Long Brocade Scarf

Long Brocade Scarf by Sharon Slarke

Project Overview

The Long Brocade Scarf is a fashionably long and narrow knitted accessory designed by Sharon Slarke. This beginner-friendly knitting project creates an elegant scarf measuring 15cm (6 inches) wide by 182.5cm (72 inches) long. The stitch pattern originates from volume three of a 1980s English knitting series called Creative Knitting, bringing a classic vintage aesthetic to a contemporary accessory.

What Is Being Made

This project produces a long, narrow scarf suitable for everyday wear or as a fashion statement piece. The finished dimensions create a versatile length that can be wrapped, draped, or styled in multiple ways. The narrow width of 6 inches makes this scarf ideal for layering or wearing with various necklines and garment styles.

Techniques Used

The Long Brocade Scarf employs fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters. The scarf begins with a ribbed cuff created using knit and purl stitches in a 1x1 rib pattern, which provides stretch and structure at the cast-on edge. The body of the scarf features a decorative brocade stitch pattern worked between selvage borders. Knitters maintain a 3-stitch border on either side of the main stitch pattern throughout the scarf body, creating clean, finished edges. The pattern uses both wrong-side and right-side rows to develop the textured brocade design.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k): The fundamental stitch that creates the base fabric and appears throughout the pattern
• Purl stitch (p): Used in combination with knit stitches to create texture and the brocade pattern
• Slip stitch (sl1): Used at the beginning of wrong-side rows to create neat selvage edges
• 1x1 Ribbing: Alternating knit and purl stitches that form the initial 6cm (2.5 inch) cuff section
• Brocade stitch pattern: A 12-row repeat combining knit and purl stitches in specific sequences to create a textured, dimensional surface

Stitch Pattern Details

The brocade stitch pattern is a 12-row repeat that creates visual interest through strategic placement of knit and purl stitches. The pattern alternates between rows worked entirely in knit (right-side rows) and rows combining knit and purl stitches (wrong-side rows). Key rows include a foundation row of p4, k6, p4 that repeats, followed by progressively narrower purl columns that create a diamond or brocade-like effect. The pattern reaches its narrowest point at row 9 with k1, p12, k1 before expanding again symmetrically through rows 10-12, completing the 12-row repeat.

Materials and Yarn

The Long Brocade Scarf requires 5 balls of DK weight yarn, with a total yardage of approximately 500 yards. The pattern specifies Celone by Heirloom as the recommended yarn, a luxury blend containing Merino, Alpaca, and Silk fibers that provides softness, drape, and subtle sheen. However, the pattern accommodates any DK, Light Worsted, or 8ply weight yarn, with the suggestion that yarns incorporating a small percentage of silk will enhance the finished scarf's luxurious qualities. The blend of natural fibers in the recommended yarn creates a fabric with excellent elasticity and comfort against the skin.

Needles and Gauge

This project uses one pair of 4mm (US size 6) knitting needles or the size required to obtain the specified gauge. The gauge for the Long Brocade Scarf is 21 stitches and 32 rows to 10cm (4 inches) measured over the stitch pattern using 4mm needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the intended finished dimensions and ensuring the scarf drapes properly.

Construction Method

The scarf is constructed by casting on 34 stitches and working a 6cm (2.5 inch) ribbed cuff in 1x1 rib pattern, ending with a right-side row. The body of the scarf is then worked by maintaining a 3-stitch border on either side while working the 12-row brocade stitch pattern repeat in the center 28 stitches. This border structure frames the decorative pattern and creates finished selvage edges suitable for binding off without additional