Colorwork Tube Scarf
One from the Andean highlands and the other a British classic, two traditional stalwarts meet in our Colorwork Tube Scarf. Our Good Wool creates a beautiful field of natural, undyed color, while Appleton’s Tapestry Yarn brings flashes of color.
Knitting this scarf in the round makes its very basic Fair Isle pattern super easy. And choosing the colors is just as fun with our new Appleton Tapestry Wool Bundles, pretty groups of eight mini skeins in gently shifting colors. Choose from nine gorgeous palettes, from this warm Cherry Tomato to cool Atlantic Ocean and Thicket Green.
A double layer of toasty wool, the Colorwork Tube Scarf is very warm and cozy, but what we love most is the flickering light of its simple colorwork, like the sun shining through trees or across the ocean. Beautiful!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed for Purl Soho by Jamila Modeste.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoColorworkTubeScarf, and #PurlSohoGoodWool. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Main Color (MC): 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Good Wool, 100% undyed Andean highland wool yarn. Each skein of this sport weight yarn is 383 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 960 yards required. We used Heirloom White.
- Contrast Colors (CC): 2 Appleton Tapestry Wool Bundles. Approximately 175 yards required. We used Cherry Tomato.
- US 4 (3.5mm), 16-inch circular needles
- US 5 (3.75mm), 16-inch circular needles
Choose from nine palettes of Appleton Tapestry Wool Bundles. We knit up a swatch of each, using Good Wool in Heirloom White as the Main Color:
CHERRY TOMATO
ROSE GARDEN
RUSSET SPICE
SKIPPING STONE
ATLANTIC OCEAN
AQUA SEA
THICKET GREEN
EMERALD GREEN
CLOVER GREEN
Gauge
28 stitches and 23 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, using smaller needles
Size
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 9 inches wide x 68 inches long
Finished Circumference: Approximately 18 inches
Note
The Contrast Colors are named from darkest to lightest, starting with Contrast Color 1 (CC1), the darkest, and going through Contrast Colors 2-7 to Contrast Color 8 (CC8), the lightest.
Pattern
Beginning Edge
Using the smaller needles and the Main Color (MC), cast on 126 stitches using Long Tail Cast On. Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Work in stockinette stitch (knitting every stitch) until piece measures 2½ inches from cast-on edge (rolled).
First Colorwork Section
NOTE: You can either work from the following chart or written instructions. For the chart, start with Row 1 at the bottom and work each row from right to left, repeating each row until the end of the round. Work your way up the chart to Row 40.
Changing to larger needles, begin the colorwork…
Chart
Written Instructions
Contrast Color 1
Rounds 1-5: *With MC, k1; with Contrast Color 1 (CC1, see Note), k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 2
Round 6: *With CC2, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 7: *With MC, k1; with CC2, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 8-10: Repeat Round 6.
Contrast Color 3
Rounds 11 and 12: *With CC3, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 13: *With MC, k1; with CC3, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 14: Repeat Round 11
Round 15: Repeat Round 13.
Contrast Color 4
Rounds 16-19: *With MC, k1; with CC4, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 20: *With CC4, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 5
Round 21: *With MC, k1; with CC5, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 22-25: *With CC5, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 6
Round 26: *With CC6, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 27: *With MC, k1; with CC6, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 28: Repeat Round 26.
Rounds 29-30: Repeat Round 27.
Contrast Color 7
Rounds 31-33: *With MC, k1; with CC7, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 34: *With CC7, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 35: Repeat Round 31.
Contrast Color 8
Rounds 36-40: *With CC8, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Middle Section
Changing to smaller needles, knit in stockinette stitch until piece measures 59 inches from cast-on edge (rolled).
Second Colorwork Section
NOTE: Again, choose to work from either the chart or the written instructions. For the chart, start at the bottom and work each row from right to left, repeating each row until the end of the round.
Switching to larger needles, begin the colorwork…
Chart
Written Instructions
Contrast Color 8
Rounds 1-5: *With MC, k1; with CC8, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 7
Round 6: *With CC7, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 7: *With MC, k1; with CC7, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 8-10: *With CC7, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 6
Rounds 11-12: *With CC6, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 13: *With MC, k1; with CC6, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 14: Repeat Round 11.
Round 15: Repeat Round 13.
Contrast Color 5
Rounds 16-19: *With MC, k1; with CC5, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 20: *With CC5, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 4
Round 21: *With MC, k1; with CC4, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 22-25: *With CC4, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Contrast Color 3
Round 26: *With CC3, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 27: *With MC, k1; with CC3, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 28: Repeat Round 26.
Rounds 29-30: Repeat Round 27.
Contrast Color 2
Rounds 31-33: *With MC, k1; with CC2, k1; repeat from * to end of round..
Round 34: *With CC2, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 35: Repeat Round 31.
Contrast Color 1
Rounds 36-40: *With CC1, k1; with MC, k1; repeat from * to end of round.
