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Powder Puff Scarf
Super sweet, toasty warm, and incredibly soft, our Powder Puff Scarf uses a great big snowball of a pom pom as a playful button. Knit with our Super Soft Merino and Paintbrush Mohair yarns, it’s perfect for a last-minute gift knit… Just one snowy afternoon is enough time to make it!
This little scarf is all garter stitch, made by knitting our bulky-weight Super Soft Merino and Paintbrush Mohair yarns together on big needles for super speedy stitches! Simple short rows shape the curved ends and the easiest buttonhole ever makes room for that giant, joyful pom pom button.
The warm, squishy heart of this project, Super Soft Merino always lives up to its name, a dreamy single ply of sumptuous merino wool with a smooth, lustrous surface. Paintbrush Mohair floats along, adding a radiant glow and downy halo to the fabric, not to mention cozy mohair warmth and softness.
You’ll need one skein of each yarn to knit either the Kid or Adult size (plus another skein of Super Soft Merino in a different color for the pom pom). With so many colors of both yarns to choose from, picking feels like dipping your paintbrush into an endless palette. Choose a strong contrast for a dappled marl, or go for a closer match for a soft, subtle shimmer… Every combination has its own painterly charm!
The colorful fun isn’t over yet… Choose a second color of Super Soft Merino for that big, fluffy pom pom! Our Pom Pom Maker Sets make it easy to whip up perfect pom poms in any size or yarn—just follow along with our Pom Pom Tutorial. For the Kid size Powder Puff Scarf, use the Large maker from the Small + Large Set; for the Adult size, use the Extra Large maker from the Extra Large + Jumbo Set.
Pick up two skeins of Super Soft Merino and one ball of Paintbrush Mohair… With a free afternoon and a flurry of stitches, you’ll have the sweetest little gift knit, topped with a powdery soft snowball!
Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!
Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- Yarn A: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this bulky weight yarn is 87 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 70 (80) total yards required.
- Yarn B: 1 ball of Purl Soho’s Paintbrush Mohair, 75% kid mohair and 25% Peruvian Pima cotton. Each ball of this worsted/aran-to-chunky/bulky yarn is 120 yards /50 gram; approximately 65 (90) total yards required.
- Pom Pom Yarn: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino; approximately 60 (70) yards required
- US 13 (9 mm), 24-inch circular knitting needles
- Purl Soho’s Pom Pom Maker Set, Small + Large size for Kid or Extra Large + Jumbo size for Adult
- A removable stitch marker
NOTE: We used almost the entire skein of Yarn A for our Adult sample. If you plan to make your Scarf longer than ours, you may need an additional skein!
We knit our samples in these colors and sizes…
- KID: Yarn A: Super Soft Merino in Ballet Pink; Yarn B: Paintbrush Mohair in Sky Blue; Pom Pom Yarn: Super Soft Merino in Peachy Pink
- ADULT: Yarn A: Super Soft Merino in Sapphire Blue; Yarn B: Paintbrush Mohair in Wild Boysenberry; Pom Pom Yarn: Super Soft Merino in Oatmeal Gray
- ADULT: Yarn A: Super Soft Merino in Heirloom White; Yarn B: Paintbrush Mohair in Mouse Ear; Pom Pom Yarn: Super Soft Merino in Berry Blue
GAUGE
11 stitches and 22 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch with Yarn A and Yarn B held together
SIZES
Kid (Adult)
- Finished Dimensions: 4¾ inches wide x 21 inches long (6¼ x 24 inches long), with instructions to modify
- Finished Circumference, Buttoned: 18 (20) inches
NOTES
ADJUSTING LENGTH
Want to adjust the length of your scarf? As you knit the Body, try your scarf on to check the fit and begin the Make Buttonhole section when your live stitches comfortably reach the removable stitch marker, which indicates where you’ll place the pom pom button. Just make sure you have enough yarn left to work the rest of the pattern — you’ll need about 10-15 yards each of Yarn A and Yarn B to work the final section!
SLIP STITCHES
Slip stitches knitwise with yarn in back, unless otherwise instructed.
SHORT ROW SHAPING: WRP-T (WRAP + TURN)
On both right and wrong sides: Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Turn work so other side is facing you.
See this technique in action in our Short Row Tutorial at 0:30 seconds, except do not bring the yarn to the back before you turn. Also, because you’ll be working in garter stitch, there’s no need to pick up the wraps when you get to them. Just knit the wrapped stitches as usual!
PATTERN
BEGIN AT POM POM END
With one strand of Yarn A and one strand of Yarn B held together, cast on 13 (17) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), knit to end of row.
Short Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, knit to last 2 stitches, wrp-t (see Notes).
Short Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to last 2 stitches, wrp-t.
Short Row 3: Knit to 1 stitch before wrapped stitch, wrp-t.
Repeat Short Row 3 seven (11) more times, until one unwrapped stitch remains between wrapped stitches, ending with a wrong-side row.
Partial Row (right side): K1, place removable stitch marker on previous stitch to indicate Pom Pom placement, knit to end of row.
BODY
Starting with a wrong-side row…
Row 1: Slip 1, knit to end of row.
