Joy of Color Scarf
Our new bundle of Linen Quill Minis is a glorious confluence of natural fibers, gorgeous colors, and all the creativity and beauty they inspire. Forty 25-gram balls of Linen Quill, each bundle of Minis is an invitation to the most vibrant places in your imagination, and our free and simple Joy of Color Scarf pattern takes you there!
You knit the Joy Of Color Scarf holding two different colors together, swapping out one at a time to create smooth transitions and a spectacular array of complex colors.
The pattern itself could not be any simpler, just casting on and knitting in the round. The true joy is in watching as each marled color melds into the next one, from a golden pink to a bronzes lime to a verdant orange and on and on!
And as always, you will love the experience of knitting Linen Quill’s wonderful mix of 50% fine highland wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. Each strand of this yarn has a richness that comes from the three fibers contributing in their own way to its character.
The wool adds bounce and durability and vibrant color, the alpaca softness and luster, and the linen, with its lighter fibers that tend to sprout from the yarn, adds an abundance of natural charm and beauty!
Our Linen Quill Minis make a spectacular gift for any crafter, or cast on for your own Joy Of Color Scarf and be transported to a breathtaking world of color!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
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, #PurlSohoJoyOfColorScarf, and #PurlSohoLinenQuillMinis. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 1 Linen Quill Minis bundle, 50% highland wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. Each bundle is a total of 4,360 yards/ 1000 grams; approximately 1,600 (2,210) total yards required.
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular needles, or long circulars for Magic Loop
- A stitch marker
NOTE: You can make 2 Small scarves with this bundle, or one Large!
GAUGE
19 stitches and 24 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with yarn doubled
SIZES
Small (Large)
- Finished Circumference: 14 (20) inches
- Finished Length (unrolled): 79¼ inches long
- Finished Length (rolled): 77¼ inches long
Sample: We knit the Large size.
NOTES
KEEPING TRACK OF COLORS
With 40 colors of Linen Quill in this bundle, you have to keep organized! We recommend sorting your colors into bags of similar shades (reds, blues, greens, yellows, etc) to make them easier to find. If you lose any labels, be sure to consult the Color Guide included with your bundle!
WEAVING IN TAILS AS YOU GO
To avoid weaving in a whole lot of ends when you’re finished knitting, follow these instructions for weaving in tails as you go. Note that you will always be knitting with two different color yarns, and every time you change colors, you will cut one yarn, then add a new yarn to the remaining yarn, creating a new color combo. Here’s how we recommend taking care of all those tails…
Join the new color, leaving a 1½ to 2-inch tail on the purl side of the work. Knit the first 4 stitches of the round holding both the new and old colors together (i.e. three strands of yarn). Cut the old color, leaving a 1½ to 2-inch tail on the purl side of the work, and continue on with just the two strands of the new color combo.
Don’t worry, all those little tails you’re leaving will stay secure and will be hidden on the inside of your scarf! (Or, feel free to change colors as you normally would, just be prepared for many tails to weave in!)
PATTERN
NOTE: Throughout this pattern you will hold two colors of yarn as you work. We have named each color combination Color 1–39; see Color Order, below, for the full list of color combinations.
With Color 1 (see Color Order, below), cast on 67 (95) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit 16 rounds, or until piece measures approximately 2¾ inches from cast-on edge, unrolled.
*Color Change Round: With Color 2 and weaving in tails as you go (see Notes), knit to end of round.
Knit 11 more rounds, or until Color 2 section measures 2 inches.
Repeat from * with Colors 3–39, working 16 total rounds of Color 39 (instead of 12). [Piece measures approximately 79 inches from cast-on edge, unrolled]
Bind-Off Round: With Color 39, bind off loosely knitwise.
Cut yarns and weave in remaining cast-on and bind-off tails.
Gently wet block, allowing edges to roll up.
COLOR ORDER
Color 1: Pale Oats + Wheat Flour
Color 2: Wheat Flour + Peony Pink
Color 3: Peony Pink + Pale Celery
Color 4: Pale Celery + Bird’s Egg Blue
Color 5: Bird’s Egg Blue + Reed Gray
Color 6: Reed Gray + Pale Mushroom
Color 7: Pale Mushroom + Buttercup Yellow
Color 8: Buttercup Yellow + Lavender Opal
Color 9: Lavender Opal + Golden Wheat
Color 10: Golden Wheat + Lemon Lime
Color 11: Lemon Lime + Peachy Pink
Color 12: Peachy Pink + Baked Earth
Color 13: Baked Earth + Bright Flamingo
Color 14: Bright Flamingo + Eggshell Blue
Color 15: Eggshell Blue + Pink Pop
Color 16: Pink Pop + Butterscotch Yellow
Color 17: Butterscotch Yellow + Golden Green
Color 18: Golden Green + Super Orange
Color 19: Super Orange + Stonewall Gray
Color 20: Stonewall Gray + Turmeric Yellow
Color 21: Turmeric Yellow + Lychee Pink
Color 22: Lychee Pink + Crocus Bud
Color 23: Crocus Bud + Magnolia Blossom
Color 24: Magnolia Blossom + Raw Sienna
Color 25: Raw Sienna + Red Poppy
Color 26: Red Poppy + Grasshopper Green
Color 27: Grasshopper Green + Fresh Nutmeg
Color 28: Fresh Nutmeg + Kiln Red
Color 29: Kiln Red + Clover Green
Color 30: Clover Green + Fresh Pickle
Color 31: Fresh Pickle + Cobalt Blue
Color 32: Cobalt Blue + True Turquoise
Color 33: True Turquoise + Blue Blue
Color 34: Blue Blue + Purple Clematis
Color 35: Purple Clematis + Pine Cone
Color 36: Pine Cone + Chestnut Red
Color 37: Chestnut Red + Blue Pansy
Color 38: Blue Pansy + Stillwater Blue
Color 39: Stillwater Blue + Kettle Black
LEARN ABOUT LINEN QUILL MINIS + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Express your love of color with Linen Quill Minis! A unique opportunity to play, these 25-gram balls are mini versions of our super popular Linen Quill, a fingering-weight yarn that is a wonderful blend of 35% alpaca, 50% wool, and 15% linen. Get 40 spectacular colors in one bundle and go wild!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of Linen Quill knitting patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns
- 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 alpaca yarn
- Shop wool yarn
- Shop linen 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!
From the yardage needed for a large scarf, it looks like if you make the scarf slightly shorter you could make two large scarves out of one bundle. I imagine this would mean making each stripe a bit narrower. Is it possible to give an estimate of how much that would be? Or would it make more sense to make one scarf as written and then just adapt the second scarf as one goes? Or am I completely wrong about the yardage?
Hi Debby,
You have the right idea about the yardage! I’d recommend knitting just 1 fewer round in each stripe. Each scarf will end up approximately 72 inches long this way, so even such a small change will cut down on yardage significantly over all the color changes!
All the best,
Lili
….and just following along with the yardage question – seems like you could definitely make one small and one large scarf with the yardage included in the bundle, yes? So excited to get started – just got the yarn yesterday! Thanks!
Hi Erin,
You are correct! You could definitely make one large scarf (2210 yds) and one small scarf (1600 yds)! The scarf possibilities are so fun with this Linen Quill Mini Bundle!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Beautiful
What technique do you used to avoid the jogs when changing colors?
Hi Ila,
I’d recommend following our jogless stripe tutorial–it’ll work perfectly for the wide stripes in this scarf!
All the best,
Lili
Please forgive my very basic question. I have knitted for a couple of years and have never attempted knitting in the round. I love love love thé look of this scarf and I am perfectly happy to tackle a new skill, but may I ask, why is knitting in the round necessary for this scarf? Won’t knitting in the round create a long tube? I think there is something I am not getting.
Hi Jacqueline,
This scarf is knit in the round to prevent the edges from curling, and yes it is a long tube! Stockinette stitch naturally curls when knit flat due to the construction of the stitches. Knitting it in the round is a great way to avoid that effect and also create an extra warm double-layer scarf in the process!
All the best,
Lili
Also – no purling!!
I would love to give this to my granddaughter for Christmas, but she only crochets. Could this pattern be adapted to crochet in the round?
Hi Carol,
You could definitely crochet a scarf like this! All you’d need to do is follow the color order indicated in the pattern but use your crochet stitch of choice instead of knitting it. You’ll probably also need to crochet fewer rounds per stripe since crochet rounds are generally taller than knit rounds. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Dear Purl Soho knitting expert, will I be able to hand wash this scarf or blanket? Are the colors fixed so that the darker yarn color dyes don’t mess up the lighter ones? Thank you for letting me know.
Hi Esther,
I don’t anticipate that the colors will run, but it never hurts to test beforehand (especially for very saturated colors)! I’d recommend placing a snippet of each of the more saturated colors separate glasses of water for a few hours. If the water remains clear, then you’re good to go without refixing, but if the water is tinted with the color of the yarn, then you should refix the dye for that color. We have a great tutorial on refixing dye for when (or if) you need to do so! You can find it right here.
All the best,
Lili
I watched your tutorial video on how to do the magic loop. I have a 40 inch circular needle and would like to try that technique with the scarf but the video used an even number of stitches to divide between the sides of the pulled loop. The scarf has an odd number of stitches…. divide them unevenly or add/subtract stitches as needed? Thank you!
Hi Jewell,
That’s a great question! You can definitely still do Magic Loop even if the amount of stitches on either needle is different, so no need to subtract or add any stitches. It’s just a bit easier to handle if the number of stitches on each needle is about the same, but by no means needs to be exactly half! I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
At the beginning do I use 2 strands of color 1 and at the end 2 strands of the last color?you are not clear on that. I’m looking forward to making this scarf!
Hi Carol,
Thanks for your question! You’ll always be holding 2 different colors of Linen Quill together while knitting this scarf; color 1 is Pale Oats and Wheat Flour held together and the final color, color 39, is Stillwater Blue and Kettle Black. You can find the full list of color combinations in the “Color Order” section of the pattern. Here it is for your convenience!
“COLOR ORDER
Color 1: Pale Oats + Wheat Flour
Color 2: Wheat Flour + Peony Pink
Color 3: Peony Pink + Pale Celery
Color 4: Pale Celery + Bird’s Egg Blue
Color 5: Bird’s Egg Blue + Reed Gray
Color 6: Reed Gray + Pale Mushroom
Color 7: Pale Mushroom + Buttercup Yellow
Color 8: Buttercup Yellow + Lavender Opal
Color 9: Lavender Opal + Golden Wheat
Color 10: Golden Wheat + Lemon Lime
Color 11: Lemon Lime + Peachy Pink
Color 12: Peachy Pink + Baked Earth
Color 13: Baked Earth + Pink Flamingo
Color 14: Pink Flamingo + Eggshell Blue
Color 15: Eggshell Blue + Pink Pop
Color 16: Pink Pop + Butterscotch Yellow
Color 17: Butterscotch Yellow + Golden Green
Color 18: Golden Green + Super Orange
Color 19: Super Orange + Stonewall Gray
Color 20: Stonewall Gray + Turmeric Yellow
Color 21: Turmeric Yellow + Lychee Pink
Color 22: Lychee Pink + Crocus Bud
Color 23: Crocus Bud + Magnolia Blossom
Color 24: Magnolia Blossom + Raw Sienna
Color 25: Raw Sienna + Red Poppy
Color 26: Red Poppy + Grasshopper Green
Color 27: Grasshopper Green + Fresh Nutmeg
Color 28: Fresh Nutmeg + Kiln Red
Color 29: Kiln Red + Clover Green
Color 30: Clover Green + Fresh Pickle
Color 31: Fresh Pickle + Cobalt Blue
Color 32: Cobalt Blue + True Turquoise
Color 33: True Turquoise + Blue Blue
Color 34: Blue Blue + Purple Clematis
Color 35: Purple Clematis + Pine Cone
Color 36: Pine Cone + Chestnut Red
Color 37: Chestnut Red + Blue Pansy
Color 38: Blue Pansy + Stillwater Blue
Color 39: Stillwater Blue + Kettle Black”
I hope this helps! So excited for your scarf!
All the best,
Cat
Hi. Is there any way to knit this other than in the round ?
Hi Maria,
Thanks for writing in! While you could modify this pattern, the easiest way to knit it is in the round. The reason it was designed this way is to stop the stockinette stitch from curling. Additionally, you don’t need to purl when you knit stockinette in the round, so it’s a much faster knit that way! You could knit it flat and then seam it into a tube, but that method is much more cumbersome than just knitting it in the round. If you’d like any guidance on knitting it in the round, just let us know, and we’re happy to help!
All the best,
Lili
Maria, you could also look up other patterns for striped scarves and try to apply them here. Some of them have a special Stitch at the borders to help with curling (i-cord, for instance). If you are just loving the colors but don’t want to knit in the round, there are so many free patterns for scarves and tutorials on YouTube. Also, you might not even mind the curling in at the edges.
Having said all of that, knitting in the round is easy and fun. It is how I knit my very first object.
Hi, I have a very basic question. The instruction says to cast on “67 (95) stitches” with color 1. To what do the two different numbers refer to? Am I correct to cast on 67 stitches when using a circular needle in 4,5mm ? Thanks!
Hi Josi,
Thanks for writing in! The pattern provides knitters with instructions for two sizes. The small size measures 14 inches in circumference and the large size has a circumference of 20 inches. This means for the small you would cast on 67 stitches and 95 for the larger size. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi! Newish knitter and loving the feel of the linen quill! How did you uncurl the edges? I’m into the first color wondering if I need to start over? Thanks!
Hi Kate,
So glad to hear that you’re loving Linen Quill! It’s actually completely normal for the cast-on edge (and eventually, the bind-off edge) to curl. That’s because this pattern is knit in entirely stockinette stitch, which has a natural tendency to curl due to the structure of the stitches!
If the rolled edge bothers you though, there are plenty of ways to avoid it. My first thought would be to seam the edges together. This will make it impossible for the edge to roll up, and it’ll maintain the smooth look of the stockinette stitches! Another idea would be to add a border of a stitch that doesn’t curl (such as garter stitch or ribbing).
All the best,
Lili
Thank you!
Hi!
Ive been really enjoying the softness of this yarn! Have you got any tips for creating the stripe definition? I’m on color 4 and haven’t been doing anything intentional with the strands held together. The marl is looking patchier than shown, without any clear color lines. Should a certain strand lead always or often? In case it matters, I’m a lefty.
Thanks!
Hi Kate,
Thank you for writing in! I would suggest making sure the tension of each strand is equal because a looser/tighter strand may affect how it stands out in the fabric. Unfortunately, the marled effect isn’t completely guaranteed at each section unless the yarns have been truly spun together. We don’t want you to feel discouraged though as this pattern is meant to be a great way to play around with a truly beautiful and unexpected blend of colors!
I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you! I really like the look of the rolled edge. Relieved to know I’m not making a mistake.
Hi Purl Soho master knitters!
Question about marling technique – is there a technique? Or is it random?
For example, how is the sample achieving the more defined edge for each stripe? Is one of the two colors intentionally leading more often on the needles? Or are the two strands heavily twisted somehow? (Like I should be rolling the skeins into one ball before knitting?) Other?
For me, as I allow the threads to pull up from the two skeins at will, the colors appear so inconsistently across the row that it’s not clear there is a celery stripe, for example, because there is so much blue. Sometimes the color goes on for many stitches before switching.
If the answer is that it was randomly achieved, I’ll let the magic unfold at its will – curiosity satisfied. As a self taught knitter, understanding techniques can be challenging.
Thank you!
Hi Kat,
Thank you for your question! The marling process that happens throughout the sample is completely random outside of us choosing the colors we wanted to pair in the pattern. You could wind the yarns together if you prefer but we didn’t find it necessary for this project. One thing you could do to have some type of control is to make sure you are tensioning both yarns equally as you knit. This pattern is truly just a wonderful exploration of color so we encourage you to just let the yarns do all the work.
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you! Based on this, I switched from English to continental and got a completely different, more integrated effect. Cool!
Hello! I’m excited to knit this scarf but I’m having a hard time figuring this out. Color one is used on it’s own, and then color 1 and 2 together, and then 2 and 3, 3 and 4, etc? Thanks!
Hi Courtney,
Thank you for writing in! In this pattern, Color 1 refers to the first color combination as the yarns are held double. So if following the same colors we have used here, you will begin with one strand each of Pale Oats + Wheat Flour held together which will be Color 1. For Color 2 you will hold Wheat Flour + Peony Pink together and so on. You can find the full list of combinations just below the pattern instruction titled ‘COLOR ORDER’.
I hope this helps but if you have any other questions, please let us know!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi! I’m really enjoying this project. I chose the smaller version so that I would have some of this gorgeous yarn leftover for other projects. Now, I’m looking for inspiration. Does anyone have recommendations for what to knit with half of the Joy of Color bundle?
Hi Knittedknots,
Thank you for writing in! We are so happy to hear you are enjoying your Joy of Color Scarf! After knitting the size small, you will have around 2700 yards left of your bundle. A colorful version of your Elementary wrap would be lovely or even a few Far + Wide Hats could be fun! I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any more questions and we would be happy to take a look!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
If making the Elementary Wrap, would I knit with two colors together, or just knit with one strand ?
Hi Sharon,
What a great question! You will only need to knit with a single strand for the Elementary Wrap!
Happy making,
Gavriella
These are gorgeous colors and I would love to try this scarf. But I’m partial to really lightweight scarves (no cold weather here), so the heavier tube pattern is stopping me. Would it be possible to do a garter stitch scarf on straight needles with ribbed edges? Thanks for your help!
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! You could absolutely knit a garter stitch scarf on straight needles following the color order of this pattern. You wouldn’t even need ribbing on the edges, since garter stitch will stay flat on its own!
All the best,
Lili
Hi. – is there anyway to make a throw blanket by adapting this pattern? I have purchased the bundled and was wondering if I purchased another and knit in stockinette if it yield the same look.
Thx
Hi Kim,
Thank you for writing in! I wouldn’t recommend using stockinette stitch for a blanket as it will have major curling. I would suggest our Double Seed stitch blanket, Daybreak blanket, or even our Slipped Garter Stitch Blanket as wonderful alternatives to use the beautiful colors that come in your mini bundle! I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hello! I was gifted this gorgeous kit and just cast on tonight with #7 needles. I am knitting the larger size, but so far it doesn’t seem like it will be 20” circumference. I know I am tight knitter, but I am wondering if the yarn will loosen a bit once blocked? Or, should I just frog and start over with larger needles to get a nice drape in the end?
Hi Zoe,
We are thrilled to hear you are beginning this project! Could you let me know if you were able to achieve gauge on your gauge swatch? This could help me better visualize the issue you are having. If working within the gauge of the pattern (19 stitches and 24 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with yarn doubled), your cast on of 95 stitches should work out exactly to 20 inches once blocked.
If you are getting less than 19 sts per 4 inches, you will need to size down on your needles. If you are getting more stitches, you will need to size up! You can also check out our quick gauge tutorial for a more in-depth look on how gauge can effect your project here. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi,
I’m trying to imagine this scarf when done knitting in the round. Wouldn’t you need to Kitchener stitch the ends? Sorry if I’m totally missing something.
Hi Lisa,
You could definitely Kitchener stitch the ends if you’d like! We just left ours open but you could certainly modify your project to your liking!
All the best,
Gavriella
This is a delightful project. The bundle of yarn feels like a new box of crayons in my grade school days. I have made two of the small size scarf. The colors and the way they are combined is beautiful, and working in the round is relaxing. Thanks for this great pattern!