Rowan Skomer Wrap Knitting Pattern

Rowan Skomer Knitted Scarf by Martin Storey

What Is Being Made

The Rowan Skomer is a generously sized knitted scarf crafted from Brushed Fleece yarn. This finished piece measures 85.5 cm (34 inches) wide and 200 cm (79 inches) long, making it a substantial wrap-style accessory suitable for layering and warmth. The scarf is worked in a seamless, flat construction from bottom to top, creating a cohesive fabric without seaming.

Techniques Used

This design employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques that create visual interest and texture throughout the piece:

• Cable work: Multiple cable stitches form the primary decorative element, including both knit-based cables (C6B, C6F) and mixed cables that combine knit and purl stitches (C4R, C4L, C5R, C5L, C6R, C6L). These cables are crossed using a cable needle to create the characteristic twisted rope effect.
• Increases: Specialized increase techniques including a custom increase abbreviated as c.d.i, which creates a three-stitch group from a single stitch, and purl increases that use yarn-over methods to add stitches within purl sections.
• Decreases: Complex decrease techniques such as Dec 7, which involves slipping multiple stitches and passing stitches over one another to reduce stitch count while maintaining pattern integrity.
• Chart-based patterning: The scarf follows a 24-row repeating pattern worked from a provided chart, allowing for consistent cable placement and stitch manipulation throughout the length.

Stitches Used

The Skomer pattern incorporates a range of fundamental and specialized stitches:

• Knit and purl stitches form the base fabric
• Cable stitches in multiple configurations (C4R, C4L, C5R, C5L, C6R, C6L, C6B, C6F) create the dimensional twisted effects
• Yarn-over stitches for decorative increases
• Through-the-back-loop (tbl) knitting for textural variation
• Slip stitches used in combination with pass-over techniques for structured decreases

Materials and Yarn Information

The Skomer is designed to be worked in Rowan Brushed Fleece yarn, with the photographed sample shown in the colorway Crag 253. The pattern requires 19 balls of 50-gram yarn, providing ample yardage for the generous finished dimensions. A single pair of 6mm (US 10) needles is needed for the main fabric, along with a cable needle for managing cable stitches. The recommended tension is 17 stitches and 16.5 rows to 10 centimeters, measured over pattern using the specified needle size. Proper finishing involves pressing the completed scarf according to yarn care instructions provided on the Rowan website.

Construction Method

The scarf is constructed using a bottom-up, worked-flat approach. Knitters cast on 146 stitches and work in pattern from the chart, repeating the 24-row sequence until the scarf reaches approximately 200 centimeters in length. The pattern is ended with row 8 of the repeat with the right side facing, before casting off all stitches. This seamless, flat construction eliminates the need for seaming and creates a unified fabric with consistent patterning from beginning to end.