Classic Elite Yarns Sullivan Scarf Knitting Pattern

Sullivan Striped Lace Scarf by Classic Elite Yarns

Project Overview

Sullivan is a cozy and delightfully scrunchable scarf designed by Tonia Barry and originally published in Strips and Stripes 1512, a printed collection of designs by Classic Elite Yarns. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a finished scarf measuring approximately 9½ inches wide and 66½ inches long, making it an ideal accessory for layering and everyday wear.

What Is Being Made

Sullivan is a rectangular scarf knit flat from cast-on to bind-off. The scarf features a sophisticated color-blocking design that alternates between two complementary yarn colors—Sand and Charcoal—in strategic striping sequences throughout the piece. The finished dimensions of 9½ inches by 66½ inches provide a versatile length suitable for various styling options.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive aesthetic:

• Lace knitting: The Garter Eyelet pattern creates delicate openwork details through strategic yarn overs and decreases, adding visual interest and texture to the scarf
• Seamless construction: The scarf is worked flat in a single piece with no seaming required, simplifying the finishing process
• Striping: Color changes are worked throughout the pattern using two distinct yarn colors in repeating sequences, with the instruction to break yarn and rejoin rather than carrying unused colors
• Worked flat: The scarf is knit back and forth in rows rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward construction and easy pattern following

Stitches Used

The Sullivan scarf utilizes a specialized stitch pattern called Garter Eyelet Pattern, which is worked over a multiple of 9 stitches plus 4. This four-row repeat combines several fundamental knitting stitches:

• Knit stitches (K): Form the base structure and create the garter texture
• Knit through the back loop (K1-tbl): Adds a twisted stitch detail for visual texture
• Purl stitches (P): Used on wrong-side rows to maintain the garter pattern
• Purl through the back loop (P1-tbl): The wrong-side equivalent of the twisted knit stitch
• Yarn overs (yo): Create the eyelet openings that define the lace element
• Decreases (k2tog and ssk): Balance the yarn overs to maintain stitch count and create the lace pattern structure

The pattern begins and ends with 2 rows of garter stitch (knit every row) to create finished edges, and the scarf is bound off knitwise for a neat edge finish.

Materials

Sullivan is designed to be knit with MountainTop Chalet by Classic Elite Yarns, a luxurious blend of 70% baby alpaca and 30% bamboo. This fiber combination provides softness, breathability, and a subtle sheen. The yarn is available in 50-gram skeins with approximately 98 yards per skein.

The pattern calls for 5 hanks of color A (7436 Sand) and 3 hanks of color B (7477 Charcoal). Classic Elite Yarns notes that the scarf shown in the pattern used almost all of color B, and recommends purchasing an additional hank if you are unable to obtain exact gauge, as this may affect yardage requirements.

Knitting is worked on US size 10 (6 mm) needles or the size required to obtain the specified gauge. The recommended gauge is 17 stitches and 25 rows equals 4 inches in the Garter Eyelet Pattern when blocked. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished scarf meets the intended dimensions.

Construction Details

The Sullivan scarf is constructed by casting on 40 stitches and working a total of 416 rows. The pattern is organized in distinct color blocks, with the Garter Eyelet pattern repeated in four-row cycles. Extended sequences of the pattern in color A form the main body of the scarf, while shorter color B sequences create visual breaks and striping throughout. The pattern provides precise row counts at each stage to help knitters track progress. After the final two garter