Caddy Scarf

Caddy Scarf by Sharon Slarke

What Is Being Made

The Caddy Scarf is an elegant short scarf featuring decorative lace ends, designed as a versatile accessory piece. This knitted scarf measures 15cm (6 inches) wide by 95cm (37½ inches) long, making it a compact, refined neckwear option suitable for layering or casual styling. The design combines practical dimensions with sophisticated lace detailing at both ends.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project suitable for beginners, despite the inclusion of lace elements. The scarf is constructed using flat knitting on straight needles, worked from one end to the other. The lace sections are created using traditional openwork techniques that add visual interest without requiring advanced shaping or complex colorwork.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The Caddy Scarf features two primary stitch patterns:

• Quarter Linen Stitch – forms the main body of the scarf, providing a textured, stable fabric base
• Lacy Diagonal Tweed Stitch – used for the decorative lace ends, creating an openwork diagonal pattern with visual movement

The lace pattern is constructed on a multiple of 5 stitches plus 7 edge stitches, worked over 6 rows. Key techniques within the lace include:

• Yarn round needle (yrn) – creates eyelets and openwork
• Purl 2 together (p2 tog) – decreases that balance the yarn overs
• Slip stitches purlwise (sl 2 pw, sl 1 pw) – creates the diagonal visual effect
• Yarn forward (yf) – alternative method for creating openwork

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and alternates purl rows on the wrong side with the textured right-side rows, a classic approach for creating definition in lace.

Materials and Gauge

The Caddy Scarf is designed to be knitted in DK weight yarn (also called 8 ply), requiring 3 balls of 50g each. The original pattern specifies Sublime Soya Cotton dk yarn, which consists of 50% soya fiber and 50% cotton, offering a soft, breathable blend ideal for a lightweight scarf. Each ball contains approximately 110 meters (121 yards).

The project uses 4.5mm knitting needles or the size required to achieve the specified gauge. The recommended gauge is 24 stitches and 43 rows to 10cm (4 inches) when working Quarter Linen Stitch on 4.5mm needles in blocked fabric. Checking gauge before beginning is emphasized to ensure proper finished dimensions and fabric drape.

Any DK or 8 ply weight yarn may be substituted for the specified Sublime Soya Cotton, allowing flexibility in fiber content while maintaining the intended finished size and appearance.

Design Origin

The stitch pattern used in the Caddy Scarf is sourced from volume three of a 1980s English knitting series titled Creative Knitting. This heritage reference adds a classic, timeless element to the design, combining vintage pattern inspiration with contemporary yarn choices.