Valley Yarns Salt Water Taffy Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Salt Water Taffy Knit Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Salt Water Taffy is a luxurious hand-knitted scarf designed by Julie Turjoman. This plush accessory measures 10 inches wide by approximately 70 inches in length when blocked, making it an ideal special gift. The scarf is crafted from Valley Yarns Brodie, a premium recycled cashmere blend yarn that provides exceptional softness and comfort.

Techniques Used

This scarf is worked flat on straight needles, making it an accessible project for knitters developing their skills. The primary technique featured throughout the design is cable knitting, which creates dimensional texture and visual interest. Cables are worked along each side of the scarf, framing a small-scale textured stitch pattern that runs down the center. The cable work uses a 1/1 right cross (1/1 RC) cable technique, which involves slipping stitches to a cable needle, holding it to the back, and crossing stitches to create the characteristic twisted rope effect. Stitch markers are used throughout to help organize pattern sections and keep track of the design structure.

Stitches Used

The Salt Water Taffy scarf employs several fundamental knitting stitches combined to create its textured appearance:

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch that creates the fabric base
• Purl stitch (P): Used to create reverse stockinette sections and texture contrast
• Cable stitches: Specifically 1/1 right cross (1/1 RC) cables that twist and interlock to form the decorative cable columns
• Slip stitch (Sl): Used for slipping stitches to cable needles and slipping markers as you work
• Decrease stitches: Including slip, slip, purl (ssp) for shaping where needed

The pattern combines these stitches in a repeating texture pattern stitch that achieves a gauge of 20 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches when blocked.

Materials and Yarn

This project requires 4 balls of Valley Yarns Brodie, a luxurious yarn composed of 95% recycled cashmere and 5% merino wool. Each ball contains 50 grams and yields 154 yards, providing approximately 616 yards of yarn total for the finished scarf. The recommended color is 218-Denim, which offers a sophisticated neutral tone suitable for various outfits and occasions.

Knitting needles required are US 7 (4.50 mm), or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. Additional materials include stitch markers for tracking pattern sections, two cable needles for working the cable crosses, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends during finishing.

Skill Level and Gauge

The Salt Water Taffy is rated as an Adventurous Beginner project, making it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to explore cable techniques. While the pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 24 rows equals 4 inches in the texture pattern stitch when blocked, the designer notes that gauge is not critical to achieving a good result with this particular scarf. However, knitters should be aware that adjusting the finished width or length will require additional yarn beyond the four balls specified in the pattern.