Felted Bristol Braided Scarf in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool - 80916AD

Felted Bristol Braided Scarf in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool – Free Knitting Pattern (80916AD)

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn guides knitters through creating the Felted Bristol Braided Scarf, a stunning infinity-style loop scarf made from three individually knitted and felted strips that are braided together into one cohesive, textured accessory. The finished piece measures approximately 8 x 175 inches (20.5 x 444.5 cm) after felting, making it a generously sized, cozy wrap with beautiful natural earth tones and a distinctive braided structure.

What Is Being Made

The project produces a felted braided loop scarf — three separate long knitted strips, each worked in a different colorway, that are felted in the washing machine and then braided together and joined at the ends to form a continuous loop. The braiding technique gives the scarf incredible visual depth and a chunky, artisan appearance, while the felting process transforms the knitted fabric into a dense, soft, and durable textile that no longer shows individual stitches. The result is a wearable piece that looks far more complex than its beginner-level construction suggests.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting: Each of the three strips is worked flat, back and forth in rows, to a substantial length of approximately 185 inches (470 cm) before felting.
• Machine felting (wet felting): The knitted strips are felted by running them through a hot wash/cold rinse cycle in a washing machine with detergent and additional clothing items to provide agitation. This causes the wool fibers to mat together, shrinking and thickening the fabric significantly — which is why the pre-felting length of 185 inches reduces to the finished 175-inch measurement.
• Dryer felting: After the wash cycle, the strips are dried in a machine dryer on a regular setting until almost dry, then pulled into shape, further consolidating the felt.
• Three-strand braiding: Once felted, the three strips are stacked, sewn together at one end, braided along their full length, and then sewn at the other end before joining the two ends together to form the loop.
• Seaming and finishing: The ends of the braid are sewn together to create the infinity loop shape, and all yarn ends are woven in using a large-eye blunt needle.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch: The sole stitch pattern used throughout all three strips — knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side. This is one of the most fundamental knitting stitches, producing a smooth, flat fabric on the knit side that felts beautifully and evenly.
• Cast on and bind off: A standard cast-on of 20 stitches begins each strip, and a standard bind-off closes each strip after the required length is reached.

Materials

• Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn in Natural (150-098): 3 balls — used for Strip A
• Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn in Oatmeal (150-123): 3 balls — used for Strip B
• Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn in Nature's Brown (150-126): 3 balls — used for Strip C
• Lion Brand Knitting Needles, Size 9 (5.5 mm)
• Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6) — for seaming and weaving in ends

Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool is a 100% wool yarn specifically suited to felting projects because its natural animal fiber structure allows the scales on each strand to interlock and mat together under heat, moisture, and agitation. The three colorways chosen — Natural, Oatmeal, and Nature's Brown — are all warm, undyed or naturally toned shades that complement each other beautifully in the finished braid, giving the scarf an organic, rustic aesthetic.

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 16 stitches and 22 rows to 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockin