How to Knit a Scarf for Beginners: Easy Seed Stitch Pattern

A scarf is the classic first project for beginners: you knit nothing but straight rows back and forth, there's no increasing or decreasing, and you can focus entirely on making your stitches even. In this guide, we show you step by step how to knit a simple scarf – 20 × 180 cm in seed stitch, which lies flat and looks the same on both sides. You'll also learn which yarn works well for a scarf, how much yarn you need, and how to calculate the cast-on for any width.

What you need to knit a scarf

• Yarn: 4 balls of 100 g each of Chunky Yarn Crush with Alpaca, 180 m / 100 g – our sample scarf is knitted in burgundy. With 4 balls instead of 3, you're on the safe side with seed stitch.
• Knitting needles in needle size 6 mm: a pair of straight needles, 35–40 cm long, or an 80 cm circular needle that you use to knit back and forth in rows. That way the cable carries the weight of the scarf.
• Tapestry needle with a blunt tip for weaving in the ends
• Scissors and a tape measure
• Optional: a 7 mm needle for a loose cast-on and bind-off, plus a crochet hook for the fringe

Which yarn is best for a scarf?

A scarf sits right against your neck, so above all the yarn should be soft, warm and drape nicely. Because a scarf is long, weight matters too: a lightweight yarn is more comfortable to wear and won't make the scarf stretch out.

For your first scarf, we recommend a medium-thick yarn with a yardage of 150–180 m per 100 g and needle size 5–6 mm. The stitches are easy to see, and you can watch your scarf grow from one evening to the next.

• Alpaca is soft and warm. Even a small share of alpaca in the yarn makes a scarf cozier.
• Wool is warm, elastic and holds its shape. Pure virgin wool is hard-wearing, but some people find it a bit firm against the neck.
• Mohair adds a delicate halo to the knitted fabric, for example in our Alpaca Mohair Wool Bucky, 140 m / 100 g with 35 % mohair, 35 % alpaca, 25 % wool and 5 % polyester.
• Acrylic and polyamide make blended yarns lightweight and help them keep their shape, while viscose gives a soft drape.

Our yarns for scarves

Chunky Yarn Crush with Alpaca, 180 m / 100 g – 15 % alpaca, 15 % wool, 70 % acrylic, needle size 5–6 mm, 5 colors: burgundy, olive green, turquoise, green and dark denim. The solid color shows off textured stitches like seed stitch beautifully. For a 20 × 180 cm scarf, you'll need 3–4 balls. The pattern below is knitted with this yarn.

Chunky Yarn Elora with Alpaca, 150 m / 100 g – 15 % alpaca, 20 % wool, 10 % viscose, 55 % acrylic, needle size 5–6 mm, in gray and light brown. The viscose gives the scarf a soft drape, and the yarn is forgiving of small irregularities in your stitches. 3–4 balls.

Tweed Wool Carin, 160 m / 100 g – 50 % wool, 46 % acrylic, 4 % viscose, needle size 4.5–5.5 mm, in light green, pink and white. Small colorful flecks in the yarn bring even a plain stitch pattern to life, and the high wool content keeps you warm. For a scarf or cowl, 3–4 balls.

Gradient Yarn Sofia with Wool, 220 m / 100 g – 34 % wool, 47 % acrylic, 19 % polyamide, needle size 3.5–4.5 mm, in multicolor. This yarn is a bit thinner: you'll knit more stitches, but the scarf turns out finer and more fluid. The colors change on their own – you'll only see how they're distributed at the end. 3–4 balls.

Multicolor Yarn Tenero with Alpaca, 180 m / 100 g – 15 % alpaca, 15 % wool, 70 % acrylic, needle size 5–6 mm, in multicolor. Several colors run through the same strand and blend into each other as you knit. It's the softest and fluffiest of our multicolor yarns and doesn't need a stitch pattern – garter stitch is all it takes. 3–4 balls.

You'll find more yarns in our Chunky Yarn, Alpaca Wool and Gradient Yarn categories.

How much yarn do I need for a scarf?

That depends on the size of the scarf, the yardage and the stitch pattern. We calculated the guidelines below from our yarns' requirements for a 20 × 180 cm scarf; they apply to seed stitch and garter stitch.

For a ribbed scarf, plan on one extra ball, because ribbing pulls in and needs more stitches. For fringe, add about 20 m. You'll find the exact figures for each yarn in the product description under "Yarn requirements".

The right stitch pattern: why stockinette curls

The most common beginner mistake when knitting a scarf is using stockinette stitch: knit stitches only on the front, purl stitches only on the back. Knit and purl stitches pull the fabric in opposite directions. When all the knit stitches are on one side, there's nothing to balance them – the long edges curl toward the back, and the ends curl toward the front. Washing and steaming won't fix this for good.

A scarf stays flat when knit and purl stitches are distributed across the front and back. These patterns also look good on both sides – which matters for a scarf:

• Garter stitch: knit every row. It doesn't get any easier.
• Seed stitch: alternate knit and purl stitches, shifting by one stitch every row. The surface gets a fine, pebbly texture.
• Ribbing: for example k2, p2 – stretchy, with vertical ribs.

Calculating the cast-on for your scarf

How many stitches you need depends on your yarn, needles and how tightly you knit. So start with a gauge swatch in your scarf's stitch pattern, because seed stitch, garter stitch and ribbing all come out at different widths. Cast on about 20–25 sts, knit 12 cm, wash the swatch and let it dry flat. Then count how many stitches there are in 10 cm in the middle of the swatch. Learn more in our guide How to Knit a Gauge Swatch Correctly.

Scarf width in cm × stitches per 10 cm ÷ 10 = number of stitches to cast on

Seed stitch needs an odd number of stitches. So round to the nearest odd number; if you get an exact even number, add 1 st. This includes the two edge stitches. Example: 20 cm × 15 sts ÷ 10 = 30, so you cast on 31 sts.

The table works the same way for garter stitch, except that the stitch count can also be even. Ribbing needs more stitches – see the variations.

Knitting a scarf: step-by-step seed stitch pattern

Size: approx. 20 × 180 cm
Materials: 4 balls of Chunky Yarn Crush with Alpaca in burgundy, 6 mm knitting needles
Gauge: 15 sts and 26 rows in seed stitch = 10 × 10 cm
Abbreviations: st(s) = stitch(es), k = knit, p = purl

1. Cast on

Cast on 31 sts using the long-tail cast-on. Leave a tail of about 1.2 m – that's enough for the stitches and for weaving in later. Cast on loosely so the cast-on edge stretches as much as the rest of the scarf. If you tend to knit tightly, use the 7 mm needle for this.

2. Knit in seed stitch

Work every row like this: *k1, p1*, repeat to the end and finish with k1. Because 31 is an odd number, every row begins and ends with a knit stitch. This automatically shifts the pattern by one stitch every row, creating the typical seed stitch texture.

Here's how to check your work: from the second row on, you work each stitch the opposite of how it looks – knit the bumps (purl stitches) and purl the Vs (knit stitches). When switching, always bring the yarn to the front or back between the needles; otherwise you'll create an unwanted yarn over.

Garter selvage: the first and last stitch of every row are knit stitches. Together they form a garter selvage: a small bump appears at the edge every two rows, and the edge stays firm and straight. Give the yarn a gentle tug after the first stitch of every row so the edge doesn't get loose.

3. Joining a new ball

Always join a new ball at the beginning of a row, never in the middle of the scarf, because the ends can be woven in invisibly along the edge. In this pattern, one row uses about 1 m of yarn. If less than 1.5 m is left on the old ball, start the next row with the new yarn. Leave both ends about 15 cm long. A loose knot, which you'll undo later, holds them together for now.

4. Measuring the length

Keep knitting in seed stitch until the scarf is 180 cm long – at our gauge, that's about 470 rows. Always measure on a flat surface without stretching the fabric. Tip: measure the length after the first ball and multiply it by 4 – that way you'll know early on whether you have enough yarn.

5. Binding off loosely

Bind off in seed stitch so the end matches the beginning: work 2 sts in pattern and pass the first over the second. Work the next st in pattern and again pass the previous one over it. Repeat until 1 st remains. Cut the yarn, leaving a 15 cm tail, and pull it through the last stitch. If you tend to bind off too tightly, hold the 7 mm needle in your right hand for this step.

6. Weaving in the ends and washing the scarf

Since seed stitch looks the same on both sides, it's best to weave in the ends along the garter selvage: run the tapestry needle about 5 cm through the edge stitches and then 2–3 cm back so nothing comes undone. Don't trim the ends close until after washing.

Hand wash the finished scarf at 30 °C with a little wool detergent. Gently press out the water without wringing, roll the scarf in a towel, then lay it out flat to 20 × 180 cm to dry. This evens out the stitches and smooths away small irregularities. Read more in our guide How to Wash Wool.

Knit a matching hat with our guide How to Knit a Hat for Beginners – you'll need 1–2 balls of Chunky Yarn Crush for it.

Variations: garter stitch scarf, ribbed scarf, cowl and scarf with fringe

Once you can knit a scarf, you can make many other designs using the same principle.

Garter stitch scarf: knit stitches only

The easiest scarf of all: you knit every row, any number of stitches works, and the garter selvage forms on its own. Garter stitch is dense, lies flat and stretches a little lengthwise. With Multicolor Yarn Tenero, the colors in the yarn add variety. Take the number of stitches to cast on from the table above.

Ribbed scarf in k2, p2

For a ribbed scarf, the number of ribbing stitches must be a multiple of 4 plus 2, so the right-side row begins and ends with 2 knit stitches and both edges look the same. Add 2 edge stitches to that. Because ribbing pulls in, you'll need just under a third more stitches than in seed stitch for the same width.

Example for a gray ribbed scarf in Chunky Yarn Elora on needle size 6 mm: cast on 40 sts – that's 38 ribbing sts (9 × 4 + 2) plus 2 edge sts.
Right-side row: k1 (edge st), *k2, p2*, repeat 9 times, k2, k1 (edge st).
Wrong-side row: k1 (edge st), *p2, k2*, repeat 9 times, p2, k1 (edge st).
Check the width after about 10 cm and plan on one more ball than shown in the table.

Knitting a cowl

A cowl is a scarf with its ends sewn together. Knit a piece of about 30 × 140 cm in seed stitch or garter stitch, which you can wrap twice around your neck. Then place the cast-on and bind-off edges together and sew them with the tapestry needle using mattress stitch. If you give one end a half twist first, you'll get a Möbius cowl that falls into soft folds when worn. In white, Tweed Wool Carin really shows off its colorful flecks. You'll find more suitable yarns in our selection for cowls.

Scarf with fringe

Fringe gives a simple scarf a relaxed finish. It goes nicely with a scarf in Gradient Yarn Sofia, knitted in seed stitch on needle size 4.5 mm – at 20 sts / 10 cm, the table tells you to cast on 41 sts. Here's how to attach the fringe:

1. Wrap the yarn around a piece of cardboard 15 cm tall and cut through the wraps along one edge. This gives you strands 30 cm long.
2. Hold 3 strands together and fold them in half.
3. Insert the crochet hook through a stitch on the cast-on edge, pull the loop through, pass the strand ends through the loop and pull the knot tight.
4. Attach one fringe every 2 cm – for a 20 cm wide scarf, that's 11 per end. Repeat along the bind-off edge.
5. Trim the fringe evenly after washing; it will then be about 12 cm long.

For 22 fringes you'll need about 20 m of yarn – at a yardage of 220 m, that's about 10 g.

Examples for inspiration

Here's what scarves made with this pattern and its variations can look like – in colors that are also available in our yarns.

Note: The images in this section are AI-generated examples for inspiration.

Frequently asked questions about knitting a scarf

How many stitches should I cast on for a scarf?
That depends on your yarn and gauge: at 15 sts per 10 cm, you'll need 31 sts for a 20 cm wide scarf in seed stitch.

How long should a scarf be?
For adults, 160–200 cm is typical. At 180 cm, you can wrap the scarf around your neck once and the ends will still hang down loosely. Kids' scarves are about 100–130 cm long.

How long does it take to knit a scarf?
For our seed stitch scarf on 6 mm needles, expect about 15–25 hours of actual knitting time the first time. Garter stitch is faster because you don't switch between knit and purl stitches.

Why does my scarf keep getting wider?
Usually the yarn is in the wrong position when you switch between knit and purl, creating an unwanted yarn over. Or the first stitch of a row has slipped over the needle toward the back and looks like two stitches. In the beginning, count your stitches every few rows.

Can I crochet a scarf instead?
Yes, you can crochet a scarf with any of the yarns mentioned here. The right hook size is listed in the product description – for Chunky Yarn Crush, it's 5.5–6.5 mm. Crochet uses a little more yarn than knitting, so plan on one extra ball.

We pack your yarn in Görlitz and ship it to you for free within Germany. Have fun knitting your first scarf!