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

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

The Rust Scarf is a stunning lace knitting pattern designed by Sharon Miller and published by Rowan. Released as a downloadable PDF (pattern reference ZM72-00043-DEP), this design produces a single, generously proportioned scarf measuring a finished 226 cm long and 43 cm wide. It is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an ideal project for knitters who are comfortable with lace techniques and multi-colour work but are ready to expand their skills further.

What Is Being Made

The finished piece is a large, flowing lace scarf worked in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a luxurious lace-weight yarn. The scarf is notable for its impressive length and width, creating a dramatic, lightweight wrap that drapes beautifully thanks to the halo and sheen characteristic of Kidsilk Haze. The design features a richly textured lace pattern worked across a very large number of stitches, with colour changes adding depth and visual interest throughout.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls exclusively for Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a lace-weight yarn renowned for its blend of kid mohair and silk, which gives it an ethereal halo and exceptional softness. Five colourways are used across the scarf, each referenced by name and shade number:

• Bark 674 – Colour A, 2 x 25 g balls
• Liqueur 595 – Colour B, 2 x 25 g balls
• Scarlett 715 – Colour C, 2 x 25 g balls
• Drab 611 – Colour D, 1 x 25 g ball
• Cream 634 – Colour E, 1 x 25 g ball

The combination of warm earthy tones — bark, drab, and cream — alongside the richer Liqueur and vibrant Scarlett creates the autumnal, rust-inspired palette that gives the scarf its name.

Needles

The pattern requires one circular needle, size 5 mm, at least 150 cm long. The circular needle is used here not for working in the round but to accommodate the very large stitch count — 543 stitches are cast on loosely at the beginning. The pattern advises using needles two sizes larger than the stated size for the cast-on to ensure sufficient looseness.

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension is 24 stitches and 20 rows to 10 x 10 cm, measured in pattern on 5 mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is particularly important in a piece of this scale, as even a small variation will significantly affect the finished dimensions.

Techniques Used

This scarf employs a range of intermediate to advanced lace and textural knitting techniques. Knitters working this pattern will use:

• Yarn-over increases (yarnover/YO) – used extensively to create the open lace structure, with multiple consecutive yarn-overs forming elongated loops
• Right-leaning decreases (k2tog) – used in combination with yarn-overs to shape the lace motifs
• Left-leaning twisted decreases (k2tog tbl / twisted knit-two-together) – worked to balance the lace pattern on the opposite diagonal
• Purl-side decreases (p3tog) – used to reduce stitches on wrong-side rows within the pattern
• Dropping yarn-overs intentionally – a key technique in this design where multiple yarn-overs from a previous row are deliberately dropped off the needle to create long, elongated stitches before being gathered and worked together
• Slip-stitch manipulation – stitches are slipped to the right needle, yarn-overs dropped, and stitches returned to the left needle before being worked together, creating a distinctive gathered or clustered lace effect
• Working with double