Cable Scarf in Ella Rae Cozy Alpaca - ER11-01 - Downloadable PDF

Cable & Fishtail Lace Scarf in Ella Rae Cozy Alpaca – ER11-01

This elegant knitting pattern from Ella Rae produces a long, luxurious Cable & Fishtail Lace Scarf worked in the brand's sumptuous Cozy Alpaca yarn. Published by Knitting Fever, Inc. and available as a downloadable PDF, the design combines classic cable texture with delicate lace detailing to create a scarf that is both visually striking and wonderfully cozy. The finished piece measures approximately 15 cm (6 inches) wide and an impressive 200 cm (79 inches) long, making it a generously sized accessory suitable for wrapping and draping in multiple ways.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Ella Rae Cozy Alpaca, an aran weight yarn, in colour number 04. You will need 3 x 100g hanks to complete the scarf. As the name suggests, Cozy Alpaca is an alpaca-content yarn known for its exceptional softness, warmth, and subtle halo, making it an ideal choice for a wearable accessory worked in textured and lace patterns.

Needles and Tools

• 1 pair of 5.00mm (US 8) knitting needles
• 1 cable needle for working the cable crossings

Gauge and Tension

The recommended tension is 18 stitches and 24 rows over 10 cm / 4 inches of stockinette stitch using 5.00mm needles. Achieving the correct gauge is important for matching the stated finished dimensions, particularly the width of the scarf.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern is a wonderful introduction to combining two classic knitting techniques — cabling and lace — within a single project. The scarf is cast on at 37 stitches and worked flat in rows throughout.

• Cable Panel (4 stitches): A simple but effective 4-stitch cable is repeated every 4 rows. The key technique is the C4B (Cable 4 Back), where 2 stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held at the back of the work, the next 2 stitches are knitted from the left-hand needle, and then the held stitches are knitted from the cable needle. This crossing creates the characteristic twisted rope appearance of a classic cable. The cable panel alternates knit rows with purl rows to build the raised, sculptural texture.
• Fishtail Lace Panel (11 stitches): The central lace section uses a 6-row repeat that creates the distinctive fishtail lace motif. This panel employs yarn-forward increases (yf) paired with decreases — including k2tog (knit two together) and sl 1, k2tog, psso (a central double decrease) — to form the elegant, symmetrical leaf or fishtail shapes characteristic of this traditional lace pattern. The interplay of increases and decreases keeps the stitch count constant while producing the open, airy lace fabric.
• Reverse stockinette borders: Purl stitches on the right side are used along the edges and between panels to frame and separate the cable and lace motifs, adding structure and definition to the overall layout.
• Additional lace sections: Flanking the central Fishtail Lace Panel, smaller lace sequences using k2tog, yf, k1, yf, sl 1, k1, psso are incorporated into the establishment rows, adding further openwork detail across the width of the scarf.

Construction and Pattern Structure

The scarf begins with a set of establishment rows that position all panels correctly across the 37-stitch width. From there, the knitter simply continues repeating the established pattern — working the 4-row Cable Panel repeat and the 6-row Fishtail Lace Panel repeat simultaneously — until the scarf reaches the full 200 cm length. The pattern instructs the knitter to end on row 6