Repeat Row 1 until piece measures approximately 17 (21) inches from center of cast-on edge, or to desired length (see Notes), ending with a wrong-side row.
MAKE BUTTONHOLE
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, k3 (5), bind off next 5 stitches, knit to end of row. [8 (12) stitches remain]
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, k3 (5), cable cast on 5 stitches, knit to end of row. [13 (17) stitches]
Work 2 rows in garter stitch, as established.
COMPLETE BUTTONHOLE END
Short Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, k6 (8), wrp-t.
Short Row 2 (wrong side): K1, wpt-t.
Short Row 3: Knit to wrapped stitch, knit wrapped stitch, wrp-t.
Repeat Short Row 3 seven (11) more times, until one unwrapped stitch remains at each end.
Partial Row (right side): Knit to end of row.
Next Row: Slip 1, knit to end of row.
With right side facing you, bind off knitwise.
FINISHING
WEAVE + BLOCK
Weave in all ends and gently steam block.
POM POM
With Pom Pom Yarn, make a 2 (3)-inch pom pom. If you’re using Purl Soho’s Pom Pom Maker Set, use the Large (Extra Large) Pom Pom Maker with the 2 (3)-inch Trim Guide and follow along with our Pom Pom Tutorial.
With right side of scarf facing you and using pom pom’s tails, securely sew pom pom to spot marked with a removable marker. Make sure pompom is firmly attached, weaving in tails on wrong side.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Super Soft Merino, Paintbrush Mohair + All Our Beautiful Yarns
To knit your Powder Puff Scarf, you’ll need a skein each of Super Soft Merino and Paintbrush Mohair, plus another color of Super Soft Merino for your bouncy pom pom button! Together these two yarns make an incredibly soft, luminous, and complex fabric with a glorious halo. Both chunky-weight yarns, single-ply Super Soft Merino is a 100% merino wool yarn, while Paintbrush Mohair combines 75% kid mohair and 25% Peruvian Pima cotton for a glistening strand as light as whisper. Both yarns come in a huge rainbow of colors, a delight to mix and match. Cast on for this free knitting pattern and experience the natural beauty of these two gorgeous yarns together!
More Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collections of (mostly free!) Super Soft Merino knitting patterns and Paintbrush Mohair knitting patterns and cast on!
More Chunky/Bulky-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of chunky/bulky-weight yarns
- If you want to use different yarns, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial and our Yarn Substitution article for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool yarn
- Shop mohair yarn
- Shop cotton yarn (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of 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!
Do u getthe pattern free
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out! We’re glad the Powder Puff Scarf piqued your interest!
This is a free pattern, and the whole thing is available above! You can save the pattern by clicking the word “PRINT” in pink letters on the right side of your screen.
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions!
Warmly,
Andrea
So classy, so beautiful, so Purl Soho
So cute!
I love the look of the mohair but am allergic to mohair and angora yarn. Can you suggest an alternate?
Hi Rani,
Thank you for your question! I’m so sorry to hear you’re allergic to mohair and angora — that can definitely make choosing a halo yarn a bit challenging. A wonderful alternative is alpaca, fiber which is usually much gentler for those with sensitivities. Of the yarns we carry, Goldenberry Alpaca is the closest and best substitute for achieving a similar look and feel. I hope this information is helpful!
Warmly,
Megan
I am confused about how the transition between Pom Pom End and Body. I keep getting a gap between the two. My Pom Pom end ends at the tip of a wedge and then when I knit the partial row there is a gap between that row and the side of the wedge and then when I knit the first row of the body there is an even larger gap between the first row and the other side of the wedge.
Hi Jessie,
Thank you for your question! From what you’re describing, it sounds like the gap is happening where the wrap and turns aren’t being picked up or worked quite the way the pattern intends. If a wrap isn’t lifted correctly—or if the stitch isn’t snugged up when you work it—it can create the little spaces you’re seeing between the Pom Pom End and the Body.
This is definitely something we can help you sort out! If you’re able to send a photo to [email protected], we can take a closer look at your fabric and pinpoint exactly where the gap is coming from. Once you see how the wraps get incorporated, that transition becomes much cleaner.
Warmly,
Megan
Hi,
What if I want to knit this in stockinette rather that garter?
Would that be a big problem when I come to the short rows?
Hi Lydia!
Thank you for your question! Knitting this in stockinette instead of garter isn’t a problem at all. When you reach the short rows, you’ll just wrap the stitch according to whether you’re on the knit side or the purl side. If you’d like a refresher, our Short Rows: Wrap + Turn tutorial is a great resource.
Happy knitting,
Megan
Very nice and cute neck warmer.
Thank you Aneela!
Megan
This scarf is so cute and helpful and very warm with out all the extra long length of a regular scarf for kids and it’s so cute.
Hi Debra!
We’re so happy you like the pattern!
Megan
Just made this today – so adorable! question – should I sew a button to the back of the pom pom? Seems logical but I don’t see it in the instructions. Thank you!
Hi Susan!
Thank you for your question! In this pattern, the pom pom is the button, so you don’t need an additional one. But if you’d prefer a smaller buttonhole or want a bit of extra security, you can absolutely sew a button to the back of the pom pom – it works just as well!
Warmly,
Megan