Knit + Fold Bandana
This sweet and simple Knit + Fold Bandana is a one- or two-skein little gem, a lightweight heavyweight for when afternoons stretch into nights and outings into adventures.

Bandanas come from almost everywhere and every time. From Hermés catwalks to cattle roundups, you can’t pin down a bandana… And who would want to? They’re the perfect chameleon!

We knit ours up in our earthy and elegant Cattail Silk, spun and dyed in Japan. Now in 13 gorgeous new colors, we used Kingfisher Blue, a starry-skied beauty, but with colors like juicy Purple Sumac and plucky Greenfinch Yellow, not an easy choice!

Construction is nothing but a stockinette square that you fold along the diagonal into a classic bandana triangle. You only need one skein of yarn for the smallest size (shown here), or two for the two larger sizes. Simple, jaunty, and totally lovely!
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!

UPDATE: NOW IN PICNIC COTTON
JUNE 2022

In our beautiful Picnic Cotton, our Knit + Fold Bandanas are cool and lightweight with a gently marled texture. Choose from a palette inspired by the sweetness and fun of summer, and cast on for this warm-weather knit!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoKnitAndFoldBandana, and #PurlSohoCattailSilk. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials

- 1 (2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Cattail Silk, 100% silk yarn. Each skein of this fingering weight yarn is 618 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 618 (789, 973) yards required. We used Kingfisher Blue.
- US 4 (3.5 mm) straight or circular needles
Gauge
24 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
Finished Dimensions: 24 x 24 (27 x 27, 30 x 30) inches, with a hypotenuse of approximately 34 (38¼, 42½) inches
SAMPLE: We knit the smallest size.
Pattern
Cast on 144 (162, 180) stitches.
Row 1 (wrong side): K1, purl to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 24 (27, 30) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 1.
With right side facing you, bind off knitwise.
Weave in ends and block as desired.

LEARN ABOUT CATTAIL SILK + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
We used Cattail Silk for this pattern because its earthy, natural beauty brings a light drape and offhanded elegance to your knitting. A 100% mulberry silk yarn, Cattail Silk has a rustic spin with bitty nubs and very subtle variations in texture. Choose from a lovely bouquet of colors, and cast on with this fingering-weight yarn for a truly compelling knit!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Cattail Silk knitting patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-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 Fibers
- Shop silk 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 don’t understand the pattern. No increases or decreases so how do you get a triangle?
Hi Roberta,
Thanks for reaching out! The finished piece is a square, which you will then fold in half along the diagonal to turn it into the triangular bandana.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
What size is the model wearing? I’ve got some leftover skeins of this yarn and think I have enough for the small!
Thanks!
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for reaching out! Our model is wearing the small size of the bandana. This is indeed a great project for using up leftovers!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Oh, this is just so beautiful and practical! I don’t know how to knit. Would this be doable for a beginner?
Thanks,
Katie
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much for the kind words! Yes, this would be an excellent beginner project – it doesn’t get much easier than a stockinette stitch square! If you are brand new to knitting, this would even make a great learn-to-knit project. All you need to know are how to cast on, knit, and purl!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thanks, Julianna! Those links look very helpful. I look forward to trying this someday, Lord-willing. I’ve always wanted to learn knitting.
Sincerely,
Katie
Can you make the scarf smaller than 24×24 sz, lets say
20×20 or 18×18?
I really like the look just a little smaller
Hi Ellen,
Great question! Yes, you could certainly make the square as wide or narrow as you would like! To determine how many stitches to cast on, you will just need to multiply your desired width by 6 stitches per inch, so for your example of a 20″ by 20″ square, you will cast on 120 stitches.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi, Pattern says US 4 needles. If using circular, how long should they be in inches? Will be knitting the largest size.
Hi Martin,
Great question! The largest size is 30 inches wide, so a 24″ or 32″ needle would be plenty long to accommodate the stitches.
Best,
Julianna
I see that there is a 1 stitch garter edge. Is this sufficient to prevent rolling? Or is this particular yarn less inclined to roll?
Hello MJ,
Thank you for reaching out! The combination of not being knit up too tight and the garter border keeps this lovely bandana from curling!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Thank you for a lovely pattern and a reminder that simplicity is so fabulous…. Was there much of the dreaded stocking stitch curl that would spoil the square?
Hello Tarryn,
Thank you for reaching out- this is a great question! The combination of the garter stitch border and the gauge not being too tight, helps to keep this beautiful bandana flat.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Nice bandana. Can I knit this in Linen Quill?
Hello Denise,
Thanks for reaching out. Linen Quill would be a great substitution!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi. I wanted to use a different yarn than is suggested. Is PurlSoho’s Cattail Silk a fingering weight yarn? I have some sock yarn that would look great as a bandana. I will try to match the suggested gauge. Thanks for the help.
Hello Cullen,
Thank you for reaching out! Yes, this can be knit up with any fingering weight yarn.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi, I have some dk weight yarn I would like to use to make this pattern. Is this possible? Thank you!
Hi Melisa,
Thanks for reaching out! With a few pattern modifications, yes, you could use a DK weight yarn! This bandana is knit at a loose, relaxed gauge, so you will need to knit a gauge swatch on US 7 or 8 needles. You can then multiply your stitches per inch by the width of the size you wish to make to determine how many stitches to cast on. Since this bandana is just stockinette stitch without much of a border, some yarns may curl up on the edges much more than Cattail Silk, but you can also figure out if your yarn will be suitable by blocking your gauge swatch to see how it behaves!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Lovely project! What size square is the model wearing in the photo in which the bandana is tied in back?
Thanks.
Hello Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out! Our model is wearing the small size of the bandana.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi! I’m getting ALOT of curling. Just keeps curling up the more I knit. Will it stop eventually? Will it block a bit flatter?
Thank you!
Marissa
Hi Marissa,
Thanks for reaching out! Stockinette will always curl up, though how much it will block out depends somewhat on the fiber content of your yarn and your gauge. Silk, linen, or cotton yarns, like the Cattail Silk we used, do respond very well to blocking and turn out quite drapey, especially when knit at a relatively loose gauge. Knitting at a tighter gauge or with a yarn that contains a high percentage of wool will result in a piece that curls more strongly along the edges. Before going any further, I would recommend placing what you have done so far on a piece of scarp yarn and either steam or wet blocking it to see how it will look after blocking!
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi! I want to make this bandana for a chemo patient. Would Purl Soho’s Cattail Silk be itchy on her head, or is it smooth? I have not worked with it before.
Thanks!
Monica
Hello Monica,
Thank you for reaching out! Cattail Silk is soft, especially after it has been washed. Ii is a raw silk so it does have a knobby texture to it. It is soft, but doesn’t have the shiny silky texture that processed silk does.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any further questions!
Best,
Marilla
I ordered this yarn for the scarf and now have decided that I would rather use a different color. I have two skeins of this yarn. Do you have a hat pattern that I could use with this yarn?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, we do! Our Mock Cable Columns Hat or Tiny Stripes Hat would both be lovely out of Cattail Silk. I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch to make sure the finished hat will fit, but both hats are made out of yarns that have a very similar gauge to Cattail Silk, so I don’t anticipate you will have any problems getting the correct gauge!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
For straight needles, do I want US 4 in the 9inch or 12inch?
Hi Nina,
Thanks for reaching out! You will need 12″ straight needles to fit this many stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
OK after reading the Q&A ….if i want a small square/ triangle
could I dcr stitches in increments of 18 st?
Not sure I have what I want or need in Stash so may have to
order the Kingfisher Blue (yummy color)
Thanks
ellen 🙂
stay safe….
Hi Ellen,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for reaching out! Since this bandana is a simple stockinette square, you can cast on any number of stitches you like!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi, I’m working on this, but it’s coming out much looser than the photos of the scarf…and it’s supposed to be a loose knit but the photo really doesn’t look like a loose knit. Can you confirm the scarf in photo is the silk?
Hi Alexis,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, all of our samples are knit in Cattail Silk! Cattail Silk has a very grippy texture that is a new experience for many knitters, so it’s not uncommon to knit looser than you usually do when you are getting used to it. Also, keep in mind that in our pictures, the bandana is folded in half along the diagonal, so it probably appears a bit more dense than it does in a single layer. I would suggest measuring your gauge and comparing it to our gauge of 24 stitches and 36 rows to 4 inches in stockinette stitch and adjusting your needle size if necessary!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
HI!
Can this sweet scarf be knitted in another pattern that would also drape?
Hi Joyce,
Thank you for reaching out! Did you mean another yarn that would also drape? If so, yes! Our bamboo-rayon yarn, Burnish, has a gorgeous drape and sheen and would require 2 (3, 3) skeins for the 24″ (27″, 30″) square sizes respectively. Another option is our cotton/alpaca blend, Sweetgrass, which would require 2 (2, 3) skeins. I hope this helps!
Best,
Gaby
Thank you for the these yarn options. I really don’t want to have curled edges…would the “Burnish” rayon work to alleviate this?
Thank you for the these lovely yarn options. I really don’t want to have curled edges that is why I asked if (using “Cattail’) there is another pattern or stitch that would alleviate curling and still allow for a nice drape. Also, would another stitch / pattern using this yarn make the material a little thicker?? I am so partial to the seed stitch because it doesn’t curl.
“Burnish” is a beautiful yarn. Same needle size? Can Burnish be washed?
Hi Joyce,
Yes, Burnish blocks out beautifully and will not be too prone to curling up on the edges! You can see how well it turns out in stockinette stitch in our Asymmetrical Wrap. Burnish is the same weight as Cattail Silk so you shouldn’t have to make any pattern modifications, and it can be machine washed!
In general, silk, cotton, rayon, and linen are much less likely than wool or other animal fibers to curl. For a simple square like this, you could certainly substitute a different stitch like seed stitch if you prefer! I would recommend trying out a small swatch of seed stitch to see if you will be happy with the texture in either Cattail Silk or Burnish.
Best,
Julianna
I love the idea of this scarf. I needed this one, THANKS
What length circular needle do you need? 16inch? 24inch?
Hi Ann,
Thank you for writing in with this question! A 16″ circular needle should be sufficient for all three sizes. Happy knitting!
Best,
Gaby
Hello
I used the cast on amount of stitches for the 24″ x 24″ but mine
came out 30″ x 30″ even after blocking. So pleased with the texture and weight, I would like to make another one that is smaller.
Should I cast on less?
Thank you,
Dolores
Hi Dolores,
Thanks for reaching out! Did you check your gauge prior to beginning? My best guess is that your gauge might be slightly off which lead to your bandana growing a bit. I would suggest measuring your gauge on the bandana and if it is different from the gauge of the pattern you can make adjustments accordingly! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use.
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Hello,
The pattern calls for a US 4 (3.75 mm) needle but as far as I know US 4 needles are 3.5mm and US 5 needles are 3.75mm. Is this a typo?
Thank you!
Renée
Hi Renee,
Thanks for writing in and pointing this out! You are correct, that is a typo and it should be US 4 (3.5 mm), I have updated the pattern to reflect this change!
Sorry for any inconvenience!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi! I’ve bought this yarn and have frogged sooo many times, once I cast on I can only knit four stitches before it gets too tight, do you have recommendations that would help especially with a beginner using silk yarn? Thank you!!
Hi Emily,
Thanks for reaching out! If you’re finding that your cast-on is too tight, you could try casting on with a larger needle (one or two sizes larger than the one listed in the pattern) and then switch back to the smaller needles for the rest of the pattern. This should ensure that the cast-on is a bit easier to knit into!
I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Cat
Instead of the garter edge, would an I-cord be suitable for this project?
Hi Catherine!
Thank you for your question. Since this is a flat, even square, an I-cord would be easy to add to this project! We have a few resources you may find helpful for how to add this, including the I-cord Cast-on and the Attached I-cord tutorials. An easy way to incorporate an I-cord would be to knit the pattern as written, and then follow the instructions for an Attached I-cord around the perimeter of the bandana, but you are welcome to modify the pattern to your liking and knit an I-cord into the square as well!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
When will I ever learn? Yet another frustrating pattern that allegedly won’t curl due to simply 1 row of garter stitch and looser knitting. Well it curls and rolls so another rip out and search for another pattern or dig in my stash and find Burnish. I have returned to knitting after a fairly long spell and all I previously knit were sweaters that didn’t roll due to ribbing or a combination of k and p stitches. So, my forgetting of the dread stockinette roll hasn’t given me pause when faced with another stockinette pattern. Unfortunately I read all the comments here after casting on and completing a few rows. Had I read all the comments I would have come upon the gem which mentions that “generally silk, cotton, rayon, and linen are much less likely than wool or other animal fibers to curl.” My suggestion is to put in pattern info that if the suggested yarn(s) aren’t being used, substitute yarns in a similar fiber will work while those in other named fiber categories will tend to roll, curl and otherwise misbehave, even with wet blocking in some instances. Your audience may not all be highly knowledgeable in the finer points of fiber behavior. Well didn’t keep on knitting so not much to rip. Actually have some Burnish so will use that and fingers crossed it won’t misbehave. Learning something is never a waste of time so now I can more knowledgeably pick the appropriate pattern paired with a complementary yarn. Thanks for expanding my knowledge base!
Hi Melinda,
Thanks for writing in about this! I completely agree–learning something new is never a waste of time, so I’m glad that your experience with this pattern has expanded your knowledge base of the craft. We celebrate the learning moments in knitting, even in the projects that initially don’t go as planned!
Thank you for taking the time to post your experience here so that it can be a learning moment for others, too. Looking ahead, we love your idea of including more fiber related details in our patterns, and we will be suggesting it internally with our team, as I agree it would be very helpful to include!
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts. We really appreciate your feedback and take it very much to heart!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! I’m a beginning knitter and I think this is a great project — I’m struggling with what length to make my cast on tail, I did 3x the length of the project (24in so about 72) and ran out of tail before 156 stitches. Is there a trick or a guide! Thanks!!
Hi Ariel,
Thanks for reaching out! We actually recommend using a tail of about 3.5 times the length of your cast-on, so I’d recommend trying that next. Let me know how it goes when you try again!
All the best,
Lili