Simplicity Scarf
With its effortless grace, our Simplicity Scarf is the perfect introduction to our newest yarn! Ninety-five percent recycled cashmere, our new Echo Cashmere combines a timeless elegance with an inspiring story of renewal and the beauty of second chances.
This gorgeous swath of stockinette makes use of the natural curl in the fabric to show off the beauty of both the knit and purl sides, creating a scarf that frames your face with edges that curve and flow into one another as you wrap it… Stunning!
Soft and elegant, cashmere’s characteristic drape lends a supple fluidity to the fabric, and its amazing lightness means the scarf won’t weigh you down.
Located in Italy, the mill that makes Echo Cashmere collects fiber from the production process of both cashmere sweaters and cashmere yarn and combines it with cashmere from recycled sweaters. They sort by color and then begin the work of turning it back into cashmere yarn. They spin the fibers into three delicate plies and twist them together into this fingering weight yarn… A beautiful new beginning for exquisite fiber that deserves a second life!
Very soft (it’s cashmere, after all!), the final yarn also gains strength and body from the 5% other fibers in the yarn. These other fibers are mostly wool, and sometimes a little nylon, depending on the sweaters whose fibers were recycled. This tad bit of non-cashmere inevitably gets mixed into the process, but it’s nice to know that nothing is going to waste!
The collection includes a palette of twelve colors, gently heathered hues with an earthy beauty. From the understated elegance of Flour Sack to the striking impact of Orange Pekoe (below, right then left), each color has an alluring depth that reflects the history of these recycled fibers.
With the small and large sizes needing only one or two balls of Echo Cashmere, this lovely scarf is an affordable way to cast on with cashmere and enjoy the wonderful experience of knitting with one of the world’s softest fibers!
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, #PurlSohoSimplicityScarf, and #PurlSohoEchoCashmere. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 1 (2) ball(s) of Purl Soho’s Echo Cashmere, 95% recycled cashmere and 5% other fibers. Each ball is 236 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 230 (405) total yards required. We used the colors Orange Pekoe and Flour Sack.
- US 3 (3.25 mm), 40-inch or longer circular needles
GAUGE
25 stitches and 39 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
Small (Large)
Finished Dimensions: 4½ x 45 (6 x 60) inches
Samples: The Orange Pekoe scarf is the Small size, and the Flour Sack scarf is the Large size.
PATTERN
NOTE: You will knit this scarf lengthwise, casting on for the long edge.
Cast on 280 (375) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): K1, purl to last stitch, k1.
Row 1 (right side): K1, slip slip knit, knit to last 2 stitches, make 1 left, k2.
Row 2 (wrong side): K1, purl to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 4½ (6) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
With right side facing you, bind off knitwise.
FINISHING
Weave in the ends and gently wet block.
Is this gorgeous yarn appropriate for crochet as well? I have tried many times in my life to learn to knit and I just can’t!
Hi MaryFran,
Thank you for writing in! Yes! This yarn is amazing to crochet with as well! I know how difficult it can be to learn a different fiber skill but I’d also like to highly suggest our Learn to Knit Kits! The kits include our Super Soft Merino which is a bulky yarn so it makes it even easier to learn the motions of your stitches and see exactly how they work up. Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Happy making,
Gavriella
The continental method of knitting is often the easiest to learn if you already crochet as the working yarn is similarly held in your left hand. You might be surprised at how much easier that method is for you.
Just beautiful. I’m looking forward to making it
What do you mean make 1 left on the end row?
Hi Ann,
Thank you for writing in! To “make 1 right” (m1R), use the left needle to pick up the strand between the last stitch you knit and the one you’re about to knit, bringing the needle from back to front. Leave the strand on the left needle. You can also check out our short tutorial on how to knit this increase here!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Can I make it wider?
Hi Ann,
Yes, you can make this scarf wider by knitting more rows until it reaches your desired width! Depending on how wide you want to go, you may need to order an additional skein of yarn.
All the best,
Lili
Im disappointed because it rolls
Doesn’t fall nicely like yours,?
Hi Ann,
I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing so much curling in your scarf! Blocking once more using a different method may help minimize that. In particular, steam blocking might do the trick! If you’re still experiencing significant curling though, then I’d recommend adding more of a border to the wrap! You can pick up the stitches all the way around and use a symmetrical stitch (like garter stitch, ribbing, seed stitch, etc.). This will help prevent the edges from curling at all!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thanks
I’d love to know how to tie this scarf just how it is on the model. Would you be able to explain? Thank you. I can’t figure out how to make it look as nicely done as hers….
Hi Jeannie,
Thanks for your question! The Orange Pekoe color scarf is wrapped once around the model’s neck with a single tie and the Flour Sack color scarf is wrapped twice with a single tie. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I was wondering how many yards are used for each of the sizes?
Will there be any yarn leftover in either size?
Thanks.
