Free Butterfly Scarf Knitting Pattern

This lovely scarf is made even prettier by a sprinkling of iridescent beads that shimmer from the soft pink yarn. The butterfly pattern gives the scarf an unusual and subtle touch.

Picture of a pink scarf with butterfly pattern and irridescent beads.
With sparkling beads and delicate
butterfly wings, this scarf is just beautiful.

Size
Width: 71/2" (19cm)
Length: 32" (81.5cm), not including crochet edging

What You'll Need

Yarn: Heavy worsted-weight yarn, about 246 yards (225m)

We used: Classic Elite Yarns Lush (50% angora, 50% wool; 123 yards [112.5m] per 50g skein): #4419 Pink Icing, 2 skeins

Needles: US size 8 (5mm)

Notions: 74 iridescent beads, 5mm each; beading needle with eye large enough to thread yarn and fit bead hole; size G/6 (4mm) crochet hook; tapestry needle to weave in ends

Gauge
18 stitches and 20 rows=4" (10cm) in butterfly-pattern stitch

Note: String all beads onto the first ball of yarn even if it means transferring (or restringing) some onto the second ball when the first ball of yarn is finished. This way you're sure to have enough beads on the first ball.

Making the Scarf
Thread the beading needle with the first ball of yarn. Insert threaded needle through the beads, one at a time, stringing 74 beads onto the yarn. Remove yarn from beading needle.

Unwind a little extra yarn and slide the beads toward the yarn ball and away from the working end. Cast on 39 stitches without beads. As you work, continue to slide the beads away from the needle and the working end of yarn until the beads are needed (rows 14 and 24).

Rows 1-3: Work in seed stitch (knit 1, purl 1) across each row.
Row 4: (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1, purl 29 stitches, (knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1.

Begin pattern as follows, keeping first and last 5 stitches of each row in seed stitch.

Row 5 (right side): (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 3, *with yarn in front slip next 5 stitches purlwise from left to right needle, take yarn to back very loosely (to avoid bunching the 5 slipped stitches together), knit 5; repeat from * once more, with yarn in front, slip next 5 stitches purlwise, take yarn to back loosely, knit 3, (purl 1, knit 1) 2 times.
Row 6 (wrong side): (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1, purl across row to last 5 stitches, (knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1.
Rows 7, 9, 11, and 13: Repeat row 5.
Rows 8, 10, and 12: Repeat row 6.
Row 14 (bead and butterfly row): (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1, purl 4; *at the next stitch (the center stitch of the 5 slipped stitches) insert the right needle tip under the 5 loose strands starting at the last strand made in row 13, bring the needle tip up, and without twisting the strands, transfer them onto the left needle tip; slide 1 bead up to the right needle close to the tip and purl the 5 strands, the bead, and the next stitch together as 1 stitch, purl 9; repeat from * once more, then insert the right needle under the next 5 strands, slide bead up to right needle and purl the strands, the bead, and the next stitch together, purl 4, (knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1.

Notes: (1) You may find it easier to insert the left needle tip under the 5 strands and scoop them up onto the left needle, then purl the strands, the bead, and the next stitch together. (2) As you purl the bead stitch, push the bead through to the front side of the work. If it does not go through to the front easily, coax it forward on the next right-side row. (3) When you work the next right-side row immediately following the bead row, knit the bead stitches through the back loop on this row only to help keep the beads in place.

Rows 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23: (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 8, with yarn in front slip next 5 stitches purlwise from left to right needle, take yarn to back loosely, knit 5, slip the next 5 stitches as before, knit 7, (knit 1, purl) 2 times, knit 1.
Rows 16, 18, 20, and 22: Repeat row 6.
Row 24 (bead and butterfly row): (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1, purl 9, *at the next stitch (the center of the 5 slipped stitches), insert the right needle tip under the 5 loose strands, bring the needle tip up and transfer the 5 strands to the left needle, slide a bead up to the right needle and purl the 5 strands, the bead, and the next stitch together as 1 stitch, purl 9; repeat from * once more, (knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1.

Repeat pattern rows 5-24 until piece measures about 31" (78.5cm) in length, ending with row 24.
Next row: (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit across row until 5 stitches remain, (knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1.
Next row: (Knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1, purl across row until 5 stitches remain, (knit 1, purl 1) 2 times, knit 1.

Work 3 rows in seed stitch (knit 1, purl 1). Bind off loosely in seed stitch on wrong side of work (1 loop remains on right needle after last stitch is bound off). Don't cut yarn. With yarn and beads attached to work, remove knitting needle from the last loop and insert crochet hook into the loop to begin the crochet border.

Make the Border
With right side of work facing, beginning at the bind-off edge of scarf, use crochet hook and attached yarn to chain 4 stitches. On fifth stitch, slide 1 bead up the yarn close to the crochet hook, crochet chain 1 stitch to anchor the bead, chain 4 more stitches without beads; skip next 4 bound-off stitches along the short edge of scarf, connect chain with a slip stitch into the next bound-off stitch. *Chain 4, bring 1 bead into position, chain 1 to anchor bead, chain 4, skip next 4 bound-off stitches, connect chain into the next bound-off stitch with a slip stitch. Chain 4, slide bead up and chain 1, chain 4, skip next 5 bound-off stitches, connect chain into the next bound-off stitch; repeat from * 2 more times, connecting the last chain with slip stitch into the last bound-off stitch. There are a total of 7 loops with beads connected to the scarf edge. Cut yarn, leaving a 4" (10cm) tail.

Cast-on Edge
 Insert hook into first cast-on stitch at very side edge, leaving a 6" (15cm) tail, yarn over the hook and pull through a loop, then work border same as other edge, joining the chain in the cast-on stitches. Cut remaining yarn, leaving a 4" (10cm) tail. With threaded tapestry needle, weave in all ends.

Continuing with our animal themed scarves, our next pattern is for the boa.

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