Daybreak Scarf
In The Odyssey, the goddess Dawn is invariably called “rosy-fingered Dawn,” and as such, she tends to bring good things: brightness, blooms, birth, sky-touching. The rosy warmth of our Daybreak Scarf embraces the same optimism, bringing with it substance, depth, and a heady outlook on a new day.
Our Daybreak Scarf, knit up in Rose Granite Cashmere Merino Bloom, is a super soft layer for any kind of odyssey: over mythological seas or through early-morning subway commutes.
We suspect it will become a new classic for chilly days both close to home and on epic adventures. The stitch, the same one traditionally used for sock heels of socks, makes for an exceptionally cushiony, lofty, cozy scarf.
Plus the pattern is simple and speedy. If only Penelope, at her loom, had access to such craft. It’s an easy two-row repeat, where both rows are just knit one, slip one. From there, it’s your tale to tell: “Soon Dawn appeared and touched the sky with roses!”
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, #PurlSohoDaybreakScarf, and #PurlSohoCashmereMerinoBloom. We can’t wait to see what you make!
MATERIALS
- 6 skeins of Purl Soho’s Cashmere Merino Bloom, 75% extra fine merino wool and 25% cashmere. Each skein of this light worsted/DK yarn is 218 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 1360 yards required. We used the color Rose Granite.
- US size 6 (4 mm), 24- or 32-inch circular needles or 12-inch straight needles
GAUGE
25 stitches = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 15 inches wide x 82 inches long
NOTES
Stitch Multiple
You can cast on any odd number for this pattern.
Shape
This scarf will tend to roll in on itself a bit. That’s why we made it extra wide, and we think it’s super cozy and beautiful how it curves into your neck!
PATTERN
Cast on 101 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1 (right side): K1, *slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl to last stitch, slip 1 wyif.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 82 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Bind Off (right side): Loosely bind off in stitch pattern.
Weave in the ends and block.
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This looks gorgeous – thanks for sharing it.
If I did a 4 stitch I-cord, at both ends of the rows, as I knit, would this stop the edges curling?
If so, I suppose I’d leave ROW 1 as it is, but what would I do for ROW 2? should I leave out the 1st and last slip stitches?
I’d be most grateful to know what you think.
Best wishes,
Ros
Hi Ros,
Thanks for writing in! Although an I-cord edging would certainly help and would look quite attractive, you will still need to wet block the scarf for it to lay truly flat. To add this edging, I would add 8 stitches to the cast on number, and on every right side row, slip the first four stitches with the yarn in back, work the row as written to the last 4 stitches, and slip these four stitches with the yarn in back as well. On the wrong side rows, you will simply purl the first four and last four stitches and work the row as written in between.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Love the scraf i will be knitting some for christmas presents
What changes should be made to make this into a cowl or Mobius instead of a scarf?
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for reaching out! Great question! The easiest way would be to knit the scarf to the length that you would like and then sew the two ends together. You could also do a provisional cast on to start with and then kitchener the two ends together. Alternately, you could cast on an odd number of stitches and round 1 would be the same as row 1 and round 2 would be all knits. You would then repeat rounds 1 and 2 until you got to the height that you would like!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I’d like to turn this into an infinity scarf that would measure 60-72” long. Would I follow your instructions above, regarding casting on an odd number of stitches and, if so, what number would you suggest I cast on?
Hello Stephanie,
Thanks for reaching out! The easiest way to do this will be to just follow the directions and knit till it is your desired length. If you do this than you will cast on 101 stitches and your infinity scarf will be 15″ wide.
I hope this makes sense and let us know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla
Thank you for keeping me on your mailing list. I just loved your store and whenever I get to New York City, I make a bee line to see all of you. We live in the Pacific North West so it is a long trip to see you, but it continues to be one of my favorite places to visit.
Hello Penelope,
Thank you for visiting us and for your kind words!
Warmly,
Marilla
While shopping with you all in June, I bought several yarns and one was your Peony Pink, Mulberry Merino Heather (80% extra fine merino wool and 20% mulberry silk, 247 yards, 4 to 6 needle-5skeins. It’s lovely!! Could I substitute this yarn for the Cashmere Merino blend featured? And, would it be as soft? Thank you in advance.
Hi Donna,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! Mulberry Merino would be lovely for this scarf! You may be able to use the same needles but I would certainly suggesting swatching first to see if you like the fabric as you may want to go down a needle size if your are a fairly even gauge knitter. However, if you like the fabric on the needles that we used here, you will be all set to go!
You will have a little less yardage with the 5 skeins of Mulberry Merino that you have and as such, you may want to make your scarf a touch narrower so that you can get the whole length. I think that a cast on of 91 stitches would get you there!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Cassy, thank you so much for your response. See you all again the next time I’m back in NYC!! You’re always a joy to shop with.
dg
Hi, I love this lovely pattern, and it’s easy to knit.
I have an issue with the starting rows, which start to curl up. To prevent the bottom end from curling, can I knit the first four or five rows in garter stitch? Would you recommend this? I would like to know before I buy the Cashmere Merino Bloom yarn, which is quite costly.
Thanks and best regards. Irene
HI Irene,
Thanks for reaching out! This scarf will tend to roll in on itself a bit. That’s why we made it extra wide, and we think it’s super cozy and beautiful how it curves into your neck! The extra width along with the yarn helps to keep it from rolling so much. You could also add a garter border if you like or add an i-cord border once you are done if it still seems to be rolling too much for you!
Best,
Cassy
Row 2 states purl to the LAST stitch. Then it states slip a stitch wyif. If one stitches to the last stitch on row 2 , there wouldn’t be another stitch left to slip. I find this confusing.
Hello Tamara,
Thank you for reaching out! For row 2 you are purling every stitch except the first and last stitches of your row which you are slipping.
I hope this clears things up and happy knitting!
-Marilla
This looks pretty and easy. But ever since menopause, I’ve had problems with wooly stuff (even alpaca) being itchy on my neck. This question might make wool lovers groan but is it possible to knit it in cotton, linen or silk?
Thanks!
Hello Laura,
Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately most of our cotton, silk and linen are to small of a gauge to work for this pattern. I’m not sure you level of sensitivity is, everyone is different, but my first recommendation would be Understory. This yarn is 50% Alpaca 25% Silk and 25% Baby Yak. Another option would be to use Jade Sapphire’s 6 ply Cashmere.
I would also check out or Flute Wrap which has a similar look and is knit with our Field Linen which is 100% Linen.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
What a beautiful scarf and the yarn sounds lovely. I have a question about the instructions-the description before the pattern states, “It’s an easy two-row repeat, where both rows are just knit one, slip one.” But that is not what the instructions say, “Row 1 (right side): K1, *slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, k1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl to last stitch, slip 1 wyif.
Other than 2 slipped stitches, the second row is purl in the instructions. Are the instructions correct?
Thank you for clarifying this for me.
Hi Shari,
Thanks for reaching out, and I apologize that the description was not clear! The pattern as written, with each wrong side row worked as a row of plain purls, is correct and will result in the stitch pattern as shown in the pictures.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
I would like to make this with understory . How many skeins would I need? And would I use the same needle size. Thanks
Hi Emily,
Thanks for writing in! Fortunately, Understory and Cashmere Merino Bloom knit to almost the same gauge, so you will not need to make any changes to the pattern or needle size! You will need 6 skeins of Understory.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
I want to make this with some color changes. When/where is the best time/place to add the next color?
I’m about 6 rows in and I just love it so far!
Hi Abbey,
Thank you so much for the kind words, and what a great idea! Although you can begin or add stripes or color blocks wherever you wish, I would just make sure that you always change colors on a right side row so that your color changes all look the same and any untidy color changes end up on the wrong side of the scarf.
Best of luck, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Hi! I love this pattern and wanted to know what the stitch name is called? Would this stitch be good for a blanket? I have a super soft sport weight merino wool and I’m looking for a pattern that will give it a little more thickness than if I just did a stitch like stockinette. I have 4,000 yards of it so I’m limited on what patterns I can do. Right now I’m torn between your double seed stitch blanket pattern (which I’ve knitted in the past) and this stitch for the scarf. I calculated that with DK/light worsted yarn I would need around 3,000 yards to make this a 48×60 inch blanket. Do you believe 4,000 yards of sport weight would be enough for that size blanket in this pattern? I get about 6-7 stitches to the inch on size 3.5 needles in stockinette stitch.