Hi Carla,
Thanks for reaching out! The smaller scarf uses 230 yards of Echo Cashmere and the larger scarf uses 405 yards. If you knit the smaller size, you’ll have about 6 yards of yarn left and if you knit the larger size, you’ll have 67 yards leftover. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
I have not knitted since I was a youngster and my Aunt taught me to make blankets for Biafrian babies. This seems so similar and brought back those beautiful memories. Is this suitable for a beginner again (with arthritis this time)? I would love to make these to donate to the local woman’s shelter.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for writing in! We are happy to hear that this pattern sparked some beautiful memories for you. We do believe this pattern would work wonderfully for a beginner as you jump back into knitting! Should you encounter any issues, our team is always just a comment or email away. You can also contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com should any questions arise!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
If I wanted to use sport weight yarn for this, how many should I cast on? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
That’s a great question! To determine your new cast-on number of stitches, first knit a gauge swatch with your sport weight yarn. Then, find how many stitches per inch you’re knitting and multiply that by 45 for the smaller size scarf or by 60 for the larger size scarf. That will be your new cast-on number! Then, after casting on your stitches, you can follow the pattern as written. Happy knitting!
All the best,
Cat
Is this a good pattern for someone who has some knitting skills?
Thanks
Hi Thea,
Thank you for writing in! Yes, this pattern is great for knitters of all skill levels!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
FYI
I’m having great difficulty printing your patterns that include yarn choices and other extra information. Is there any way of getting just the directions? That is not to say I love your yarns and patterns.
Hi Elaine,
Thank you for writing in! We understand how it could be helpful to print just the information you need and I am happy to share with you how you can do this!
If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
You can follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop-down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%. You can also hover your mouse over any portions of the pattern you wish to delete, and click the trash can icon that appears. Then, you can click “Print” or “PDF” along the top left of the pattern preview box to print or save the pattern!
I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
What weight is the Echo Cashmere? Is it considered fingering?
Hi Linda,
That’s a great question! Our new Echo Cashmere is indeed a fingering weight yarn making it great for not only this project but many other fingering weight projects as well. Please let us know if you need any other assistance and we would be happy to help!
Happy making,
Gavriella
Beautiful scarf. I just do not like doing k1p1.
I am thrower.
Hi Phyillis,
Thank you for writing in! We totally understand where you are coming from but would just like to clarify that this pattern’s main body stitches are mostly made of stockinette stitches (All knits on the right side, and all purls on the wrong side). You will only work alternating stitches along the edges of the scarf to give your project a nice clean finish. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
What if I want to use straight needles and knit the garter stitch. About how many stitches would I cast on for a 6-inch wide scarf on size 4 needles? Thank you!
Hi Amy,
Thank you for writing in! To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern (if you need help with this step please visit our tutorial: All About Gauge). Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like to get your cast on number. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any more questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
How would this pattern work with Nigh DK yarn?
Hi Anne,
Thank you for writing in! Although Nigh Dk is quite lovely, it is just a tad too thick for this project with the same gauge which would lead to a denser fabric. One thing you could try is using a larger needle with Nigh DK which will result in a larger version of this project that we think would still be absolutely wonderful! Please let us know if you have any other questions and we would be happy to help!
Happy making,
Gavriella
Is there a reliable trick for using long tail cast on with so many stitches required for this project? I always seem to be over or under. I have utilized the needle wrap method but not very successfully. I plan on making the small version and don’t want to run out of yarn if I overcompensate.
Hi Maureen,
Thank you for writing in! We recommend starting with a tail 3x the length of your project plus a 10% buffer of that length. In this case that would be 148.5″ for the smaller size and 198″ for the larger size. I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
When I learned to knit many years ago, I could only master casting on stitches by knitting them on. Does it make any difference using that method rather than the long tail method?
Hi Mary,
You’re absolutely welcome to cast on for this scarf in your preferred method! We like the long tail method best, but it won’t make a difference if you do a knit cast-on.
All the best,
Lili
Would this pattern do well with Linen Quill yarn? Love the way it drapes with echo, but happen to have linen quill. Thanks!
Hi Melissa,
This would be a wonderful project to knit up in Linen Quill! That yarn will actually have even more drape than Echo Cashmere does because of its linen and alpaca content.
All the best,
Lili
Hello,
Would the Santolina fingering weight yarn work for this scarf? Thank you!
Hi Deborah,
Thank you for writing in! Santolina would work great with this pattern! We always recommend knitting a gauge swatch just to be sure you are able to match the same gauge as the pattern. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hello,
Thanks to those of you who mentioned the rolling and that blocking did not completely solve the problem. I still love the scarf.
What kind of hem would you recommend? I tried the picot hem, and I’m not convinced of the look. Would a simple folded hem work? As a knitter, what kind of hem would you use? Thank you so much! (Also, I’m making it using linen quill).
Hi Tatiana,
Thank you for writing in! Some 1 x 1 ribbing or a nice eyelet edge could be a wonderful detail! I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you, Gavriella. I’ll try that.
In an earlier question, someone asked about the Make 1
Left (M1L) in Row 1 of the pattern. You explained how to do a Make 1 Right (M1R) which slants in a different direction. Which one should it be? If it’s M1R, shouldn’t the pattern be changed to reflect that? I appreciate all the questions & answers. I’ve just cast on for this project & otherwise wouldn’t have known about the edges curling. I’ve decided to try the 1×1 rib edge. Can’t wait to get started!
Hi Mary,
Thank you for catching that! We would recommend knitting the instructions as they are written in the pattern!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella