"Bracken" Men's scarf - free knitting pattern and colour change tutorial
Updated: Jun 7
Knitting a Chunky Scarf
I had great plans last year to make lots of handmade Christmas presents. I didn't make many, but the few I did make were lovely and really well received, especially this stylish scarf that's super easy to make.
What you need to knit a scarf
All you need is approximately:
100g of chunky yarn (US bulky) in a solid colour
plus
100g of variegated chunky (bulky) yarn (so that's 200g in total).
You can use either 5.5mm (US 9) or 6mm (US 10) knitting needles. I used 5.5mm needles.
I only had 200g of yarn in my stash, but it was the perfect length and great for tucking into a coat.
Of course you could make it longer if you have more yarn.
How do I knit the scarf?
The houndstooth check appearance is made by knitting a broken rib pattern and working 2 rows in the variegated yarn followed by 2 rows in the solid colour.
These simple stitches make it great to work on whilst you're watching the TV or listening to the radio. Plus, the great thing about ribbed patterns is that the back looks just as good as the front. I found 4 x 50g balls of yarn in my stash: 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden Chunky (Col 04) - this is Yarn A 2 balls of Bergere de France Magic+ (Shade 20868 Bivouac) - this is Yarn B Noro Silk Garden chunky is a beautiful mix of silk (45)%, mohair (45%) and lambswool (10%). At the time of writing, I spotted a similar colour of the Noro Silk Garden chunky here. Bergere de France Magic+ is a mix of acrylic and wool and is still available to buy.
Instructions to knit a scarf
Cast on 33 sts in Yarn A using 5.5mm needles (or 6mm needles if you prefer). Row 1: Knit the first stitch, *Purl 2 stitches, Knit 2 stitches; then repeat from * all the way to the end of the row. Row 2: Purl the first stitch, *Knit 2 stitches, Purl 2 stitches; then repeat from * all the way to the end of the row. Next, join Yarn B as follows: first, place the tail end of Yarn B underneath Yarn A:
Tie Yarn B around Yarn A:
and push the knot the the top of Yarn A.
Next, using Yarn B, repeat Rows 1 and 2 once more. Drop Yarn B, pick up Yarn A and repeat Rows 1 and 2. Drop Yarn A, pick up Yarn B then repeat Rows 1 and 2. Continue in this way, working two rows in each colour until your yarn is used up (ending with 2 rows in Yarn A to match the cast on edge). Cast off in pattern, which means you follow the pattern for Row 1 as you cast off.
And there you have it - a cosy scarf that is perfect for a cold winter's day.
Whilst I made this for a man, you could make one for any member of the family, or for a friend, in their favourite colours.
If you've enjoyed this project, you can find a similar scarf and lots more relaxing projects in my knitting book called "Knit Yourself Calm". You see inside the pages by clicking here
I hope you've enjoyed my tutorial - I'd love to hear what you think and I'd love to see your scarves. Happy knitting, Lynne x