A romantic knit accessory to throw around your neck for a little drama and warmth, our free Magnolia Ascot pattern is as soft and lovely as the bloom it’s named for, thanks to our incredibly special Simply Yak yarn.

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

And now in a new undyed color, fascinating Natural Taupe joins velvety Natural Brown, both straight from nature. The rich depth of these colors comes directly from the animals that grew the fiber, and both make absolutely gorgeous Magnolia Ascots!

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

You start knitting at one tip with just a few stitches, working a pleasing petal shape with simple increases and decreases. Then you create the keyhole (super easy and very satisfying!) before moving on to a stretch of stockinette and finishing off with the second tapered petal. The pattern offers three different lengths so your ascot can be just the right size.

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

100% yak and 1000% beautiful, Simply Yak is made with fiber combed from the downy, insulating undercoat of these majestic animals. This unique fiber is heartbreakingly soft and delicately haloed with a graceful drape, comparable to cashmere but with a special magic all its own. It’s also toasty warm and surprisingly breathable… Just right!

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

We created our Simply Yak yarn to celebrate the immense goodness of this fiber. This generous DK-weight yarn has a plush, plump feel in your fingers and on the needles, and its lofty 2-ply spin allows the finished fabric to bloom splendidly when blocked. Smooth stockinette is the perfect showcase for all that beauty!

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho
Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

Pick up two skeins of Simply Yak in whichever natural color is calling to you and cast on for a quick-knitting Magnolia Ascot… Simply 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!

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoMagnoliaAscot, and #PurlSohoSimplyYak. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho
  • 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Simply Yak, 100% yak yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 109 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 145 (150, 160) total yards required. We made a sample in each of Simply Yak’s two undyed colors: Natural Taupe and Natural Brown.
  • US 6 (4 mm), 16-inch circular knitting needles
  • A spare circular or double pointed needle, US 6 or smaller
  • Stitch holder or scrap yarn

GAUGE

21 stitches and 31 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZES

Small (Medium, Large)

To fit actual neck circumference of 11½–13½ (13½–15½,15½–17½) inches

  • Finished Dimensions: 6½ inches wide x 31½ (33½, 35½) inches long

SAMPLES: We knit the Small size for both of our ascots.

NOTES

SLIP STITCHES

Slip all stitches purlwise with yarn in front (wyif) unless indicated otherwise.

STOCKINETTE STITCH WITH SLIP-STITCH SELVAGE

Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise wyif, purl to last stitch, slip 1 purlwise wyif.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for stitch pattern.

PATTERN

FIRST TIP

With main needles, cast on 3 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), p1, slip 1.

Row 1 (Increase Row, right side): K1, make 1 right (m1R), knit to last stitch,  make 1 left (m1L), k1. [2 stitches increased]

Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, purl to last stitch, slip 1.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 seventeen more times, ending with a wrong-side row. [39 stitches]

Work 4 rows in stockinette stitch with slip-stitch selvage (see Notes), ending with a wrong-side row.

Next Row (Decrease Row, right side): K1, slip slip knit (ssk), knit to last 3 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), k1. [2 stitches decreased]

Work 3 rows in stockinette stitch, as established, ending with a wrong-side row.

Repeat Decrease Row. [35 stitches remain]

Work 5 rows in stockinette stitch, as established­, ending with a wrong-side row.

MAKE KEYHOLE

DIVIDE BACK + FRONT  

Redistribute stitches to separate First Tip into two individual layers. Here’s how…

With right-side of work facing you, hold needle with First Tip stitches in your left hand. Hold right end of working needles and spare needle parallel to each other in your right hand, with working needle in back and spare needle in front.

Division Row (right side): *Slip first stitch purlwise with yarn in back (wyib) from left needle onto front spare needle, slip next stitch purlwise wyib from left needle onto back working needle, repeat from * to last stitch, slip last stitch purlwise wyib from left needle onto front spare needle. [18 stitches on spare needle for Front Keyhole; 17 stitches on working needle for Back Keyhole]

NOTE: If your spare needle is a double pointed needle (rather than circular needles), you may want to slip the Front Keyhole stitches from the spare needle onto scrap yarn. Having those stitches on something flexible will make it easier to work the Back Keyhole stitches.

BACK KEYHOLE

NOTE: In Back Keyhole section only, you will work in reverse stockinette stitch, purling with a slip-stitch selvage on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows.

With right side of work still facing you, slide Back Keyhole stitches to right end of working needles to continue with working yarn.

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, purl to last stitch, slip 1.

Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 twelve more times, ending with Row 2.

Slip stitches to scrap yarn, and cut yarn.

FRONT KEYHOLE

NOTE: You will now return to working in stockinette stitch as previously established, knitting on right-side rows and purling with a slip-stitch selvage on wrong-side rows.

Slip Front Keyhole stitches to main circular needles and rejoin yarn, ready to work a right-side (i.e. knit) row.

Work 26 rows in stockinette stitch, as established, ending with a wrong-side row.

Do not cut yarn.

JOIN FRONT + BACK

Place Back Keyhole stitches onto spare needle.

With right side of work facing you, hold Front and Back Keyhole stitches parallel in your left hand, with working needle in front and spare needle in back and right end of working needles in your right hand.

Joining Row (right side): *K1 from Front Keyhole, k1 from Back Keyhole, repeat from * to last stitch, k1 from Front Keyhole. [35 total stitches]

BODY

Continue in stockinette stitch, as established, until piece measures 25½ (27½, 29½) inches from cast-on edge, ending with a wrong-side row.

SECOND TIP

Increase Row (right side): K1, m1R, knit to last stitch, m1L, k1. [2 stitches increased]

Work 3 rows in stockinette stitch, as established.

Repeat Increase Row. [39 total stitches]

Work 5 rows in stockinette stitch, as established.

Decrease Row (right side): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. [2 stitches decreased]

Work 1 row in stockinette stitch, as established.

Repeat last 2 rows 16 more times. [5 stitches remain]

Next Row (right side): Ssk, k1, k2tog. [3 stitches remain]

Work 1 row in stockinette stitch, as established.

Next Row (right side): Slip 2 together knitwise wyib, k1, pass slipped stitches over, cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.

FINISHING

Weave in ends and gently wet block.

Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho
Magnolia Ascot | Purl Soho

Learn About Simply Yak + All Our Beautiful Yarns

The beauty of Simply Yak is so sublime that the simpler the project, the more it can speak for itself. A 100% yak yarn available in two fascinating undyed colors, Simply Yak comes from the soft and insulating undercoat of free-roaming, majestic yaks, and as you can imagine, it is incredibly soft and toasty with a lovely halo glowing off its surface… Cast on with this light worsted/DK-weight yarn and discover the special pleasure of Simply Yak!

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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!