Free Herringbone Scarf with Pom-pom Fringe Knitting Pattern

This twisted herringbone stitch creates a dense, warm texture without using cable needles. Take away the flirty pom-pom fringe to make a great masculine scarf.

Picture of a blue knitted scarf with pom-poms at the ends.
The herringbone scarf with pom-poms is
great for everyone in the family.

Size
Width: 7" (18cm)
Length: 56" (142cm), not including pom-pom fringe

What You'll Need

Yarn: Bulky-weight yarn, about 375 yards (343m)

We used: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky (85% wool, 15% mohair; 125 yards [114m] per 4oz [113g] skein): M51 Winter Blue, 3 skeins

Needles: US size 11 (8mm); US size 10 (6mm)

Notions: Tapestry needle to weave in ends; scrap cardboard for making pom-poms; size H/8 (5mm) crochet hook

Gauge
18 stitches=4" (10cm) in pattern

Making the Scarf
Using smaller size needles, cast on 32 stitches.

Set-up row (wrong side): Purl.

Change to larger size needles, and begin pattern as follows:

Row 1 (right side): Knit first stitch through back loop, *insert right needle through back loop of second stitch on the left needle and pull up a loop as if to knit but do not take the stitch off the left needle, knit first stitch on the left needle and slip both stitches off the left needle onto the right needle (the stitches from the previous row will appear twisted); repeat from * across the row until 1 stitch remains, bring yarn to front of work and slip last stitch purlwise.
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit first stitch through back loop, purl 1 stitch, * purl second stitch on left needle but do not slip it off the needle, purl first stitch on left needle and let both stitches slip onto right needle (twist in the opposite direction of previous row); repeat from * across row until 2 stitches remain, purl 1 stitch and slip the last stitch purlwise with yarn in front.

Repeat these 2 rows for pattern until scarf measures about 56" (142cm) in length, ending with row 2. Weave in loose ends.

Make the Pom-Poms
Cut 2 circles out of cardboard, each about 11/2" (4cm) in diameter. Cut a small hole in the center of each circle; make a slit from the outside edge of both circles to the center hole. Hold both circles together with the slits aligned. Wind the yarn evenly around both circles (going through the slits to the center holes) as tightly as possible. The more times you wrap, the fuller the pom-pom will be. For this project, use about 5 yards (4.5m) of yarn. Cut the yarn around the outer edges of the circles. Cut an 18" (45.5cm) yarn strand and, pulling the cardboard circles apart very slightly, wrap the strand yarn firmly around the pom-pom centers a couple of times. Tie the strand tightly in a double knot. Remove the cardboard circles completely, and fluff out the pom-pom. Trim ends to even out if necessary, but do not trim the strands around the pom-pom centers. You will use that yarn later.

Make 10 pom-poms.

To Attach the Pom-Poms
For each pom-pom, cut two 10" (25.5cm) strands of yarn (20 strands total). *Working across one short edge of the scarf, with crochet hook, pull ends of both strands halfway through one stitch above the scarf edge. Holding the cut ends in each hand, braid the 4 strands together for about 1 to 11/2" (2.5-4cm). Make an overhand knot at the end of the braid to prevent unraveling. Thread 2 of the yarn tails from the braided ends on a tapestry needle and insert the needle and yarn tails, from left to right, under the yarn wrapped around the pom-pom centers. Remove the needle. Rethread the tapestry needle with the 2 remaining yarn tails from the braided ends, and insert needle and these 2 yarn tails under the yarn tied around the pom-pom center, this time going from right to left. You now have 2 tails on the left of the center yarn and 2 tails on the right. Take the 4 strands and tie them together tightly in a square knot to secure the braid to the pom-pom. Trim ends to even. Repeat from * 4 more times (5 total), spacing the pom-poms evenly across the short edge of the scarf. Repeat for other short edge of scarf.

The herringbone pattern is just one of many different patterns that you can knit into your scarf. Another one is the butterfly. Go to the next page for a free pattern.

For more helpful knitting tips and interesting patterns, try: