Valley Yarns Herringbone Scarf Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Herringbone Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Herringbone Scarf is a delicate, lace-pattern scarf designed by Dori Betjemann. This free knitting pattern creates a finished scarf measuring 6 inches wide by 70 inches long after blocking, making it an elegant accessory suitable for layering or draping. The scarf features an openwork herringbone stitch pattern that creates visual interest while maintaining a lightweight, breathable fabric ideal for year-round wear.

Techniques Used

This scarf is worked flat on straight needles from cast-on to bind-off, meaning you knit back and forth in rows rather than working in the round. The construction is straightforward, repeating the same two-row pattern sequence throughout the length of the scarf. This repetitive structure makes the pattern accessible to intermediate knitters who are comfortable with basic decreases and yarn overs. The pattern includes strategic placement of stitch markers after the first 3 stitches and before the last 3 stitches to help maintain the pattern repeat and edge stitches.

Stitches Used

The herringbone scarf employs several key knitting stitches to create its distinctive appearance:

• Knit stitch (k) — the foundation stitch used throughout the pattern
• Purl stitch (p) — used in Row 2 to create texture variation
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk) — a left-leaning decrease worked at the beginning of Row 1
• Knit two together (k2tog) — a right-leaning decrease worked at the end of Row 1
• Slip 2 together, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over (sl2tog-k1-p2sso) — a centered double decrease that appears in the middle of Row 1, creating the distinctive herringbone visual effect
• Yarn over (yo) — creates the openwork eyelets characteristic of lace patterns, worked in Row 2 to compensate for the decreases in Row 1

The two-row repeat alternates between a decrease row (Row 1) and an increase row (Row 2), maintaining stitch count while creating the herringbone texture. The pattern begins with 55 cast-on stitches, decreases to 47 stitches in Row 1, then returns to 55 stitches by the end of Row 2.

Materials and Tools

The Valley Yarns Herringbone Scarf is designed to be worked with specific materials that contribute to its elegant drape and delicate appearance. The pattern calls for 1 cone of Valley Yarns 2/10 Colrain Lace yarn in the colorway Whipple Blue. This yarn is composed of 50% Merino wool and 50% Tencel, a blend that combines the warmth and elasticity of wool with the smooth, lustrous qualities of Tencel fiber. The full cone contains 1540 yards at 8.8 ounces, though the scarf itself uses approximately 350 yards, making one cone sufficient for multiple projects.

Knitting is worked on Size 2 needles, which are appropriately sized for the lace-weight yarn and create a fabric with a gauge of 8 stitches and 11 rows per inch in stockinette stitch. After completing the pattern rows for approximately 56 inches of knitted length, the scarf is bound off and blocked to the final finished dimensions of 6 inches wide by 70 inches long, allowing the lace pattern to open up and the yarn blend to relax into its final form.