Rust Scarf in Rowan Kidsilk Haze - ZM72-00043-ENPFRP - Downloadable PDF

Rust Scarf in Rowan Kidsilk Haze by Sharon Miller – Detailed Pattern Summary

The Rust Scarf is a stunning, large-format lace knitting pattern designed by Sharon Miller and published by Rowan. Released as a downloadable PDF (reference ZM72-00043-EN), this pattern produces a single dramatic scarf measuring a generous 226 cm (89 inches) long and 43 cm (17 inches) wide — a truly statement-making accessory. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent challenge for knitters who are comfortable with lace techniques and multi-strand colour work but are ready to push their skills further.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates one long, wide scarf worked in an intricate repeating lace pattern that incorporates multiple colours of Rowan Kidsilk Haze. The finished piece is substantial in both length and width, designed to drape luxuriously and showcase the delicate halo and sheen characteristic of Kidsilk Haze yarn. The colour palette — anchored by warm, earthy, and rich tones — gives the scarf its evocative name, Rust.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls exclusively for Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a lace weight yarn celebrated for its blend of kid mohair and silk, which creates an ethereal, lightweight fabric with a soft halo. Five colourways are used across the scarf:

• Yarn A – Bark 674: 2 x 25gm balls
• Yarn B – Liqueur 595: 2 x 25gm balls
• Yarn C – Scarlett 715: 2 x 25gm balls
• Yarn D – Drab 611: 1 x 25gm ball
• Yarn E – Cream 634: 1 x 25gm ball

The combination of warm bark, deep liqueur, vivid scarlett, muted drab, and soft cream creates a rich, autumnal palette perfectly suited to the Rust theme. Yarns are used both as single strands and held double at various points in the pattern, which affects both texture and colour blending.

Needles

A 5mm (US 8) circular needle at least 150 cm long is required. The circular needle is essential not because the scarf is worked in the round, but because the large number of cast-on stitches — 543 stitches — demands the length of a long circular needle to accommodate them comfortably. The pattern also advises using needles two sizes larger specifically for the cast-on edge to ensure it remains sufficiently loose, which is critical to the integrity of the lace design.

Tension

The stated tension is 24 stitches and 20 rows to 10 cm, measured over the pattern using 5mm (US 8) needles. Achieving correct tension is important for matching the finished dimensions of the scarf.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs a rich variety of knitting techniques that give the Rust Scarf its distinctive lace texture and multi-colour character:

• Lace knitting: The core of the pattern is built around yarn-over increases (yrn) and corresponding decreases, creating open, decorative holes characteristic of lace fabric.
• Double yarn-overs: Some rows use (yrn) twice, creating elongated loops that are later worked into on the following row, adding an extra dimension of texture.
• Slip-stitch technique with dropped yarn-overs: A particularly distinctive technique involves slipping stitches onto the right needle while deliberately dropping the corresponding yarn-over loops, then slipping them back to the left needle. This creates elongated, gathered stitches that are a hallmark of this design.
• K15tog (knit 15 together): An advanced and dramatic decrease where 15 loops are knitted together at once, creating a bold gathered effect. This is central to the pattern's visual character and requires careful execution.