Blossoms Scarf

Blossoms Scarf by Nancy Hand

What is Being Made

The Blossoms Scarf is a sophisticated lace-weight knit accessory designed by Nancy Hand. This finished scarf measures 64 inches long by 8.5 inches wide (163 x 22 cm), making it an elegant, versatile piece suitable for various styling occasions. The scarf showcases a reversible design with distinct dark and light sides, created through advanced double-knit construction techniques.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs double-knit as its primary construction method, a technique that creates a reversible fabric with two distinct sides. The pattern also incorporates stranded colorwork, as evidenced by the inclusion of both a stranded-style chart and a double-knit chart within the instructions. The scarf begins with a specialized 2-color cast on to establish the dual-sided construction. Colorwork integration allows the designer to create the blossoms motif across the 108-row chart, which is repeated 7 times throughout the scarf length. The pattern requires careful attention to establishing which side functions as the "front" of the finished piece.

Stitches and Stitch Details

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 7.6 stitches and 13 rows per inch (per 2.54 cm). The cast-on creates 78 pairs of stitches for a total of 156 stitches, accommodating the 8.5-inch width. The construction begins with 2 plain rows to establish the color separation between the dark and light sides, followed by 7 complete repetitions of the 108-row charted pattern, and concludes with 2 matching plain rows before binding off. The use of 8 stitch markers is optional but recommended for tracking pattern repeats and maintaining consistency across the colorwork sections.

Yarn and Needles

The Blossoms Scarf pattern calls for lace-weight yarn, requiring approximately 710 yards (650 m) each of two coordinating colors. The original design specifies Mrs. Crosby Reticule in Winter Wheat and Dragonfly Fibers Squishy Lace in Cognac, with each yarn providing 840 yards (768 m) per skein. Knitting is worked on US 2 (2.75mm) needles, appropriate for the lace-weight gauge and creating the delicate, refined fabric characteristic of this accessory.

Pattern Format and Instructions

This downloadable PDF pattern from independent designer Nancy Hand includes comprehensive instructions to guide knitters through the project. The pattern provides 2 sets of charts—a stranded-style chart and a double-knit chart—allowing knitters to choose their preferred colorwork method or follow both for reference. Full written directions accompany the charts, detailing the cast-on process, row-by-row construction, chart repetition, and finishing techniques including tucking in ends and optional blocking.