Thank you so much for your help. I spent a fortune (for me) on this yarn and I want to make a good decision about what pattern to use.
Hi Ericka,
Thanks for reaching out! Although I don’t know of a name for this exact stitch, it is a variation of a slip stitch pattern and it does create quite a thick, squishy fabric which might be what you are looking for. The only downsides to using it for a blanket are that it does have a definite right and wrong side, and it tends to curl a bit on the edges, as you can see in our pictures, though neither of these things would make it a bad blanket! It’s just something to keep in mind when you are selecting the stitch.
Since slip stitch patterns come out quite a bit narrower than stockinette, I would suggest knitting a swatch in pattern to figure out your stitches per inch. I also came up with around 3,000 yards for a blanket in the original DK weight yarn, so I think you should have plenty of yardage!
I hope that helps and that you end up with a lovely blanket!
Julianna
Thank you so much for your help! ❤️
Is there a good hat pattern to go along with this scarf?
Hi Cheri,
Thanks for writing in! While we don’t have any hat patterns using this same stitch pattern, we do have several DK weight hats that would be lovely worked up in the same shade of Cashmere Merino Bloom to go along with the scarf! I would definitely consider both our Classic Ribbed Hat and Fluffy Brioche Hat as they are written for Cashmere Merino Bloom. Our Twisted Rib Hat, either knit in one color or colorblocked, would be another good option, and the twisted rib stitch even looks somewhat similar to the slip stitch pattern used in the Daybreak Scarf!
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you! I am about 1 skein into this scarf so far and loving it. Really appreciate all of the guidance and patterns you publish with your lovely wool.
Hi there, I just started with the fourth skein of Merino Bloom and already thought about finishing after five skeins and use the last skein for the Fluffy Brioche Hat. Can’t wait to wear it along with my grey wool coat. Which blocking technique would you recommend for the scarf? Thank you!
Hi Janna,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like your scarf and hat set will be just lovely, and ready in time for cool weather! Since the stitch used in the Daybreak Scarf does tend to curl a bit on the edges, I would recommend wet blocking the scarf, but it isn’t necessary to stretch the scarf aggressively while blocking. You just need to encourage the edges to lay flat while it is drying.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi,
Thank you for sharing this beautiful pattern! I want to make this using two different colored strands of Malabrigo Lace yarn (i have four skeins – two of each color). Here are my questions:
Would this be a good project in which to knit with two strands at the same time?
Do you think I have enough yarn?
What needle size do you think I should use in this scarf with two strands? I am a loose-ish knitter.
Would it curl more if two strands of merino are being used instead of a cashmere merino blend?
Thanks for your help!
Rabah
Hi Rabah,
Thanks for writing in! Using one strand each of two different colors will create a marled effect which will obscure the stitch pattern a bit, but the scarf will still have the same lovely texture. I would suggest knitting and blocking a gauge swatch to see if you are happy with how it will turn out! This will also allow you to evaluate what needle size will work best for your yarn held double and see how much the scarf will curl after blocking. Our scarf took 1238 yards of yarn, so holding your yarn double you will need twice that amount, which I think you will be short of; however, you could make the scarf narrower and shorter to work with the yardage you have.
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
I would like to knit this yarn as a cowl as you mentioned. How many skeins of yarn would I need to do this. Thank you so much for this section as I always seem to have questions!
Hi Linda,
Great question! Cowls are usually a bit shorter than scarves, so for a cowl that will wrap twice around your neck, I would suggest knitting the scarf about 50 inches long before sewing the two ends together. You will need four skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom for a cowl this size.
