Supernova Scarf
In our dazzling Comet, the Supernova Scarf, designed by Meg Roke, is an explosion of color and texture and a flash of joy for a gray day.
In straightforward stockinette stitch with some simple shaping, this spirited scarf is a fun and easy knit for anyone who likes a little playful flair!
Made in partnership with Knit Collage, Comet is a delightful surprise with every stitch, and its jumbo size means that you can knit the Supernova Scarf in just a few hours. Not quite the speed of light, but close!
A mix of wool, mohair, silk, and Angelina sparkle, Comet is a celebration in a skein, a tribute to the joy of making and our ability to use our own two hands to make things that are wonderfully unique.
Pick any of our nine colors of Comet and pair two skeins with a Super Soft Merino one for the lush tassels at both ends. Got your combo? Great, cast on and have a blast!
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 Meg Roke. Based in Ohio, Meg has been a knitwear designer for over ten years. She creates simple, wearable designs, inspired by the magic of transforming simple fibers into something beautiful and practical. A maker at heart, when she’s not knitting, you’ll find Meg sewing, gardening, baking, and teaching!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSupernovaScarf, and #PurlSohoComet. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Yarn A: 2 skeins of Purl Soho + Knit Collage’s Comet, a mix of wool, mohair, silk, and Angelina sparkle. Each skein is approximately 34 yards/ 115 grams; approximately 65 yards required. We used the color Pink Moon for one sample and Cosmic Rays for the other.
- Yarn B (for tassels): 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. Each skein is approximately 87 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 20 yards required. We used the color Pale Verdigris for the Pink Moon sample and Golden Green for the Cosmic Rays one.
- US 17 (12 mm), straight or circular needles
GAUGE
5 stitches and 7 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 9⅔ inches wide x 72½ inches long
PATTERN
BEGIN
With Yarn A, use a Long Tail Cast On to cast on 2 stitches.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 two more times.
INCREASE
Row 1 (right side): K1, make 1 left, k1. [3 stitches]
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Row 3: Knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 one more time, then repeat Row 2 one more time.
Increase Row (right side): K1, m1L, knit to end of row. [1 stitch increased]
Continuing in stockinette stitch, repeat Increase Row every sixth row 8 more times. [12 stitches]
DECREASE
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Row 2: Purl to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time.
Decrease Row (right side): K1, slip slip knit, knit to end of row. [1 stitch decreased]
Continuing in stockinette stitch, repeat Decrease Row every sixth row 9 more times. [2 stitches remain]
END
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Purl to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Row 2: Purl to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time, then repeat Row 1 one more time.
With wrong side facing you, bind off purlwise.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends and lightly spray block, if desired. Do not steam block, as heat will singe the Angelina sparkle fibers.
TASSELS
Using Yarn B and following our Tassel Tutorial, make two 6-inch-long tassels. Use a piece of cardboard that measures 6½ inches along one side, and wrap the yarn 25 times.
With right side facing you, use the tassels’ tails to attach a tassel to the cast-on and bind-off edges of scarf.
Weave in remaining ends.
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!
How long should our 17 needles be for this pattern if using circular?
Hi Marty,
Thanks for writing in! You can use any length circular needles for this project, if you choose to go that route. The finished width of the scarf is only 9 2/3 inches wide, so that would fit perfectly on 16-inch circular needles. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
It’s very cute! Don’t think I’d spend $100 to make it though.
Hello,
We’re so glad this pattern caught your eye, but we totally understand how the price tag can be a deterrent from making it. Comet is a specialty yarn because it’s made out of very unique fibers, but you’re welcome to make this with a jumbo sized yarn of your choice. I’m sure it will be just as fun of a project!
All the best,
Lili
Can I make this scarf shorter by decreasing the number of rows between each increase and decrease row?
Hi Christine,
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, that’s a great way to make this scarf shorter while maintaining the same width!
All the best,
Lili
WOWWWWW so beautiful.
Are you shipping to Germany?
Bets wishes from here ..
Ute
Hi Ute,
Thanks for the kind words! We do indeed ship internationally, and you can find our full shipping policy at this link. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
What other yarn could be used instead of Comet?
Hi Julie,
Gentle Giant would be a great alternate yarn for this project! I’d just recommend making a gauge swatch before beginning to be sure that you’re using the right needle size in order to achieve the gauge (5 stitches and 7 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch). Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Am I missing something in the instructions? After increasing 8 times, surely there must be many rows of stockinette with 12 stitches to reach the 72 inch length, right? Thanks
(I’m making it in Fiddlehead so I’ve added a few stitches to get the width. What yarn might be good for the tassels?)
Hi Andrea,
Thanks so much for writing in! This scarf in Fiddlehead sounds fantastic and I’m happy to help with questions! Just to double check, are you working 8 increase rows right after each other or every sixth row 8 times? When you’re at the end of the Increase section and knitting stockinette stitch, you would be repeating the increase Row every sixth row 8 more times for a total of 48 rows of stockinette. This will help give the scarf its length! Since you’re using Fiddlehead, though, which is a bit thinner than Comet, you can knit a few more rows of just stockinette to add some more length if you’d like.
And I think Lovebird would make for a great tassel and provide a pop of color. Super Soft Merino would also work great for a solid-color tassel as well! Hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for writing in! In the INCREASE section, you’re only working to half the full length of the scarf, so it should only be about 36 inches long once you finish the last Increase Row. Then, you’ll work the remainder of the 72 inches during the DECREASE section!
As for the tassels, I think that Plenty would be a great yarn to pair with Fiddlehead!
All the best,
Lili
Hi.
Help!! I’m currently knitting this scarf with the Cosmic Rays yarn. I have 85” of yarn left from the first skein and just completed the 5th of 8 times, with the increase in the 6th row…now have 9 stitches on my needle. Should I rip out and expect a different result if I start over, or go ahead and move into the decrease section. I currently have 34” length.
Obviously some of the yarn is do thick you cannot make a ‘normal’ size stitch. Please advise…I’m sad ☹️
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for reaching out. You’re right on track with your stitch count! You have 3 more Increase Rows to go and 3 more stitches to increase to reach 12 stitches on your needles. However, it sounds like your row gauge is too large. Even if some of the stitches are a little big or a little small due to the varying thickness of the yarn, your gauge should average out at 5 stitches and 7 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch.
Since it sounds like you’re running low on yarn, I would recommend undoing you work so you don’t end up running out completely. (Alternatively, you could just begin the decrease section sooner and end up with a slightly thinner scarf!)
If you decide to begin again, I would recommend making another gauge swatch. You’ll probably need to size down your needles in order to get the row correct gauge, since it’s too large with the needles you’re currently using! If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge, which you can find right here.
I hope this helps you move forward in your project, and please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!
All the best,
Lili
I’d like to make one of these scarfs along with a Homestretch hat. Hard to figure out if the colors will work together or not online. What do you think of the Cosmic Ray and Golden Green scarf with a White Peppercorn Gentle Giant hat? Or do you have another recommendation? Thanks!
Hi Stevee,
Thanks for reaching out! I’d actually recommend pairing Gentle Giant in Heirloom White with the Cosmic Rays and Golden Green scarf. That color matches the main color of Cosmic Rays much more closely than White Peppercorn does!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks for the quick response. Do you think any of the muted pinks or grays would work? I’m not sure the white works for me. Really appreciate your input.
Or even blue or green shades of gentle giant….?
I think that Rose Violet would be the best match out of the pinks! It’s the closest color to the bits of pink in Cosmic Rays. As for blue, I would recommend Periwinkle Blue, but that color is currently out of stock!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks so much for your help. One last question and then I’ll decide! Do you know when you might have Comet in Pink Moon and Gentle Giant in Cowrie Pink back in stock?
You’re very welcome! I’m sorry to say that we’re discontinuing Comet, so we will not be restocking any colors. While we loved this yarn, 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!
As for the Gentle Giant, we tend to restock our heavier wool yarns closer to the winter season, so we likely won’t be getting more of this color until the fall. Apologies for the inconvenience!
All the best,
Lili
What’s a good tassle color if I have the Comet yarn in Meteor Shower?
Hi Courtney,
Thanks for reaching out! Super Soft Merino in Sapphire Blue would be a great match for Comet in Meteor Shower. It will draw attention to the flecks of blue in the Comet!
All the best,
Lili
Hi there, I’m looking at purchasing some of the Comet. Are you able to list recommended coordinating yarn in the Super Soft Merino for the tassels?
I’m interested in
Meteor Shower, Deep Space, and Neptune. Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Nayomi,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend the following colors of Super Soft Merino for each color of Comet that you’re interested in:
Meteor Shower: Oyster Gray or Rose Hip
Deep Space: Pale Verdigris or Peachy Pink
Neptune: Rose Hip or High Tide
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
This was such a great knit as a beginner. I started with your hat kit and then after making a couple hats, I made this. It is so cute, and easy to follow, and knits quickly – which is nice as a beginner to get that feeling of completing a project and adding more positive reinforcement to keep your interest in knitting. I feel like it taught some additional beginner skills in a manageable way (how to handle uneven yarn, additional increases and decreases). It was fun! I’ve made two total now (I went back and did the second one as a more experienced knitter to have one in a second color) and it was still a fun knit.