Rowan Lattice Scarf Knitting Pattern

Rowan Lattice Scarf by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Rowan Lattice Scarf is an intermediate-level knitted accessory designed to be worn as a finished scarf measuring 21.5 cm (8½ inches) wide and approximately 208 cm (82 inches) long. This is a circular knit project worked in the round using a two-color fairisle pattern combined with a two-color ribbed edging, creating a sophisticated lattice design across the length of the scarf.

Techniques Used

This project employs several key knitting techniques suitable for intermediate crafters:

• Circular knitting in the round: The scarf is worked continuously in rounds using either double-pointed needles or a short circular needle, eliminating the need for seaming
• Fairisle colorwork: A stranded colorwork technique where two colors are carried across the wrong side of the work within each round, creating the lattice pattern
• Two-color ribbing: The top and bottom edges feature alternating knit and purl stitches in two colors, creating an elastic, textured border
• Stitch marker placement: Used to denote the beginning and end of rounds for accurate pattern tracking

Stitches Used

The Rowan Lattice Scarf uses fundamental knitting stitches combined in strategic ways:

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch for the fairisle pattern sections, worked in stockinette stitch
• Purl stitch (P): Used in the two-color ribbed sections at the beginning and end of the scarf
• Stockinette stitch (st st): The base fabric for the fairisle pattern sections, created by knitting every round

Materials and Specifications

The scarf requires specific yarn and needle sizes to achieve proper tension and finished dimensions:

Yarn: Rowan Alpaca Soft DK yarn in two colors totaling 550 grams. Color A (Rainy Day, shade 210) requires 6 skeins of 50 grams each, while Color B (Hunter Green, shade 214) requires 5 skeins of 50 grams each. The DK weight provides a lightweight, soft fabric suitable for a scarf.

Needles: The project uses two needle sizes. For the ribbed sections, 3¼mm (US 3) needles are used, available as either a set of 4 double-pointed needles or a 3¼mm circular needle no longer than 40 cm (16 inches). For the main fairisle pattern sections, 4mm (US 6) needles are used in the same configuration options. The needle size change allows for proper gauge control between the elastic ribbed edges and the patterned body.

Tension: Achieving correct tension is essential for this project. The two-color rib should measure 28 stitches and 25 rows over 10 cm using 3¼mm needles, while the fairisle pattern should measure 25 stitches and 26 rows over 10 cm using 4mm needles. The scarf features an 18-stitch pattern repeat worked 6 times across each round for a total of 108 cast-on stitches.

Pattern Structure

The scarf construction follows a three-part structure: a 10-round two-color ribbed cuff worked on 3¼mm needles, the main body consisting of fairisle pattern sections worked on 4mm needles from two charts (Chart A with 98 rounds, followed by a repeated 18-round section from the chart worked 19 additional times for length), and a final 10-round two-color ribbed cuff before casting off. This design creates a polished, finished appearance at both ends of the scarf while showcasing the lattice colorwork as the focal point.