin inspired Watercolor Quilt? https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/02/06/mollys-sketchbook-watercolor-quilt/
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I was hesitating to start this project because of the time demand, but once I heard the name “Agnes Martin” I couldn’t wait to start. I’ve long wondered if she appealed to me so much because of my love of knitting–all those perfectly regimented horizontal stripes. I find Bridget Riley inspiring for the same reason, perhaps–although she tends towards verticals! Thanks for the inspiration.
Is there a printable version of this pattern? I love it! Thanks!
Hi Marge-
Thanks for getting in touch about this. We have just added a printable PDF of this pattern! It’s under the “Pattern” headline.
Good luck with the project and please let us know if you have any more questions.
Molly
ps- apologies for any confusion if you saw my earlier response saying we didn’t have this available as a PDF.
Improvising this in a boucle! Really soft and scrunchy!
Hi! Love this pattern. I’d like to make two scarves – in opposite colors. I am wondering if 3 skeins of Heirloom White and 3 skeins of Dark Loam would make two scarves?? In other words – how much of the Heirloom White did you have left after knitting the scarf? Was it enough for the stripes in a second scarf?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Shari!
There was a lot of the 3rd skein remaining for the sample! While I can’t guarantee that you can finish all of the stripes with the leftover, I think it is a real possibility. I would suggest making each of the two scarves just a little shorter to err on the safe side!
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
Super!! Thank you, Thomas!
Happy knitting!!
Shari
I really love your site. I am new to knitting and I find that it is not easy to find modern and elegant patterns. So, even if it was only my seocnd project I had to start the diagonal pinstripe scarf. I’ve put it aside about a third of the way to knit the gorgeous moonstone wrap for my mom who was hospitalized over the holiday (which she loves and wears all the time!)
As I get back to my diagonal scarf I realized that I somehow ended up with 116 stitches, probably forgetting to kfb a few rows a third of the way back at the look of it. And, please dont judge, I cant bear to undo all of that work. Now, I wonder if the decrease will work at the end or if I should try to increase back to 120 stitches, and if so, how to do so ?
Thank you so much for helping a mistake making newbie 🙂
Hi Anne-Emilie-
We are so happy to hear that you find the site inspirational! The 116 stitches issue shouldn’t be a problem. Your scarf will just be a tad narrower than the original and the decrease section should work in the same way.
Please let us know if you have any more questions and thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Soooo nice to have this pattern in PDF format. I love your patterns, your attitude, your intelligence , your total Web site of ideas and suggestions — and, I wish all of your patterns were in this PDF format! Will you be “reformatting” any of the older patterns? (I know, such a job I’m asking)!
Hi Alice-
We actually only offered these pre-formatted PDFs for a short time while we worked out our print function and we don’t have plans to do any more. The good news is that the print function is now totally operational! Just click on the text that says “print” in the right hand column of any story (it’s directly below the “tags”) and a screen will pop up where you can print or save any pattern as a PDF. You even have the option to take out any photos or text you don’t need.
I hope this is helpful to you. Please let us know if you have any more questions and thanks so much for getting in touch!
Molly
I have #2 and #4 needles. Which way should I go? Thanks!
Hi Sarah-
If you’re a tight knitter I would go with the size 4, if you are a loose knitter I would go with the size 2s. The best way to tell for sure is to do a little gauge swatch and see which needles get you closest to the gauge listed in the pattern. Since this is a scarf it doesn’t need to fit in the same way a garment does so you don’t have to get the exact gauge, just something similar!
Thank you for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I love your pinstripe scarf and I want to make it as a poncho…about 25″ wide and 64″ long….am I correct to assume I can cast on twice as many stitches to begin and use twice the amount of yarn the pattern calls for….are there any other considerations in this project that I haven’t considered?
Julie
Hello Julie,
How are you planning to construct the poncho? This simple design would be beautiful in a garment! Are you planning on creating a rectangle and then seaming it up to be a diamond shape? The original pattern created a scarf that was roughly 11-inches wide x 74-inches long. If you are looking to make it 25″ wide, casting on more stitches to begin with will not affect the size. You will need to repeat the increase row at the start of the pattern until you yield a little more than two times 120 stitches. Once you reach around 25″ in width, you can go ahead and move onto the Main Stitch Pattern section and continue as follows.
Thank you for your question!
Alyson
Hi there,
This is my first knitting project (ever!) and I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m doing it in reverse colours – black (or, rather, super dark grey) with white stripes, as I can’t really wear that lovely creamy-white with my skin tone. It’s looking lovely so far.
I have just finished the first stripe and I seem to have 123 stitches, instead of 120. As another poster said – please don’t judge – but I really don’t want to undo it all. Is it possible to just add 3 x k2tog in the following rows to decrease back to the correct width? If so, which side would I do those on? i.e. if I do them all on one side, will the scarf get a little lopsided? Should I do them next to the required k2tog at the beginning of the right side row in the main rows? Should I stagger them (e.g. every 10 rows or something) to minimise the appearance of different lengths?
Any advice would be most appreciated! (I can’t visit my grandma till next weekend and don’t want to wait that long to get back into it!)
Sam
Hi Sam-
No judgement! I would just keep going with 123 stitches. The decreases would be more noticeable than the slight increase in width. But please make sure that you are not increasing at every row and that all of your subsequent rows maintain 123 stitches.
Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
Thanks Molly! Speedy reply is much appreciated.
Sam
Hi Molly,
Thank you so much for this pattern – I spent nearly a year knitting it for my mother (in Australia), and she absolutely loves it! Though I am really keen to move on to other beautiful patterns on the Purl Bee site, I have promised by sister, husband and best friend to knit them one each – they all love it. Think I shall be stuck with this pattern for some time!
Unfortunately, I could not order the beautiful line weight yarn to Germany (German customs would charge be a fortune in import tax) but one day I hope to visit your store and buy it by the bucket load.
Thank you so much for this lovely pattern!
Thea
In the main stitch, do you repeat row 1 and 2 or just keep doing garter stitch through out until decrease portion?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsey-
You repeat rows 1 and 2 for the main section.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I’ve been working on this scarf for a few days now and while I’m still on the increase section, it just occurred to me that later in the pattern there are instructions for right and wrong sides. I forgot to mark the right side of my work – is there an easy way to tell which it is?
Hello, Cat!
Thank you for your question. Since you are still working on the increase section you need not worry about right or wrong sides. This will come into play when you start the Main Stitch Pattern. Once you’ve increased until there are 120 stitches the next row will be Row 1 of the Main Stitch Pattern. This row is the “right” side and here you can place a marker to help you keep track of where you are.
If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Happy knitting!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Ladies of Purl Bee
my 4 sisters and i were in your shop in aug, and all of us are doing this scarf,
the yarn is thin and we are having alot of cut ends on the sides from changing the yarn. are they just woven in, it doesn’t say to knit them end every time like it does the first edge of the color stripe, or did i miss something
please advise
thanks ,
linda
Hello, Linda!
Thank you for writing in! Sorry for the terribly delayed response! For the striping instructions it says to “pick up tail end of Stripe Color and k9 using both working yarn and tail, drop tail, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1” so, you should have knit them in. Then once you finished you could just trim the tail ends.
If you didn’t knit them in, that’s okay! You can just weave them in using a duplicate stitch.
If you have further questions please let us know!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
I am considering using the colors Black Green (1462) and Gray Green (3008) for this scarf. Because it is difficult to see actual color on the computer, I would love your opinion of these two colors together, made for a young man. Thank you so much!!
Hi Janet,
What a great idea! These colors look wonderful together and I think that either as the base will work. I think you should give it a go.
Best,
Adam
I used a hand dyed yarn with purples, greens and blues and added a bright pink as the accent. In addition a picot border is easy and looks adorable. Thank you for the pattern!
love your patterns and experimenting with stash yarn I have. It is worsted weight which will yield 5sts per inch. What would you suggest regarding number of sts to increase too? I think 120 might be too wide? Thank you
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for your kind words! Increasing to 120 will yield a very wide scarf. Luckily, you can tell how wide your scarf will be by measuring the bottom edge of it as you knit. Usually an ample width for a scarf is 10″. Good luck and happy knitting!
Best,
Adam
I need directions please as to when to add the stripes in the main section. I do not have any sense of design and I need some direction…please
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for writing in! The whole intention behind this scarf is to have no design at all! The rule is that you knit a contrast color stripe every time you put the project down for more than eight hours. This is such a fun project because your scarf will be uniquely yours and, in a way, a knit diary. Good luck and happy knitting!