Best,
Julianna
Hello! Thank you for the pretty and easy pattern. I came across this on Pinterest while looking for a simple yet elegant pattern for a scarf. I started it but I lost a stitch on row 8ish though I was very attentive. I could not find it so I added another stitch thinking I would pick up the former and decrease one when I found it so as to keep the odd number of stitches. Now a couple of rows later I am missing another one! Am I doing something wrong? What do I do? Should I just start over? Please help! Thank you
Hi Nazokat,
Thanks for reaching out! Hmmm, it’s hard to say what might be going wrong without seeing your work. I would suggest counting your stitches after every row, and perhaps placing stitch markers every 10 stitches, so you can try to catch the error as soon as possible and figure out which row and step is causing you to lose a stitch. It may be that the slipped stitches sit closer to their neighbors than you are used to, so you could be accidentally knitting one together with the stitch next to it. It may also be helpful to practice on a swatch in light colored worsted weight yarn until you get the hang of it!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I would like to make the Daybreak scarf, but since I am short, 5 ft., and of small stature, I think the sheer volume of knitted fabric would overwhelm me. However, I would not want to lose that sumptuous look.
Would you please advise what size you recommend and the resulting number of Cashmere Merino Bloom skeins required.
Thank you.
Hello Joan,
Thank you for reaching out! If you wanted to knit up a scarf that is 12″ x 60″ you will want to cast on 81 stitches and knit till you get to 60″. For scarf this size you will need 4 skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Can this scarf be done on Linen Quill-I was give three skeins for Aperture scarf and found pattern challenging
Thank You
Hi Pat,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, with a few pattern adjustments, you could use Linen Quill for this scarf! Since Linen Quill is a fingering weight yarn, you will need to start by knitting a gauge swatch in pattern using a US 3 or 4 needle. You can then measure your stitches per inch, multiply that number by 15 inches, and round to the nearest odd number to determine how many stitches to cast on. After that, you can follow the pattern as written!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Can this scarf be made using your Burnish yarn? If so, how will the texture change, how much yarn would I need, what needle size, and how many stitches would you recommend casting on? Thanks!
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for writing in! Burnish is a sport weight and Cashmere Merino Bloom is a light worsted/dk weight so you would need to adjust the gauge a bit but it is definitely doable! I would recommend working up a gauge swatch on a US 2-4 needle and then you can calculate the number of stitches to cast on for 15″ from there! Also, remember that for the pattern works over a multiple of odd stitches! Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use for re-gauging!
I hope this helps and feel free to reach out with any more questions!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi! Would I need to make adjustments (besides maybe going down a size to get the gauge) if I wanted to use the Zageo 6-Ply Cashmere?
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for reaching out! Luckily Cashmere Merino Bloom and Zageo 6-Ply Cashmere are both light worsted/dk weight yarns, so you should be able to use the recommended needle size and follow the pattern as written without needing to make any adjustments! However, just to be sure you are consistent, I do recommend working a gauge swatch on the US size 6 needle prior to beginning!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Hi PurlSoho-Team
I would love to knit this scarf in this beautiful “rose granite” color, will it be available again?
Thanks a lot,
Viviane
Hi Viviane,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m so sorry to say that we’ve discontinued Cashmere Merino Bloom in Rose Granite! While we loved this color, not everybody else felt the same way, so we’ve had to make the sad decision to stop producing it. We hope you can understand!
Apologies for the inconvenience, and please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. I hope that there may be some alternate colors of this yarn that catch your eye instead!
All the best,
Lili
I, too, deeply love the Rose Granite. As it is used in the scarf pictured, it is especially frustrating to find it is unavailable. Side point: how wonderful that you read and respond to all these comments, even taking time to figure out and advise on some technical questions. This is certainly an exemplary store and website.
Hi Raele,
Thank you for writing in! We apologize again for any inconvenience this has caused. It was such a lovely color but in the end, we had to part ways with this one. Please let us know if you would like assistance choosing alternative colors or yarns and we would be more than happy to help! We also want to thank you for your kind words, we take all feedback to heart and our team is only ever an email or comment away!
Warmly,
Gavriella
Hi,
I made this scarf and it turned out beautifully. I really like the stitch. What is the name of this stitch? And can it be worked over an even number of stitches? How would I do that? I want to use it in a sweater pattern that starts with an even number cast on.
Thank you,
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for writing in! We don’t know of an exact name for this stitch but it is a variation of a slipped stitch pattern. It would be wonderful for a sweater but will need to be worked over an odd number of stitches when worked flat to secure the slipped stitches at the end. You could probably play around with the stitch count if working in the round though. We encourage you to give it a try to see how you can experiment!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella