1147 Wiltshire - Scarf Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Southampton and Huntington

Pattern #1147 Wiltshire – Striped Short-Row Scarf Knitting Pattern by Julie Turjoman for Valley Yarns

The Wiltshire scarf is a beautifully designed women's accessory pattern created by Julie Turjoman and published by Valley Yarns in 2021. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a single-size scarf measuring a generous 11½ inches wide by 72 inches long, making it a substantial and luxurious wrap suitable for everyday wear or special occasions. What sets this scarf apart is its sophisticated interplay of sheer and opaque striping, combined with short-row shaping that creates a graceful, rippling wave texture throughout the fabric.

Design Overview and Aesthetic

The Wiltshire scarf is worked sideways, meaning the cast-on edge runs along the length of the scarf rather than the width. This construction method results in stripes that, when the scarf is worn around the neck, appear both vertically and horizontally oriented simultaneously, giving the finished piece a dynamic sense of motion and visual depth. The contrast between sheer and opaque sections is achieved by alternating between single-yarn and double-yarn stripes, lifting this design well beyond the ordinary striped scarf.

The unblocked fabric displays a bumpy, raised texture from the frequent short-row shaping, which then blocks out to a smooth, flat, and elegant finish. This transformation is one of the most satisfying aspects of the knitting process for this pattern.

Techniques Used

• Short-row shaping: Applied repeatedly across each stripe to create the signature rippling, wave-like texture that defines the Wiltshire scarf's silhouette.
• Striped colorwork: Alternating between holding two yarns together (for opaque stripes) and using a single yarn (for sheer stripes) creates the distinctive tonal contrast without complex colorwork techniques.
• Worked flat: The scarf is knitted flat, though the frequency of short-row turns is significant enough that the pattern notes suggest knitters may wish to learn the knitting backwards technique to avoid constantly turning the work.
• Long-Tail Cast On: The pattern specifies this method for casting on the full 365 stitches along the length of the scarf.
• Fringe finishing: Yarn tails from joining and breaking yarns at the sides can be incorporated directly into the fringe at each end, minimizing the need to weave in ends and creating a tidy, efficient finish.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch pattern, worked flat across the scarf. Gauge is set at 20 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with both yarns held together, blocked.
• Short rows: Used extensively within each stripe to build the rippling, sculptural texture that gives the Wiltshire its distinctive character.

Yarn and Materials

This pattern is designed specifically for two Valley Yarns yarns used in combination, each contributing unique qualities to the finished scarf:

• Yarn A – Valley Yarns Southampton (72% Kid Mohair / 28% Mulberry Silk): A lace-weight yarn sold in 25g/230-yard balls. The pattern calls for 4 balls in color (023) Precious Pink. Southampton contributes an exceptionally soft, halo-rich quality and the characteristic sheerness of mohair-silk blends, lending the scarf its ethereal, lightweight drape.
• Yarn B – Valley Yarns Huntington (75% Fine Superwash Merino Wool / 25% Nylon): A worsted-weight yarn sold in 50g/218-yard hanks. The pattern calls for 4 hanks in color (0039) Blush. Huntington provides durability, warmth, and structure, balancing the delicacy of the mohair-silk with practical wearability. The nylon content adds resilience and stitch definition.

When both yarns are held together, they create the op