Best,
Adam
Please advise when to add the stripes, I have no sense of design. thank you
Hi I making this scarf for the first time I finished one stripe and went a little farther in the main stitch pattern and it seems like the end sides are no longer diagonal but more so making a straight edge. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Thanks for your help.
Hi Chonte,
Thanks for the question! You should end up with straight edges for the length of the scarf. This happens upon increasing on once side and decreasing on the other. If this is what you are doing, then you are getting the correct result!
-Adam
Hi there!
I’m doing this pattern without stripes, one color only. In the main pattern section when the second angle is supposed to show up, mine is noticeably wider than 90°.
I follow all the instructions. Is there a way I could fix this? or is this somehow going to even out when I start the decrease section?
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your question! When doing the middle portion of this scarf you’ll have one side that is longer than the other. This will work itself out after you start decreasing on both sides to finish up the final angle. If you are concerned about the angle of the scarf from your cast on, you can block this out after the scarf is finished. Best of luck!
-Adam
Hi, I don’t think you understood my question. After initial fail I’m trying to make this scarf again and I have the same problem. How can I explain it? Instead of an even rectangle my finished scarf resembles a diamond, or a rhombus. Blocking didn’t help. The beginning and end of the work are fine, and the corners are 90°. But when I start main section and then start the decrease section that are supposed to create those two “middle” angles, they are not 90°(not right angles) but wider. I don’t know how to explain it differently.
I thought maybe instead of k2tog and kfb in every other row, I should make it in on both sides? So that the angle is not that wide?
Hi Diane,
Thanks for reaching out! It does actually sound like the scarf is turning out as intended – when working the middle portion of the scarf, your needle and live stitches will be at a steep angle across the the scarf rather than straight across. The final decrease section will compensate for this and create a straight edge to match the beginning of the scarf. If you still aren’t sure if it’s correct, please feel free to send us a picture of your work at [email protected] so we can take a look!
Best,
Julianna
Is it possible to make this in stockinette stitch rather than garter stitch? If so, would the edges curl ?
thanks,
RM
Hi there,
Thanks for the question. I don’t suggest making this in just stockinette stitch because the edges will definitely curl. If you add a garter stitch border the edges will not curl, however. Best of luck!
Adam
Sorry, I should have been more specific; I am nearly finished with the diagonal pinstripe scarf that I made in a single color (using Purl Soho Line Weight yarn). So, I am familiar with the construction of this scarf, I’m just not a fan of garter stitch and would prefer using stockinette.
thanks
Hi there, this looks like a beautiful and elegant scarf! I’m thinking of making it as a wrap and just expanding the width. Is this a good idea and by how much would you expand the width by?
Hi Juliana,
Thanks for writing in! I think that a good width for a wrap would be between 17 and 20 inches wide. I think that this would be lovely at a wider width. To do so, you will keep increasing until you reach the width you would like and then continue on with the pattern as written!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi , the design is lovely – I really like it . However , I want to make the scarf narrower so do I have to increase to a multiple of 2 or I just increase to a random number ?
Hi Anna,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can make this scarf narrower. You will want to increase until one side measures the width that you would like for your scarf. To keep consistency, I would say that you should increase to an even number!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi , i have a question : how can i change color when i also have to slip the first stitch in the stripe section ? I consult some sites and they say to change the color in the row before , but i am scared of ruining the beauty of the scarf
Hi An,
Thanks for writing in! The first slip stitch at the beginning of the stripe section is done exactly the same way as the slipped stitches in the rest of the pattern. You simply slip the first stitch on your left needle (which will be in the main color yarn) to the right needle, knitwise. Then you start using the Stripe yarn to do the k2tog and onward. Make sure you are slipping the stitches gently and not pulling them out of shape.
Any unevenness on the edge is caused by loose stitches when you join a new color but in the end they pretty much even out.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi,
I’ve had some false starts with this project and would love some feedback. The pattern isn’t the issue, but I tried using other yarn and it isn’t coming out the way I hoped. I’m a new knitter so I’m probably just learning some valuable lessons about fabric?
Anyway, I tried this first with a two-ply 100% alpaca fingering yarn and loved the sheerness, ethereal-ness and inconsistent squiggly-ness of it. But I hated the feel against my face–it felt like hair! Ugh. So I started again with Quince&Co’s Finch (fingering, 4-ply, 100% wool), and I love the way it feels but it’s so plump and bouncy that there’s nothing sheer or ethereal about it. I even tried going up to US6 needles to loosen the fabric but it still is just so robust.
