Malabrigo Brooke Scarf Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Brooke Scarf: Intarsia Knit Design

What Is Being Made

The Brooke Scarf is an intermediate-level knitted accessory designed by the Malabrigo Team. This long, elegant scarf measures 13 inches wide by 97 inches in length, making it a generous wrap-style piece suitable for layering and styling versatility. The scarf features a sophisticated color-blocking design created through intarsia patterning, showcasing five distinct colorways from the Rasta yarn line.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Brooke Scarf employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The scarf is worked from the cast-on edge upward, allowing knitters to try on and adjust length as needed before binding off.
• Seamless, Flat Knitting: Worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a clean, professional finish.
• Intarsia Colorwork: The pattern incorporates intarsia technique, a method where different colored yarns are used in separate sections of the fabric. When changing colors, yarns are twisted on the wrong side to prevent holes and gaps in the knitted fabric.
• Garter Stitch Edging: The scarf begins and ends with garter stitch borders (knitting every row), which create a textured, rolled edge and frame the main pattern beautifully.
• Stockinette Stitch Base: The primary fabric is worked in stockinette stitch, a smooth, classic knit texture that showcases the intarsia color pattern effectively.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Brooke Scarf uses fundamental knitting stitches combined into structured stitch patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The main fabric stitch, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, V-textured surface ideal for displaying colorwork.
• Garter Stitch: Created by knitting every row, this stitch appears on the first and last 2 stitches of each row throughout the piece, serving as selvage edges and bookending the scarf with textured borders.
• Basic Pattern: A 29-stitch repeat worked over 2 rows, consisting of knit stitches on the right side and a combination of knit and purl stitches on the wrong side to maintain the garter stitch edges while working stockinette in the center.
• Chart Pattern: A 15-row intarsia chart that introduces the primary color design element, worked in stockinette stitch with careful color changes to create the pattern motif.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Brooke Scarf pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended drape, gauge, and finished appearance:

• Yarn: Rasta by Malabrigo, a merino wool yarn available in 5.29-ounce (150-gram) hanks, each containing approximately 90 yards (82 meters). The pattern requires one hank each in five colorways: #696 Whole Grain (A), #689 Valentina (B), #704 Ivory (C), #063 Natural (D), and #429 Cape Cod Gray (E). The merino wool fiber provides softness, elasticity, and excellent stitch definition for displaying the intarsia pattern.
• Needles: One pair of US size 17 (12mm) straight needles, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. The larger needle size creates a relaxed fabric appropriate for a scarf while maintaining stitch definition.
• Gauge: 9 stitches and 10 rows measure 4 inches (10 centimeters) over stockinette stitch using size US 17 needles. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished scarf meets the intended measurements.

Construction Overview

The Brooke Scarf is constructed in distinct sections, each introducing a new color combination. The knitter begins by casting on 29 stitches and working 4 rows of garter stitch to create a textured foundation. The basic pattern is then worked for 36 rows, establishing the rhythm of the piece. The 15-row intarsia chart is introduced next, followed by 35 rows of basic pattern in a new color. This sequence of chart pattern followed by solid-