Last Section
Changing to smaller needles, knit in stockinette stitch for 2½ inches.
Bind off loosely.
Finish
Weave in ends, wet block flat, and enjoy!
LEARN ABOUT GOOD WOOL + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Good Wool adds loads of character, beauty, and integrity to this knit! A sport-weight yarn whose lofty 2-ply spin can also bloom into a light worsted/DK-weight yarn, Good Wool is made from 100% Andean highland wool, a toothy fiber with a deeply natural appeal. This yarn has a spectacular palette of complex and subtly varied colors, including 5 undyed shades. Very close to the hearts of our customers, Good Wool is a true knitter’s yarn!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Good Wool knitting patterns and cast on!
More Sport-Weight Yarns + Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of sport-weight yarn
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarn
- 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 Fiber
- Shop 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!
“For the chart, start at the bottom and work each row from left to right, repeating each row until the end of the round.” From right to left, not left to right, for the color work chart, correct?
Hi Catherine,
Thank you so much for catching that! We have fixed the error!
Best,
Cassy
Hi Cassy,
The error is fixed for the First Colorwork Section, but not for the Second Colorwork Section.
Love the colours.
Caroline
Hi Caroline!
All fixed!
Best,
Cassy
You guys are the best! Happy I could help. ?
Such a lovely, simple scarf packing a color punch! I just want to confirm the weights of the main color yarn and the contrast color tapestry yarns. Are they both DK (or worsted)? Just checking to see if the contrast color Appleton Tapestry yarns are held double or if they are of a heavier weight that, held single, equates to the main color weight.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for writing in and for your kind words! These yarns are roughly the same gauge! You will use both yarns held as single strands!
Best,
Cassy
This is so beautiful – I can’t wait to make this!
For colorwork patterns I’ve worked on before – you read the chart from right to left – so starting with the bottom right corner and moving back to the left as you work the round. I’m probably not explaining that very well. This pattern says to work from left to right – so I want to be sure – is that on purpose? Is there some reason it’s different? Or were my other color work experiences the “irregular” way of doing things – and this way is more or less standard? THANKS!
Hi Claire,
Thanks for writing in! There was an error originally but we have now corrected it to read “right to left”.
Thanks for letting us know!
Cassy
Lovely scarf … thankyou very much!
This is beautiful. On my list. Thank you!
Très très joli serait-il possible d’ avoir les explications en français.
Merci beaucoup. ?
Hi Odile,
Merci pour votre message! Malheureusement, nos patrons sont toujours en anglais!
Merci,
Cassy
Je pense qu’on utiliser “Google Translate”? Je l’ai fait, il semble etre correct…? (Excusez mon francais…ca fait de nombres annees depuis je l’ai etudie. Et pas des accents..!)
This is very attractive as a project and a scarf to be seen in. Thank you for this gift. It is going to be such fun.
Love the simple elegance of this scarf! I’d like to give the bottom a more finished look. Do you think it would be OK to sew up the ends, or would you recommend I try something else? -Thanks!
Hi Lani,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly sew up the ends when you are finished is you prefer the look! You could also cast on provisionally and kitchener the end cast on end together or use a three needle bind off here and at the bind off end. Whichever technique works best for you, all of these options will give you flat ends!
Best,
Cassy
A question which may illustrate my inexperience: Do you know the circumference in this scarf and could it be done on either larger needles and/or stitches added to the pattern to make it a cowl rather than a scarf? Thank you!
Hi Eileen,
Thanks for writing in! The finished circumference of this lovely scarf is 18 inches! I would not recommend going up to larger needles unless you are doing so to get gauge as it will create a fabric whose stitches are father apart, creating an airy quality where in you will see the floats from your color work. You can certainly increase your cast on! This pattern will work over any multiple of 2 stitches. Altering this scarf to be a cowl will take a bit of trial and error but if you are up for a design challenge, you should go for it!
Best,
Cassy
Beautiful scarf!
i would like to this but not in a tube. can you please give me the pattern for a not tube scarf? thank you.
Hi Luisa,
Thanks for writing in! At present, we only have this scarf pattern written in the round. You can certainly convert it to work flat with a little bit of trial and error! We will certainly keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Cassy
Hi! This is a beautiful pattern!
My question is about the two different needle sizes- will anything go wrong/look wonky if I just use the size 5 for the whole thing?
Thanks in advance– Dan
Hi Dan!
Thanks for your question! The different needle sizes are to make up for the slight tension change while knitting color work. I would recommend using the two different needles in order to keep the stitches uniform through the entire scarf.
I hope this helps!
Carly
Hi. I love this! Would it work to use Cotton Pure yarn?
Thanks!
Missy
Hello Missy,
Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately our Cotton Pure knits up at a much finer gauge so It can’t be substituted for this pattern. If you are interested in adjusting the pattern to adapt it to a smaller gauge you could certainly use our cotton pure.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Does this pattern have jogs in the stripes?
Hello Jackie,
Thank you for writing! Yes- there are subtle jogs as you carry your yarn up.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Working this scarf now. It’s kntting up beautifully and I’m sure that the recipient is going to absolutely love how simple, yet elegant it is.
The tapestry package has 8 colors (#s 448-441), and the pattern instructions call for 8 colors, but the knitted scarf you illustrate on the website has 6. I like the way 6 looks. Please tell me which color numbers in the Cherry package you eliminated? Thank you.
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I can help! The samples do use 8 colors, they just blend so well into each other, that it can be hard to see all 8! If you take a look at the color work chart, you can see where the colors change from one to the next!
Best,
Cassy
hello! I cant wait to start knitting this scarf, however your Good Wool, 100% undyed Andean highland wool is out of stock. Do you know when will it be back or what other yarn I can use instead?
Thanks!
Hello Magda,
Thank you for reaching out! Our mill is currently making it. While we do not have a firm ETA, we are hoping that we will have it back in soon. You can sign up to be notified when we get it back in stock. To do so, go to the product page, select the color that you are interested in and enter your email address. When we get it back in stock, we will email you!
If you would like an alternate option, you could 4 skeins of Understory or 7 skeins of Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. These other options would be heavier than the original as Good Wool is spun in such a way that it is quite a bit lighter with greater yardage than yarns of the same gauge. Just something to consider when making your decision!
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
Marilla
I have knitted 3.5 inches in the Good Wool and color packet with the recommended size needles as the PS pattern recommends. My gauge is on target. My problem is that the knitting continues to roll up as I knit. Will this correct with a wash and block, or should I start over with a provisional cast on, a ribbed edge, or a couple rows of alternating knit and Purl rows? If I should start over, which one would be the best aesthetically? Thank you.
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! We did allow the stockinette to curl up on the ends of this scarf naturally; although it will relax somewhat when blocked, curling is unavoidable in stockinette. You may wish to try steam or wet blocking what you have before starting over to see what the finished product will look like, but if you would prefer a different edge go right ahead! I would not recommend ribbing as it would pull in and pucker the ends of the scarf, but garter or seed stitch border would be suitable, as would using a Provisional Cast-On and then closing both ends with either Kitchener Stitch or a Three Needle Bind Off.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I would love to turn this pattern into a hat, but I want to know how soft the wool palette is. I want to make sure that it is soft enough to put directly on the skin.
Hi Vincenza,
Thanks for writing in – a matching hat for this scarf sounds amazing! While the Appleton Tapestry Yarn has a hearty, woolly texture, we think it is plenty soft enough for next-to-skin wear. If you are concerned, however, I would suggest knitting the hat ribbing in Good Wool, so the color work portion will be mostly off the forehead area of the hat.
Best of luck, and please let us know how your hat turns out!
Julianna
Is there a cast on style you recommend? Thank you, Brooke
Hello Brook,
Thank you for reaching out! I would suggest the long tail cast on for this scarf.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you for your reply, Marilla. My yarn arrived today and I am so excited. You all do a beautiful job of packaging things. And I had a nice note from Kelsey. Thank you again!
My gauge swatch is 28 stitches and 28 rows to 4″. Do I need to change anything? I’m not sure how to interpret the gauge. Thank you.
Hi Brooke,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you are good to go! Stitch gauge is generally more important than row gauge, especially for a project that doesn’t have to fit exactly such as a scarf, so you are ready to cast on and knit away!
Best,
Julianna
Hello. New to knitting here. Is there a tutorial on how to knit with two colors? I tried a sample piece – my stitches look bunched up and cramped. I tried just alternating the MC to CC strands when I bring the yarn over to do the knit stitch but it does not look right. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks
Hi Corinne,
Thanks for writing in! We do have a tutorial on Stripes in the Round – I hope that answers your questions, but if not, please feel free to reach out again!
Best,
Julianna
Can we use line weight as the body of the scarf combine with appleton tapestry wool bundles?
Hi Lily,
Thanks for reaching out! Line Weight is quite a bit thinner than Good Wool and Appleton Tapestry Wool, but I think it will work quite well if you hold it doubled! You will need four skeins of Line Weight for this scarf.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I am through the first set of colors and I absolutely love this pattern particularly for someone who is new to color work knitting. This may be a silly question but I am wondering what the best method is for weaving in these multiple colors. Very concerned about the yarn popping out or showing through the white yarn. Thank you!
Hi Judy,
Great question! I would suggest using the duplicate stitch method from our Weaving In Your Ends tutorial, always making sure to weave each tail into a row that is the same color. This should be nearly invisible and avoid any potential odd stitches peeking through!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I sent a message last night but realized I had made an error in my knitting. So the question is moot about the two stitches around the marker being the same color. That is not the case. What I am still seeking to clarify is if I should use the jogless stripes technique to prevent the jog?
Hi Noa,
Thanks for reaching out! I am glad to hear you figured it out and are on the right track! I think that would be a great technique for this pattern to help avoid the jog lines!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna