This knitted Hebrides scarf takes inspiration from Celtic artwork; recreating a simple Celtic knot in openwork lace. The Hebrides are a group of islands off the wild and rocky west coast of Scotland. Fifteen hundred years ago these islands were at the heart of a Celtic society. The scarf uses a combination of yarn overs and simple decreases to trace the strands of the knotwork, placing each knot within a sea of moss (seed) stitch to represent the chain of islands. I invite you to dive in and go on your very own island-hopping adventure.
This pattern is available on Ravelry, Payhip and Lovecrafts. There is a low vision accessible version of this pattern. Please note that this version is not available on Lovecrafts.
Make it your own
Techniques
You will need the following techniques to work this pattern. Follow the links to head over to Base Camp if you need a refresher for a particular techniques.- Knit, purl,
- yarn over
- single and double decreases
Essential Information
Measurements
Measurements: One size (approximately 25cm/10 inches by 150cm/60 inches).Yarn:
Malabrigo Worsted (100% wool; 210yd/192m per 3.5oz/100g skein); colour: Autumn Forest; 2 skeins.Needles:
1 set 5mm/US8 needles for working flat.Notions:
Yarn needle, wire or pins for blocking.Tension:
18 stitches and 24 rows to 10cm/4inches in stocking stitch.Additional Notes
Each chart for the different sized celtic knots will flow from one to another. This gives you the option to fully customise the scarf: you can work the knots in any order or work all the same sized knots if you would prefer. Please note any changes you make will change the length of the scarf and may require more yarn.Make it your own
Choosing a different yarn
One of the joys of knitting a scarf is that the size does not really matter in the same way that a sweater needs to fit. This is really freeing if you are interested in changing the yarn, as it means that you could also change the yarn weight. It is true that this will change the size of the scarf. But, with a little bit of planning, this can easily be accommodated by the Hebrides Scarf pattern. The pattern is already written as a pick ‘n’ mix pattern. You have the choice of combining the same motif in three different sizes. Once you know the approximate size of each motif in various yarn weight, you can combine these together to make a scarf of your own desired dimensions.
The width of the Hebrides Scarf is determined by the number of stitches that you cast on. If you want a wider scarf, cast on more stitches and work a wider border in moss (seed) stitch. The length is determined by the number of rows, which in turn is determined by which (and how many) motifs you choose. Remember that the scarf may grow 5-10% more after blocking, depending on the fibre of the yarn you choose.
The table below gives approximate sizes for each motif in various common weights of yarn. Please note that these are calculated on an “average” tension (gauge) for the weight, but this is likely to change from knitter to knitter. I also have not calculated yarn requirements as this too will change with yarn weight, but also with the length that you choose for your scarf. I hope you find this information helpful if you want to customise your own Hebrides Scarf.
|
4 ply (sport) cm(in) |
DK (light worsted) cm(in) |
Aran (worsted) cm(in) |
Chunky (bulky) cm(in) |
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|
assumed tension /gauge (10cm / 4 inches) |
24 sts 32 rows |
22 sts 30 rows |
18 sts 24 rows |
14 sts 18 rows |
|
|
width of scarf |
19 (7.5) |
20 (8) |
25 (10) |
32 (12.5) |
|
|
length of |
small knot |
16 (6.5) |
17 (6.5) |
22 (8.5) |
29 (11.5) |
|
medium knot |
20 (8) |
21 (8.5) |
27 (10.5) |
36 (14) |
|
|
large knot |
24 (9.5) |
25 (10) |
32 (12.5) |
42 (16.5) |
|
|
border |
4 (1.5) |
4 (1.5) |
5 (2) |
7 (3) |
|
Picking and mixing knots for the Hebrides Scarf
Here are some suggestions for different ways to combine the three motifs. All measurements are based on Aran weight yarn (as specified in the pattern) with an 8% increase in length allowed for blocking. All of these suggestions are symmetrical, because that is what appeals to me, but of course you don’t need to mirror image your scarf…
The original: this is the set up as specified in the pattern. The knots go from small to large and back again. This gives the shortest scarf in the options here, at approximately 150cm (60inches).
The unfussy: just because you have three knots to play with, doesn’t mean you need to use them. This version uses only the medium knot five times. It has an approximate length of 155cm (61inches).
The inverted: you can have a slightly longer scarf, with a similar look to the original if you start and end with the largest knots, and work down to the smallest in the middle. This Hebrides scarf option comes out at about 160cm (63 inches).
The alternating: perhaps you like your scarves to be looooong. If so, try this. This option alternates between the small and medium knots and measures approximately 190cm (75 inches). You could easily keep going with this repeat to add even more length.
The necklace: this option makes me think of a necklace with small beads around the neck, growing in size to the largest focal bead at the centre front. With two small knots on each side, this scarf measures approximately 195cm (77 inches), but again could easily be extended by adding more small knots.
Finally, whose insisting that you knit a scarf? You can adapt the pattern to make a wrap too. This example uses two rows of medium knots, with a large knot at each end. If I were making this, I would fill the centre with moss (seed) stitch, or perhaps another large knot right in the middle? This would take a bit more fiddling with the pattern (for example increasing the cast on – in this option you would need three times the original cast on). I calculate this to result in a wrap around 75cm (30 inches) deep by 260cm (102 inches) long.
I hope this has given you some ideas for customising the pattern, I would love to see any creations that you come up with!
