Rowan Contrast Zig Zag Scarf Knitting Pattern

Rowan Contrast Zig Zag Scarf by Kaffe Fassett

Project Overview

The Rowan Contrast Zig Zag Scarf is a knitted accessory designed by renowned colorwork artist Kaffe Fassett. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a finished scarf measuring 21 cm (8¼ inches) wide and 224 cm (88¼ inches) long, making it a substantial and versatile neck accessory suitable for various seasons and styling occasions.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a long, rectangular scarf worked in the round using a circular needle. The scarf features a distinctive zig zag pattern created through stranded colorwork, with the design repeating throughout the length of the piece. The finished dimensions make this an elegant, statement-making accessory that drapes beautifully.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Rowan Contrast Zig Zag Scarf employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques:

• Stranded Colorwork (Fairisle Technique): The primary technique used throughout the scarf, where two colors are carried across each round to create the zig zag pattern. This method requires careful tension management to keep floats even and prevent puckering.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The scarf is worked from the cast-on edge upward to the final cast-off edge, allowing the knitter to try on the piece and adjust length as needed.
• Worked Flat in the Round: Despite being worked on a circular needle, the scarf is constructed in continuous rounds rather than back-and-forth rows, creating a seamless tube that is later folded and seamed.
• Stripes: The pattern incorporates color blocking, with distinct 60-round sections using different yarn color combinations to create bold horizontal stripes across the width of the scarf.
• Seaming: The finished scarf requires seaming the cast-on and cast-off ends closed after folding, creating a polished edge finish.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The scarf is worked primarily in stockinette stitch (knit every round when working in the round). The pattern incorporates a 20-stitch repeat pattern that repeats 5 times around each round, creating the zig zag motif. The pattern itself uses a 12-row repeat that continues throughout each color section. The scarf begins and ends with a small ribbed section created by alternating knit and purl rounds, which adds subtle texture and helps define the edges before seaming.

Color Combinations and Yarn Details

The Rowan Contrast Zig Zag Scarf uses Rowan Felted Tweed yarn, a wool-rich blend known for its soft handle and subtle texture. The pattern features ten distinct colorways:

• Yarn A: Bilberry 151 (2 x 50gm)
• Yarn B: Fjord 218 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn C: Sulfur 220 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn D: Ultramarine 214 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn E: Black 211 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn F: Peach 212 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn G: Candy Floss 221 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn H: Watery 152 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn I: Scarlet 222 (1 x 50gm)
• Yarn J: Lime 213 (1 x 50gm)

The color combinations are strategically paired throughout the pattern, with each 60-round section using two contrasting colors to maximize the visual impact of the zig zag design. The pattern repeats these color pairings twice for a total of 300 rounds of colorwork.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for a 4mm (US 6) circular needle no more than 40 cm long, or alternatively a set of double-pointed needles of the same size. The circular needle length is specifically chosen to accommodate the 100 cast-on stitches while working in the round without excessive needle length that could cause discomfort.

Tension and Sizing