Simple Stripey Scarves-Beginner Friendly

I have two major projects on the backburner.

1. I have the major charity knitting project that I’m working on that I’m making all of the scarves for.

2. I have a major cleanout of my apartment ongoing where I’m trying to either use, repurpose,  or streamline- and like it or not, the bags of yarn I have stuffed into my spare room closet aren’t helping anything.

These scarves, much like the chaotic cables that I also do, change often enough that I don’t get bored in knitting them but are simple enough that I knit while sitting and making my blog rounds each morning.

Striped garter stitch scarves are a great stash-busting project. I use up a lot of bits and half balls working on these. I use mainly acrylic and wool blends because it’s what I have available to me for this charity project but there’s no reason that you couldn’t use a natural fiber.

Since these scarves only require casting on, binding off, and basic finishing skills they’re a good way for beginners to transition into basic colorwork.

Remember- stay within a 2 row or 4 row pattern or you’ll have to cut your colors each time.

Materials-

approx. 300 yards of worsted weight, smooth yarn- split between at least 2 colors. I use a mix of partial skeins to make up my yardage. Yardage is also pretty dependent on gauge and desired length.

size 7 or 8 needles

Gauge

Not important, but if you know that you knit tighter than average increase yardage slightly

Directions

Cast on 35 stitches.

With your first color (color A), work 2 rows garter stitch and drop your yarn.

With your second color (color B), work 1 row garter stitch. The row you just worked is now your front side; make sure that you have your front side facing for all color changes. Work one more row color B.

Alternate working 2 rows each of colors A and B.

When desired (I do it at the end of the day) start the next stripe pattern-

With whatever color you’re working next, work a 4 row stripe instead of 2. There is  no need to cut your yarn when you switch over. Continue to work 4 row stripes in colors A and B until you want to go back to a 2 row stripe pattern.

Alternate between 2 and 4 row stripes for desired length of scarf and bind off in garter stitch. Weave in all ends on the wrong side of the yarn.

I generally make a neutral color A and the contrast color B so that when I run out of the original colors, I know which is supposed to be A and B–the neutral will always be color A.

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