Painted Circle Scarf in Lion Brand Homespun - 80846AD

Painted Circle Scarf in Lion Brand Homespun – Free Knitting Pattern (80846AD)

The Painted Circle Scarf is a free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn, pattern number 80846AD. It produces a long, elegant scarf measuring approximately 8 × 56 inches (20.5 × 142 cm) and is rated Easy+ in skill level, making it an ideal project for knitters who have mastered the basics and are ready to explore a slightly more advanced shaping technique. The finished scarf has a graceful, gently curved or "circle" silhouette created entirely through the clever use of short rows — no seaming, no complex construction required.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single, one-size-fits-all knitted scarf. The defining feature of the design is its gradual color progression, which is achieved naturally by working with Lion Brand Homespun in colorway Painted Desert (790-407). Because Homespun is a variegated, self-striping yarn, the color shifts organically as you knit, creating a painterly, blended effect without any yarn changes or intarsia work. The short row construction causes the colors to pool and transition in a curved, circular pattern across the width of the scarf, giving the project its distinctive "painted" look.

Techniques Used

• Short Row Shaping: The central technique of this pattern. Short rows involve knitting only partway across a row, turning the work before reaching the end, and then knitting back. This creates differential lengths across the fabric, which is what produces the scarf's curved, circular shape. The repeat is an 8-row sequence in which stitches are progressively left unworked — first 5 stitches, then 10, then 15 — before a full row is worked across all 22 stitches to complete the cycle.
• Cast On and Bind Off: A standard cast on of 22 stitches begins the piece, and a straightforward bind off finishes it after the desired length is reached.
• Finishing: Weaving in ends with a large-eye blunt needle is the only finishing step required, keeping the project simple from start to finish.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k): Used on right-side rows to build the smooth face of the fabric.
• Purl (p): Used on wrong-side rows, working in combination with the knit rows to create Stockinette stitch (St st) — the classic smooth-on-one-side, textured-on-the-other fabric that forms the body of the scarf.
• Stockinette Stitch: The overall stitch pattern, formed by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows. The gauge for this pattern is set at 11 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch.

Materials

• Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun (Article #790) in colorway Painted Desert (790-407) — 2 balls required. Homespun is a bulky weight yarn with a uniquely textured, almost woven feel. It is composed of 98% acrylic and 2% polyester, packaged in 6 oz / 170g pull skeins with approximately 185 yards (167m) per skein. Its soft, chenille-like texture and variegated colorways make it especially well-suited to this type of color-play design.
• Needles: Lion Brand Knitting Needles, Size 10 [6 mm], appropriate for the bulky weight of Homespun and necessary to achieve the specified gauge.
• Notions: A set of 6 large-eye blunt needles for weaving in ends upon completion.

Pattern Notes and Tips

Because this pattern relies on short rows to create its signature curved shape and color effect, gauge is especially important. The pattern recommends checking your gauge swatch before beginning and adjusting needle size as needed — going down a needle size if your swatch is too loose, or up a size if it is too tight. The 8-row repeat is straightforward and rhythmic once learned, making this a satisfying project to work on without constant reference