Where did I go wrong in picking a substitute yarn? Is it all about the ply and I should have used a single ply yarn? Or was it the yarn content? Is there something as delicate looking as alpaca that doesn’t feel like hair? I was nervous about using Line Weight (since I would have to order instead of buying at my LYS), but now I’m curious where it falls on he ethereal vs robust/bouncy spectrum.
Thanks for letting me ramble. I’d love you know what y’all think.
Tina
Hi Tina,
Thanks for writing in! Yarn substitution can be a challenge. The yarn that we used here, Line Weight, is a single ply super fine merino. The structure and fiber content of the yarn give it a light and soft quality! Quince and Co Finch is quite a different yarn. While knitting up at the same gauge, it is a rounder, plied yarn with a fair amount of bounce, creating a denser fabric. Both are lovely yarns but give very different results! To achieve similar results when using an alternate yarn, you will want to look for a yarn that knits at the same gauge but also has similar qualities. Here a light weight single ply yarn would work best!
I hope that this helps and welcome to the wide world of knitting!
Cassy
How many yards of the MC did you use?
Hi Jess,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately we do not have the exact yardage used, but the designer did say she had quite a bit of the third skein left over. I would suggest having at least 1200 yards to be on the safe side!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I would like to widen a bit to turn it into a baby blanket. I assume I just do what you suggested for the lady making a pancho correct? And once I get the desired width I start the decrease?
Hello Kara,
Thank you for reaching out, what a lovely idea! You are correct, you will just need to add increases to achieve your desired width. Let us know how it goes and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi!
I would like to make this into a tube scarf. Is that possible? Thanks so much!
-C
Hello Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out! The simplest way to achieve this is just to graft the sides together once the scarf is completed. You can accomplish this as illustrated in this post.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thanks for responding. This isn’t what I was looking for as I am aware of how to connect it. What a tube scarf is doing a scarf in the round but with two circulars (at least, it’s how I do it). What you are describing is an infinity scarf so while it is the end result, it’s not what I am trying to achieve. There are a few patterns that I wanted to try this way as well but if I have to knit in rows (which I hate), I will. Thanks again.
Hello Cynthia,
Thanks for writing! Yes, you can achieve an infinity or a tube scarf this way. By either grafting the ends together, for an infinity scarf, or grafting the sides together to create a tube.
If you are interested in converting this pattern into a scarf knit in the round you will need to knit every other round and purl every other round to achieve a garter stitch. For this particular pattern I would purl the even rows and knit the odd so that your increases and decreases will stay on your knit side. For your stripe rows you will just add your contrast color at the beginning of your round.
I hope this answers your question and let us know if you have any further questions along the way!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
HI! Is it possible to use Peerie as substitute? I prefer the Peerie red “Alizarin”. The Linen Weight Kiln Red looks a bit too orange. It is hard to see the true color on the computer screen. Is Klin Red really more orange than Alizarin? How orange is it? I actually like the texture of Linen Weight better than Peerie.
If I can substitute, would you recommend just substituting the red with Alizarin and use Linen Weight for the main color. Would the two yarns work well together? Or should I use Peerie for both colors?
Thanks!
Hello Alida,
Thank you for reaching out! This would be beautiful in Peerie. I would agree that Kiln Red has more orange in it than Alizarin. Peerie is slightly thick than Line Weight so I’m temped to say to do the whole thing in Peerie. One the other had because Peerie would just be a thin stripe i’m not sure that it will matter all that much.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Why not carry the main color instead of cutting it? If you pick up from the back, it kind of gets hidden in the garter stitch.
Hi Judi,
Thanks for writing in! Since the stripes are worked as a single row, you will be beginning and ending on opposite sides of the scarf, so unfortunately you won’t be able to carry the main color up the side as it will be at the wrong edge when you are ready to use it again.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
The pattern says ‘cut the yarn’ …could it not also suggest how long of a ‘tail’ to leave when Doing so? Thanks …
Hello Joan,
Thanks for reaching out and the great suggestion! I like to leave a tail of about 8″ when I know I will be weaving it in later. I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello, I’m not used to knitting with multiple colors and I don’t understand very well this instruction:
“Stripe Row 1 (right side): Switching to Stripe Color, slip 1, k2tog, pick up tail end of Stripe Color and k9 using both working yarn and tail, drop tail, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1.”
Do you have a video so I can see how we pick up and knit tail ends? And what’s the reason we do that? If I understood well, we just cut these tails at the end so the idea is to simulate a weaving end? In this case, is it possible to change colors using another technique like Russian joins or magic knot?
Thanks!
Hi Ana,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this; however, you are correct that this is a method to weave in the ends as you go. We chose to hold both the working yarn and the tail together to knit these 9 stitches double stranded, but if you are familiar with another joining method that avoids leaving tails to weave in later, you can certainly substitute that instead!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello!
I’m about to purchase the yarn and begin this beautiful scarf. However I was reading through the instructions and noticed “pick up tail end of Stripe Color and k9 using both working yarn and tail”
Does that make that part of the scarf thicker than the rest?
Hello Chrissie,
Thank you for reaching out- this is a great question! This is a method to weave in the ends as you go. We chose to hold both the working yarn and the tail together to knit these 9 stitches double stranded. It doesn’t add more bulk than a duplicate stitch.
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
If I was going to do this (de-stashing in this crazy time) would a thicker yarn still work? (say worsted) – going up several needle sizes to make it more ‘airy’? I may have something in my stores that could make this!
Hi Erica,
Great question! Yes, this basic shape and method an be knit in any weight yarn as long as you choose a suitable needle size! You can easily customize the width by working the Increase Section until the sides of the triangle measure however wide you would like the scarf to be. After that, you can knit the rest of the pattern as written!
Best,
Julianna
Julianna, thank you so much. I just LOVE this pattern. Great tips!
Love it. Do you think a summer weight version could be knit up with Linen Quill? Does LQ look AOK in all garter stitch? Any experience with that texture-wise? (Somehow want to combine something re: the older pattern Ticking Stripe Scarf, with this beauty, love the edges and also the same-on-both-sides aspect.
THANK YOU!
_A
Hi Ann,
You could absolutely use Linen Quill to work the Diagonal Stripe Scarf! I’ve worked with Linen Quill several times, and I have to say that it really knits up beautifully when worked in a garter stitch. It makes for such a wonderfully bouncy, squishy fabric! I would definitely recommend it for this project.
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Kelsey
Hello! This may be silly, but I’m a little confused as to when you begin the decrease section. Do you begin once you reach 74″? How many more inches will the decrease add? Thank you! (Love the patten!)
Hi Katherine,
Thanks for reaching out! You will begin the DECREASE SECTION once the scarf measures 74 inches, and it will not add any more inches to the length of the scarf. That’s because you’re knitting on the bias, so all of your rows go diagonally! When you decrease on the bias, it just serves to fill out the final corner of the rectangle, and not add any more length or width. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hello! I have another question which again may seem simple, but I am wondering- if I use a yarn other than line weight, should I use the needle which gets the pattern gauge? What happens if I don’t? The garment will be larger or smaller? I may risk running out of yarn? Thanks! ( I too have a stash of linen quill!) ( fairly new knitter here!)
Hi Katherine,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, I’d recommend using whichever needle size allows you to meet the gauge! If your gauge is larger than the pattern specifies, that’s when you would risk running out of yarn. That’s because a larger gauge means the individual stitches are larger, and that means that they each take up more yarn!
Let me know if this makes sense!
All the best,
Lili
It does makes sense. I was down to a needle size one, which seemed so small to me! I’ll use the size one. I got gauge with it. Thank you!
Hello,
I am about 20 into the main stitch pattern, and obviously doing something wrong. The edge of the scarf is not growing up straight, but with a definite corner. I am alternating rows 1 and 2, so my decreases are forming the sharp corner. Can you help me understand what I am doing wrong? Thank you!
Hi Sara,
Thanks for writing in! Would you mind sending a photo of your work to [email protected]? We’ll be able to better visualize what’s going on that way!
All the best,
Lili
Hello again! I absolutely love this pattern! I’d like to make a second
scarf, and make it wider ( and in different colors!). Would this be possible? Maybe double the amount of stitches in the increase section? Would that work? Thanks!
Hi Katherine,
You can totally make a wider version of this scarf! To do so, just keep repeating the Increase Row until the edge measures exactly how wide you want it to be. Then, you can continue on in the pattern exactly as written!
All the best,
Lili