Discovering how to knit a scarf may seem intimidating if you are a beginner. But it is one of the least complicated patterns you can tackle as a novice. When I started knitting, a chunky scarf was my first project.

All you need to know to start knitting a scarf is how to cast the yarn onto your needle. After that, you’ll begin knitting your first row with a basic stitch technique. Once you’ve completed enough rows, you’ll end off the scarf by casting off the stitches. When you know the suitable yarn and tools needed, you’ll be set to begin creating your very first scarf.

Read this article carefully and follow our below guide to learn how to knit a scarf. We will be knitting using the garter stitch, the easiest and the best for a cozy scarf.

scarf

Materials Needed to Knit a Scarf

Before you start knitting a scarf, you’ll need a few essential knitting tools and accessories. 

 1. Yarn 

If this is your first project, I suggest you use a chunkier type of yarn, either wool or acrylic. It is much simpler to knit with these yarns, and you’ll be able to master the stitches perfectly. 

For help choosing your yarn, look at our blog post on the best types of yarn for knitting.

 2. Knitting Needles

As a beginner, you should try using wooden or bamboo needles. They create a good amount of friction while knitting, so your yarn won’t slip off. 

To learn how to knit a scarf, you should choose bulkier wooden needles. Since we are using a chunkier yarn for this project, you should use a needle size of about US 15. 

If you don’t have bamboo or wooden needles, you can still use metal or plastic ones. Just make sure your grip is good, and the knitted stitches do not slide off the needle. 

 3. Tapestry Needle and Scissors

It would be best if you had a simple tapestry needle to stitch the loose ends of your scarf neatly. The size of the tapestry needle will depend upon the yarn you use. 

Alternatively, you can use kitchen scissors to cut the excess yarn from your completed scarf. You can also use them to create cute fringes at both the ends of your knitted scarf. 

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Our Guide on How to Knit a Scarf

knit-scarf

Once you have all your materials in hand, you are ready to knit your first scarf. Make sure you read all the below steps to know how to knit a scarf perfectly. 

  1. For a 5-inch scarf, start by casting on 12 stitches to your needle. You can use the long-tail cast-on technique for these stitches.
  2. Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand. 
  3. Insert the right-hand needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle. Always insert the needle from left to right (knit-wise). 

  4.  Wrap your yarn around the right-hand needle in a clockwise direction. 

  5. Secure the wrapped yarn and slowly scoop your right-hand needle under the stitch on the left-hand one.     

  6. The right-hand needle should be facing towards you. 

  7. Now insert the right needle into the second stitch on the left-hand needle, knit-wise. 

  8. Wrap the yarn around the right needle again, in a clockwise direction.

  9.  While securing the wrapped yarn, scoop the right-hand needle under the stitch on the left-hand needle.   

  10. You now have two garter stitches on your left-hand needle. This is the basic stitch you need to know to learn how to knit a scarf.

  11. Repeat this process for the rest of the casted stitches on your left-hand needle. You have now knitted a single row. 

  12. You need to repeat this procedure until you reach the desired length of your scarf. If your first yarn ball finishes in between, tie the end of the first ball to the beginning of the second yarn ball, and continue stitching. 

  13. Once you have knitted the desired length, make sure you have about a meter of loose yarn left in the end.

  14. You are now ready to cast off your scarf from the needles. For this, you need to knit two extra stitches.

  15. Lift the first stitch with your right needle, pull it over the second stitch, and cast it off the needle. 

  16. Knit another stitch on the needle. Lift the first stitch again, pull it over the second one, and cast it off the left-hand needle. 

  17. You need to keep repeating this casting-off procedure until you have only one stitch left on your needle. Pull this last stitch until the loose end of the yarn pops through your knitted scarf. 

  18. Now, weave in the loose ends through the ridges between your stitches using your tapestry needle. Cut the excess yarn, and you have your completed garter stitch scarf.

Once you know how to knit a scarf, you can experiment with different types of yarn. You can also add fringes to the top and bottom of the scarf or embed two different colors in the same knit.

Conclusion

As you can gauge from the guide above, determining how to knit a scarf is not very difficult. 

Ensure that you have all the right tools for the job before you begin. Choosing a suitable yarn and the correct needles to use with it will make things that much easier. 

Understanding how to cast on and cast off will help you start and finish effortlessly. And, when you’ve mastered the garter stitch, you’re well on your way to completing that scarf project.

Once you understand the steps involved, you’ll be knitting your first scarf before you can say “cast on”.

At Lrnkey, you can connect with expert knitters and learn both the primary and advanced techniques on how to knit a scarf.