Need a scarf for everyone on your list? Check out these cute, FREE scarf knitting patterns!
One of the easiest items for learning how to knit is a scarf. Dishcloths, too, but it’s November and I want to talk scarves. They’re flat, straight pieces. Or if you want to join in the round for a cowl, it’s really simple (and a great way to learn how to knit in the round). And they’re long enough to give you plenty of practice with whatever new stitches they require.
Cute Scarf Knitting Patterns You Won’t Believe Are Free
1. Reversible Cabled Brioche Stitch Scarf by Fire Flower Knits
The nice thing about scarves that are cabled from end to end is that they’re reversible, thick, warm, and really soft. I’ve done this with a similar pattern (but it wasn’t free, which is why it’s not on the list). It takes a while to knit, but it’s so worth it.
The yarn used for this pattern no longer exists, but the same company does make Andean Treasure, which is from the same line and would be a beautiful choice.
2. Golden Windowpane Scarf by Hannah Mason
I have a scarf just like this that I bought from Old Navy years ago and it’s my favorite. Hand-knitted? Even better! Love the color, too.
A great choice of yarn for this would be Alpaca Cloud Fingering.
3. Cozy Ribbed Scarf by Dawn Regan
“Cozy” is about right, look at this thing. And I love doing rib stitches because they’re quick and easy, but look fantastic.
I had some trouble finding the yarn mentioned, but some great substitutes would be Lion Brand Wool Ease or Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky.
4. Super Soft Merino Fluted Cowl by Purl Soho
Very similar to the ribbed cowl above, but a little fancier.
Purl Soho also offers their own line of yarn (this one uses Super Soft Merino), but I have yet to use it. A yarn I have used that I think would be excellent is Wonderfluff.
5. Moon Streams by Drops Design
If you want something super chunky and squishy, then cables are for you. I love how snuggly this pattern looks!
The recommended yarn is Drops Wish, which looks so nice to use. Since I have not had a chance to use it, the substitutes I would recommend are Lion Brand Wool Ease or Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky.
6. Meringue Hand-Knitted Cowl by My Little City Girl
Another very stylish cowl, I really like that band on the one side.
The yarn used is Debbie Bliss Andes, which appears to have been discontinued. A great substitution is Capra DK.
7. Silver Symphony Scarf by Olive Mermaids
This has been on my Pinterest board for a while, I love the ombre! This looks like a great intro to lace work.
They didn’t recommend a specific yarn, just that it needs to be light (fingering) weight. My favorite yarns in this weight are Palette, Chroma Fingering, and Hawthorne Speckle.
8. Henry Knit Scarf by Knitty
Something very simple, but it looks thick and warm. This would be great for someone who likes simple, classic looks.
The recommended yarn is Jaeger Matchmaker Merino, which has been discontinued. Some great substitutions would be Stroll Tweed or Elixir.
9. One-Night Seed Stitch Cowl by Diana Levine
I have made this a few times and it’s one of my favorite scarf/cowl patterns. It’s so simple, it only uses one skein, and it takes about 3 hours to knit. I adore the feel of the seed stitch!
For this, I use either Lion Brand Wool Ease or Wonderfluff.
10. Toasty Twisty
If you love the look of cables, but hate actually making them, this is perfect for you. No cables at all, but look at it!
There is no recommended yarn for this, just worsted weight. My favorite worsted yarns are Simply Alpaca and City Tweed.
11. Elegant Seed Stitch Scarf Knitting Pattern by Posh Patterns
As I said above, I adore seed stitch. Like the first cabled scarf at the beginning of this post, seed stitch is completely reversible. But it’s way simpler and faster to knit. Love the fringe, too.
The recommended yarn is Knit Picks Biggo.
12. Herringbone Infinity Scarf
I’ve never tried herringbone before. Need to, though, because look at how pretty this is.
The recommended yarn is Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton Yarn.
13. Noro Striped Scarf by Brooklyn Tweed
This photo actually comes from Knit Picks Instagram, but I decided to use it instead of the one from the actual pattern because the colors (which are Weathervane and Wildflower in Chroma Fingering) blew me away.
I immediately ordered that yarn in Groovy and Pegasus to make one for my tie-dyed obsessed sister-in-law.
14. Dragon Scale Scarf by Colette Fauler
The original dragon scale pattern I linked to is no longer available, so I found this gem. I love the detail of the scales and the color chosen.
The suggested yarn is Dornröschen-Wolle Merinowolle, but I think that is only available in Germany. A great substitute would be Hawthorne Fingering Kettle-dye.
15. Olivia’s Scarf by Fraulein Karla
The lacy look is really cute, though I can’t think of anyone I’d make this for. It’s a pattern that would be fun to experiment with once I think of someone.
The only problem with this pattern is that it is not well-written. Digging through the comments shows that the cast-on should be a multiple of 6+1 (so 31 or 37 are good numbers), there is a border on each side (k, p, k), 4 rows of stockinette at the beginning and end, and the ends are done in a lace border, knit separately and attached later. The eyelet comes from Barbra Walker’s “A Treasure of Knitting Patterns,” page 173.
The yarn used is simply listed as “Angora.” I believe it’s either lace weight or fingering weight, so the yarns I would try are Aloft Super Kid Mohair, Alpaca Cloud Lace, or Palette.
I’m itching to recreate this and write down a real pattern. But I think my husband would kill me if I started another WIP right now!
Do you have any tried and true scarf knitting patterns?
