An infinity scarf is the perfect project to start now for autumn and winter. This sampler style scarf features carefully-chosen stitches with a linear theme, to create a scarf that’s cozy without being bulky, and that has lots of interest and texture without going too crazy.
Even beginner or anxious knitters can make this scarf easily because the pattern is super-clear with lots of helpful tips. It’s also worked flat (back and forth on straight needles) so you don’t need circular needles.
There are lots of opportunities to adjust the pattern if you want an easier method, or to change the size or if your gauge is different to the listed gauge. As a slow and nervous knitter myself, I make sure everything is spelled out as clearly a possible at every stage.
This is part 1 of a 12 part Sampler Infinity Scarf Knitting Pattern Series
Read on for full details about the pattern and everything you’ll need, ready to make a start with the first section of the scarf next week!
The trick to working a stitch sampler scarf
Have you been looking for a project to try out some different stitch patterns like ribs and seed stitches? The idea of a sampler scarf may have occurred to you, but did you know that simply working sections of different stitches one after the other is going to give you a funky look?
If you think about working a section of plain stocking stitch, followed by a rib stitch, if you work the same number of stitches, the ribbed section is going to be much narrower than the plain section. We make use of this fact for making the cuffs on sweaters, for example. A different stitch like a seed stitch might have a different width again, somewhere between the two, leading to your scarf varying in width for each section – not a good look!
For a neat look, you need to be increasing and decreasing the number of stitches for each section. This way, each section ends up the same finished width. You don’t want to be doing that kind of maths on the fly, so I’ve done the difficult number-crunching for you, you just need to follow my straightforward pattern.
The above picture, for example shows two of the scarf sections. The bottom section is knit with 59 stitches on your needles; the top section with only 45 stitches on your needles, but they are the same finished width. I love a good transition like this!
Sampler Infinity Scarf Knitting Pattern Series
This is my first time releasing a pattern as a blog series (sometimes known as a knit-along or KAL for short) and I’m excited to see how it goes! Do let me know if you’re planning to join in, what yarns you’ve chosen or any personalisations you choose to make.
Add your Infinity Scarf project to your Ravelry.
The finished infinity scarf is made up of 10 distinct sections, seven in the main colour and three in the contrast colour. Some of the sections feature the same stitches, as I wanted to make a scarf with interest and variety, but that wasn’t too chaotic.
Every week on Wednesdays, from 17th July to 25th September, I’ll release a further instalment of the Sampler Infinity Scarf Pattern:
Week 1
8th July
Introduction (this post)
The first and last sections are both stocking stitch and are seamed together to turn the long rectangle into a loop. The seam is easily hidden in the folds of the scarf when you are wearing it.
If you’re relatively new to knitting or an anxious knitter like me, this is a great method for working an infinity scarf because each row is a manageable length and you have plenty of scope to try the scarf on and adjust the length of your rectangle if your gauge doesn’t quite work out as planned.
Size and Gauge
Made with the materials and equipment suggested below, your gauge for this project should be 18-20 stitches and 24 rows to 10cm / 4inches working in stocking stitch.
This should produce a finished scarf loop of approximately 140cm (55inches). It should be around 23-25cm (9-10inches) wide.
This size looped double suits me as an average UK size 12 woman (US size 8, EU 40). It’s lovely and cozy but not too bulky. It would also probably suit an older teen or smaller man.
You can easily vary the length of the scarf by working more or fewer rows in each section or just some of the sections. I’ll include tips on where and how to do this in the pattern. Several of the sections lend themselves well to being extended. If you wish to shorten the scarf, I’d recommend Sections 4 and 7 as the best candidates for that.
Due to the maths involved, I wouldn’t suggest trying to vary the width of this scarf by altering the stitch count. The easiest way to achieve a wider scarf would be to use larger needles and a bulkier yarn. If you do this, reduce the number of rows you work if you’d like the scarf to remain the same length.
Materials and Equipment
To make a two-colour scarf as shown, you will need a Double-knitting (DK, light worsted weight, Category 3) yarn, in approximately the following quantities:
- 330-390m of your Main Colour (grey in my example) – two 100g (3.5oz) balls of yarn will usually provide this.
- 115-150m of your Contrast Colour (navy in my example) – one 100g (3.5oz) ball of yarn will usually provide this.
For my grey and navy scarf I have used Stylecraft Bellissima DK (if you use this link to make a purchase, I might get a few pennies from Love Crafts at no extra cost to you). The colours I have chosen – Silver Lining and Double Denim – go great with everything in my autumn and winter wardrobe.
See what yarns other knitters have chosen for their Infinity Scarves on Ravelry.
To allow the beauty of the stitch patterns to shine through, I would recommend choosing plain colour yarns (not yarns that change colour). For the same reason, you might like to avoid yarns which are quite fuzzy. But the choice is very much yours: pick something you love and that feels great next to your skin.
You will also need:
- 5mm (US size 8, old UK size 6) straight knitting needles (30cm / 12inch in length is perfect)
- a 4.5mm (US: G-7) crochet hook (for the edging, which you can omit if you wish)
- a blunt-tipped yarn needle for joining and sewing in your ends
- good sharp scissors
You may also find it helpful to have:
- a 6mm (US size 10, old UK size 4) straight needle for casting on, if you tend to cast on a bit tightly
- one or more lengths of scrap yarn (around 40cm or 16inches) to act as a ‘lifeline’ where necessary
- a few short lengths of scrap yarn to act as stitch markers (or actual stitch markers that fit your 5mm needles)
- marking pins (these are special pins designed to hold knitted fabrics when joining seams, where metal sewing pins don’t really work. You can find bamboo marking pins in my shop)
Sampler Infinity Scarf Knitting Pattern Notes
Beginners should find this sampler infinity scarf knitting pattern easy to follow, because I make every effort to make all my patterns as clear as possible. I do all the maths and provide you with exact numbers of rows and stitches at each stage, so you don’t have to do any calculations.
The pattern includes tips and alternatives, as well as photos where helpful.
Knitting Stitches and Abbreviations
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| sl | slip the next stitch – the pattern will indicate whether to slip it knitwise or purlwise |
| k | knit |
| p | purl |
| kfb | knit into the front and back of the next stitch to increase the number of stitches by one |
| pfb | purl into the front and back of the next stitch to increase the number of stitches by one (optional) |
| k2tog | knit the next two stitches together to decrease the number of stitches by one |
| p2tog | purl the next two stitches together to decrease the number of stitches by one |
| RS | right side of the project (use the stocking stitch sections as a reference) |
| WS | wrong side of the project |
Sections of stitches to repeat are indicated in [square brackets] preceded by the instruction ‘repeat’ and followed by the number of times you need to repeat the section, for example:
Row 6: repeat [k2, p2] eight times.
If you are instructed to do something “to last x stitches” it means continue the given stitch or repeat until x stitches are left on your left-hand needle, for example:
Row 2: p to last 2 sts, k2.
Any row where the stitch count changes (as a result of increasing or decreasing) will have the stitch count of the completed row stated at the end, thus:
Row 6 – decreasing: k4, k2tog, k to last 6 sts, k2tog, k4 — 60 sts.
The whole scarf is designed to have interest on both sides. Each stitch pattern (apart perhaps from the stocking stitch sections) looks great from both sides. For the purposes of knitting, however, we will consider there to be a ‘right’ side and a ‘wrong’ side. This corresponds to the right and wrong side of the stocking stitch in Section 1. So at any time, you can see if you should be working a right or wrong side row by looking at Section 1.
All colour changes are made at the beginning of a row. If you have to join a new ball of yarn at any other point, I recommend doing this at the beginning/end of a row for ease of hiding the yarn tails.
The scarf features a simple crocheted edging in UK double crochet (dc) / US single crochet (sc) stitches. This provides a neat and practical finish to the scarf, but alternatives are offered if you prefer to add a stitched edge or omit it altogether,
Printable Version of this Pattern
The complete pattern for this Stitch Sample Infinity Scarf is now available to download as a printer-friendly PDF!
This premium version of the pattern is over 32 pages long and formatted for easy printing.
The pattern includes row tables you can tick off with a pencil as you work, to help you keep your place. Your download also includes a succinct version of the whole pattern which prints on a single sheet of paper! This is perfect for those who don’t need all the detail and is also ideal to use when travelling!
Make this scarf your own
The original sampler infinity scarf knitting pattern is designed in two colours, but there’s nothing to stop you making it in one colour throughout (fewer ends to sew in!) or in multiple colours. For a completely different look, you could use a different colour for every section! You could also work the crocheted edging in a different colour if you wished.
The scarf is designed as an infinity scarf, but if you prefer you can choose not to join the ends together and create a straight scarf. This is explained in more detail in Section 1.
You can easily vary the length of your scarf by working more or fewer rows in each section or just some of the sections. I’ll include tips on where and how to do this if you’d like to. The best sections to lengthen are Sections 2, 6 and 8. The best sections to shorten are Sections 4 and 7.
Add this project to your Ravelry queue!
Pin the Infinity Scarf pattern to your Pinterest
Sampler Infinity Scarf Knitting Pattern Series Navigation
Stocking Stitch with Break
