In the world of mosaic knitting, the stitch pattern we chose for our Speckled Scarf is typically used as a calming background to offset more elaborate motifs. But we think, all by itself, this pattern has its own grace and beauty.
And it’s easy, too! Without ever having to handle more than one strand of yarn at a time, a simple combination of slip stitches emerges as a striking and textured fabric. In our beautiful Linen Quill, it is as warm, light, and gorgeous as a speckled feather!
If you’re new to color work or if you’d just like to take a fresh look at slip stitch patterns, start with our Speckled Scarf. It’s a super fun, and seriously beautiful, knit! –Kristy
Materials
- Color A: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Linen Quill, 50% fine highland wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. We used Kettle Black.
- Color B: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Linen Quill. We used Pale Oats.
- US 3 knitting needles, straight or circular
We think this color combination looks nice, too!
- Color A: Heirloom White
- Color B: Stillwater Blue
Gauge
30 stitches = 4 inches in stitch pattern
Size
Finished Measurements: 8 inches wide x 70 inches long
Notes
On all right side rows, slip all of the slipped stitches with yarn in back.
On all wrong side rows, slip all of the slipped stitches with yarn in front.
Pattern
With Color A, cast on 59 stitches.
Row 1 (wrong side): With Color A, knit.
Row 2 (right side): With Color B, k1, *slip 1, k1, repeat from * to end of row. [See Notes, above, for slipping instructions.]
Row 3 (wrong side): With Color B, k1, *slip 1, knit 1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4 (right side): With Color A, knit.
Repeat Rows 1-4 until your scarf measures 70 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 4.
With Color A, bind off all stitches knitwise.
Weave in the ends, block as desired, and you’re done!
PRINT
Just to clarify the slipping part: Always (both rows 2 and 3) slip purlwise. The yarn is in back on Row 2 and the yarn is in front on Row 3. Am I understanding this correctly? Thanks! So appreciate your patterns, yarn, and help!
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! For this pattern, all stitches are slipped purlwise. On all right side rows, slip all of the slipped stitches with yarn in back and on all wrong side rows, slip all of the slipped stitches with yarn in front. No matter where your yarn is, you will be slipping purlwise!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I recently made this for my son in the Heirloom and Stillwater as suggested, and he loves it. He’d like a ribbed hat. Would this yarn work with your ribbed hat patterns, and would I need to change the needle size and gauge?
Thanks.
Hi Marcia,
Thanks for writing in! While we do not have a ribbed hat pattern written specifically for this yarn, it is interchangeable with our Line Weight. I think Linen Quill would be fantastic in either our Boyfriend Hat or Color Dipped Hat! You should always check your gauge just in case, but you shouldn’t have any problems getting the correct gauge for either of these patterns.
Good luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello,
I made this scarf last year and I love it! Now I want to make one for my Dad, and I can’t find the link to the tutorial that explained the slipstitching with yarns in the back and front. I’m hoping you can direct me to the link, because I’m a little confused and would love to see someone demonstrating to clarify it for me.
Kind regards,
Ursula.
Hi Ursula,
Thanks for writing in and for the kind words! Unfortunately we don’t have a video tutorial for slipping stitches; however, just remember that in this pattern, all stitches are slipped purlwise. On all right side rows, slip all of the slipped stitches with yarn in back and on all wrong side rows, slip all of the slipped stitches with yarn in front. No matter where your yarn is, you will be slipping purlwise!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
This pattern is gorgeous! I would like to make it for my son (aged 30) who lives in Boston and I’m thinking of using a really soft yarn as he is super sensitive to itching. As beautiful as Linen Quill is, I’m thinking of an alternative. Could you suggest another yarn that comes in colouways similar to the dark version in your illustration i.e. something like charcoal and oats? I would love to call in to choose for myself in but I live in Sydney Australia.
Hi Deb,
Thanks for writing, and what a wonderful present! Our Line Weight is a good substitute for Linen Quill and is unbelievably soft. It does not come in the exact same shades as Linen Quill, but I think Heirloom White and either Fieldstone Gray or Tabby Gray would be lovely together.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you so much, Julianna. Line Weight looks absolutely gorgeous! Deb
I like the look of slipping the first stitch of every row to create a neater edge. How would that work with this pattern?
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for writing in! I think it would work well to cast on two extra stitches to slip at the beginning and knit at the end of each row and work the pattern as written between the extra stitches!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
I am swatching this in black and offwhite in a fingering weight Yarn. Could this be made successfully using a heavier Yarn?…DK or Worsted? If so, what needle size would be appropriate?
Anita
Hi Anita,
Thanks for writing in! I think this stitch pattern would look great and the color contrast would really pop in a heavier weight yarn! I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch in pattern using a needle either the size recommended on the yarn label on one size larger – this will both allow you to evaluate the fabric to see if you are happy with the needle and give you an opportunity to measure your stitches per inch so you can adjust the cast on of the scarf to suit your gauge!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna