Daily Scarf
When you think “scarf,” you might think something like our Daily Scarf. A nice, wide swath of stockinette with a bit of 1×1 ribbing on the ends, it is quintessential, and also elegant and light, breathable and warm. It appeals to any person, any day!
Knit in our fingering-weight Echo Cashmere, the fabric of this scarf is delicate and feather-light. Even folded in half and looped around the neck, it never feels too close or restrictive… Just comfortable and perfectly warm.
Ninety-five percent recycled cashmere, we love that Echo Cashmere gives a second life to beautiful fibers that might otherwise go to waste.
The way this cashmere gets recycled is the mill collects the fibers from the production process of cashmere yarn and sweaters and from recycled sweaters, too. Five percent of the yarn ends up being wool (or sometimes a bit of nylon), which sneaks in there from the recycled sweaters and which means every bit of fiber gets reused.
Made in Italy, Echo Cashmere’s palette of 13 colors brings to mind a classic Italian wardrobe, warm, oat-y neutrals and wintry grays, plus beautiful, rich heathers from the more serious corners of the spectrum.
An incredible gift for absolutely anyone, you only need 4 balls of Echo Cashmere to make this daily dose of beauty!
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 by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. Click here to see even more of Hiromi’s work!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoDailyScarf, and #PurlSohoEchoCashmere. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 balls of Purl Soho’s Echo Cashmere, 95% recycled cashmere, and 5% other fibers. Each ball is 236 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 940 total yards required. We used the color Cinder Gray.
- US 3 (3.25 mm), straight or 24-inch circular needles
GAUGE
26 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZE
Finished Dimensions: 14 inches wide x 62 inches long
NOTE
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all stitches purlwise.
PATTERN
CAST ON
Cast on 92 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On, but if you’re using Echo Cashmere and have a hard time not breaking the yarn, try a Make 1 Backwards Loop instead!
BEGINNING RIBBING
Set-Up Row (wrong side): P2, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 2 (see Note) with yarn in front (wyif).
Row 1 (right side): K2, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 2 with yarn in back (wyib).
Row 2 (wrong side): P2, *k1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 2 wyif.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until Ribbing measures 1½ inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
BODY
Row 1 (right side): Knit to last 2 stitches, slip 2 wyib.
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl to last 2 stitches, slip 2 wyif.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 60½ inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
ENDING RIBBING
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 of Beginning Ribbing section until Ribbing measures 1½ inches, ending with Row 2.
With right side facing you, bind off in pattern.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends and gently wet block to finished dimensions.
LEARN ABOUT ECHO CASHMERE + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
We used Echo Cashmere for this project because it is a wonderfully affordable way to experience the joy of knitting with one of the word’s softest fibers! A delicate fingering-weight yarn, it has the lightness and warmth of cashmere, and since it’s recycled, also the beauty of second chances!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of free Echo Cashmere 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 cashmere 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!
Hi do you think I could hold 2 strands together and use larger needles? Thanks!
Hi Linda,
You could totally do that! I’d just recommend knitting up a gauge swatch beforehand so that you can calculate how many stitches you need to cast on. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width (14 inches) and cast on the nearest even number. Then you can follow the pattern as written!
All the best,
Lili
Can you use cashmere merino bloom for this scarf? If so, same number of skeins?
Thank you
Hi Renee,
You can absolutely use Cashmere Merino Bloom for this scarf, but you will need to adjust the number of stitches you cast on so that the scarf comes to the correct size! To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width (14 inches) and cast on the nearest even number. Then you can follow the pattern as written! You’ll need 4 skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom.
All the best,
Lili
Thank you for your response. Would I still use size 3 needles?
Thank you!
Hi Renee,
I’d recommend starting with US 5! Since Cashmere Merino Bloom is thicker and the yarn used here, a US three might result in a very dense fabric.
Thank you!
This is beautiful but I’m allergic to cashmere. Do you have a 100% alpaca that I can substitute?
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing in! Alpaca is a great choice for this scarf. I’d recommend using Quartz, which is a mix of alpaca and merino wool, Season Alpaca, which is 100% super baby alpaca, or Speckled Hen, which is made from alpaca and merino wool.
We highly recommend knitting up a gauge swatch no matter what, but it’s especially important if you choose either Season Alpaca or Speckled Hen because these two yarns are thicker than Echo Cashmere and you’ll need to adjust the number of stitches you cast on so that your scarf comes to the correct width. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width (14 inches) and cast on the nearest even number. Then you can follow the pattern as written!
All the best,
Lili
Hi – Love the simplicity of the scarf pattern but wondering if I could do Seed Stitch for the borders instead of rib? I am a newish Knitter and my Rib Stitches don’t seem to be as straight looking as they should be. Thanks if you could reply.
Best regards and thank you for sharing the pattern. Always appreciated.
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thank you for writing in! You could definitely do a seed stitch border if you’d like. To get neat ribbing, I’d suggest practicing over a smaller number of stitches and blocking your work. I always find that my stitches tend to relax after a good soak leaving them much more tidy. You can check out our in-depth blocking tutorial here! I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi there,
I am currently knitting the piece and it is curling quite bad. Will the curling reduce significantly after blocking the work or am I doing something wrong?
Best regards,
Thania
Hi Thania,
I’m so sorry to hear that your scarf isn’t turning out quite as you had expected. Because this project is knit in stockinette stitch, there will always be a bit of a natural curl to the fabric. We recommend wet blocking your scarf, making sure to let it soak in the water for a significant period of time. We find that this method of blocking is more effective than spray or steam blocking and really helps to minimize curling.
I hope this helps you achieve the look you want for your project, but please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
Could you please tell me – would there be less curling if this scarf is made with the Echo Cashmere yarn, compared to the Cashmere Merino Bloom yarn, or would it be about the same for the two yarns? I was thinking that maybe an all cashmere yarn might be less elastic and curl less, but I am not sure if that is correct. Thank you very much for your help.
Hi J,
Thank you for asking! Because this project is knit in stockinette stitch, there will always be a bit of a natural curl to the fabric. We recommend wet blocking your scarf, making sure to let it soak in the water for a significant period of time. We find that this method of blocking is more effective than spray or steam blocking and really helps to minimize curling.
Alternatively, adding either a seed stitch, ribbed, or garter stitch border would work wonderfully for this pattern to keep those edges from curling as much. To do this you will want to add an odd number to either side for a simple seed stitch or an even number for ribbing. Garter stitch is pretty flexible so any number of additional stitches would work. I hope this helps you achieve the look you want for your project, but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you for your reply. I actually started this scarf using the Cashmere Merino Bloom yarn and it is curling a lot. I was thinking of undoing this and possibly starting over with the Echo Cashmere yarn but was wanting to please ask your thoughts before making the effort to start over. Do you think that the Echo Cashmere yarn would be likely to curl less? Thank you very much for your help.
Hi J,
I see, sorry that I misunderstood! The yarn shouldn’t make a difference as long as you are adjusting the gauge since Cashmere Merino Bloom (CMB) is thicker you will definitely want to size up to the appropriate needle size. If you were to use the CMB with the same gauge, it will indeed cause more curling. If you’d like to still use the Cashmere Merino Bloom, I’d recommend adjusting your needle size for a more a drapey result which in turn will allow your stitches to relax which will help with drastically help with curling. Let us know if you’d like help making those adjustments as well!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you for your information. I have been using size US 5 knitting needles to knit this scarf with the Cashmere Merino Bloom, rather than the size US 3 needles recommended in the pattern for the Echo Cashmere yarn. I adjusted the number of stitches to achieve the dimensions of the pattern. I am afraid that it still curls a lot, despite going up two needle sizes. (A lot of the width is taken up with the curling.)
You had suggested soaking the scarf for a significant amount of time to help with the curling. Could you please tell me how long a period of time you would recommend? Would it be for a couple of hours, or longer? A few days? Thank you very much for all of your help.
Hi J,
Unfortunately the stockinette fabric will continue to naturally curl but blocking should help! I’d recommend soaking for about 30 minutes to make sure all the fibers are saturated before laying flat to dry.
Ok. Thank you very much for all of your help and suggestions.
You are very welcome!
How many skeins of Speckled Hen would I need for this? Thank you!
Hi Lynn,
Thank you for writing in! Speckled Hen is slightly thicker than Echo Cashmere so I’d recommend adjusting you stitch count slightly. I would recommend 8 skeins to start and go up 1-2 needle sizes. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any more questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
I’m using newly acquired Patridge on a size 9 and it working out beautifully! I am seriously thinking of using one of your cottons to make a throw. Can you suggest one that might make sense? Thanks for all the great patterns.
Hi Chermia,
So happy to hear you are enjoying your project! I’d recommend Campo or Sunshower Cotton for a wonderful throw on your size 9 needles!
All the best,
Gavriella
How many skeins of Nigh DK would I need for this pattern?
Hi Ginger,
Thank you for writing in! You will need about 5 skeins of Nigh DK for this pattern but you will need to adjust the cast on a bit. To modify this pattern you will want to start with a gauge swatch. You will then measure your stitches per inch and multiply that number by the desired width of your scarf and that will give you your cast on number.
All the best,
Gavriella
I’m thinking it would be the same as the Cashmere Merino Bloom?
Hi Ginger,
Yes, I would also recommend using 5 skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom!
All the best,
Lili
Hello — I am making the Daily Scarf using Nigh Fine cashmere. If my calculations are correct, I should need 2 skeins (each at 55 grams/448 yards) since the pattern calls for 4 skeins of the Echo Cashmere which is (50 grams/236 yards). Is this correct? I am using a 2 needle and it feels like I will need more yarn than 2 skeins.
Hi Leora,
Thanks for writing in! If you’re knitting at the same gauge as the pattern, then you will need the exact same yardage. That’s 940 yards, which would be 3 skeins of Nigh Fine. If you’re knitting at a tighter gauge, then you will need more yardage, but there should be plenty of extra yardage in the 3rd skein, so I’d still go with 3!
All the best,
Lili
I am sing Season Alpaca and have completed 5 inches. Like some others, I am experiencing curling. Actually, it’s more of a roll width wise. I have read your responses to others about blocking but I am concerned about knitting another 55 inches and finding the scarf still rolls. That would be a lot of work for nothing. Have others found that blocking solves the problem?
Hi Helen,
Thanks for writing in! The rolling was actually a design choice for this pattern because it gives the scarf more body. The edges are intended to fold over on themselves so the scarf can stay easily tucked inside a jacket and keep you extra warm!
If this bothers you though, I’d recommend adding more of a border to the scarf! You can use a symmetrical stitch (like garter stitch, ribbing, seed stitch, etc.), and this will help prevent the edges from curling at all. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hello!
Excited to start making this scarf as a Christmas gift! I would like to make this scarf a bit skinnier because the person I’m making this for prefers that. What number multiple should I be reducing this by? Thank you in advance!
Hi Belle,
This scarf works over any stitch multiple! So any cast-on number will work out perfectly!
All the best,
Lili
Concerned about curling, not on the sides but width wise
I am using season alpaca yarn and have knit about 5 inches. The scarf is rolling to the ribbed beginning. I am reluctant to continue as I read in the comments that blocking “should” solve the problem. To continue and have the rolling continue to be a problem after blocking, doesn’t seem practical. Has anyone had success? Please advise.
Hi Helen,
Stockinette stitch curls in both directions, so what you’re experiencing is normal! Since the bottom and top edges have ribbing, blocking will be even more helpful in minimizing the rolling. You can also extend the ribbing for more distance to completely get rid of any curling in this direction.
All the best,
Lili
Could I knit this with Santolina? I have a gifted who is allergic to all wool. Thanks!
Hi Mary,
You can definitely use Santolina for this pattern! We always recommend knitting a quick gauge swatch just to make sure you can match the same tension recommend in the pattern when using an alternative yarn.
I hope this helps and happy making!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hi,
Is this scarf made on circular needles or straight needles? As i only have circular needles would that work?
Hi G.,
Thanks for writing in! You can knit this scarf on either straight or circular needles. We actually recommend 24-inch circulars to make sure the stitches aren’t at risk of falling off the needles as you knit!
All the best,
Lili