Malabrigo Sunset Park Scarf Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Sunset Park Scarf

What is Being Made

The Sunset Park is a wide cabled scarf designed by Lars Rains, featured in Malabrigo Book 7: Rasta in Brooklyn. This knitted accessory measures 11½ inches wide by 45 inches long, making it a substantial wrap-style scarf suitable for layering and everyday wear. The design showcases prominent cable work as the focal point, framed by garter stitch borders on either side.

Techniques Used

This scarf is worked flat on straight needles from cast-on to bind-off, making it an accessible project for knitters comfortable with basic shaping and stitch manipulation. The primary technique featured is cable knitting, which creates the textured, three-dimensional twisted columns that define the scarf's visual interest. Cable work requires the use of a cable needle to temporarily hold stitches while crossing them over or under adjacent stitches, creating the characteristic braided effect. The pattern uses both right-leaning and left-leaning cable crosses to add visual complexity and movement to the design.

Stitches Used

The Sunset Park pattern employs a limited but effective stitch vocabulary. Garter stitch—created by knitting every row—forms the 6-stitch borders on either side of the cable panel, providing a stable, textured frame that prevents curling and adds structural integrity. The cable panel itself uses two primary cable stitches:

• 8-stitch right cable (8-stRC): Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to back, knit 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle. This creates a cable that twists to the right.
• 8-stitch left cable (8-stLC): Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, knit 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle. This creates a cable that twists to the left.

The pattern alternates between cable rows and plain knit rows, allowing the cables to develop their characteristic raised appearance while maintaining an even fabric. Stitches markers are used to separate the border sections from the cable panel, helping knitters maintain pattern accuracy across the 36-cast-on stitches.

Materials

The Sunset Park scarf is designed to be worked in Rasta by Malabrigo, a yarn produced by Malabrigo Yarn of Montevideo, Uruguay. The pattern calls for 3 hanks in colorway #865 Baya Electrica, with each hank weighing 5.25 ounces (150 grams) and providing approximately 90 yards (83 meters) of yardage, for a total of approximately 270 yards of yarn. Knitters will need one pair of size 15 (10mm) needles to achieve the specified gauge, along with a cable needle for executing the cable crosses. The pattern recommends checking gauge at 10 stitches and 13 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when worked in garter stitch using size 15 needles. Stitch markers are also required as notions to help organize the pattern sections.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as Intermediate, reflecting the cable work required. While garter stitch and basic knitting techniques form the foundation, the cable crosses demand familiarity with cable needle manipulation and the ability to read a multi-row repeat pattern. The 12-row repeat is worked eleven times, plus a partial repeat, providing ample practice for developing consistent cable tension and rhythm.