Rainbow Striped Scarf

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Chain your foundation

   With your first colour, chain 180. This gives you a scarf about 160 cm long — adjust up or down in multiples of 10 for a longer or shorter scarf. Row 1: dc in the 4th chain from hook (the skipped chains count as the first dc) and in every chain across — 178 dc. Chain 3, turn.

2. 2

   Work two rows in each colour

   Row 2: dc in every stitch across (work into the top of the chain-3 at the end). At the end of Row 2, do not fasten off — drop the colour and join the next colour by pulling it through the last loop. Chain 3, turn. Work 2 rows in the new colour, then switch again. Continue through your rainbow sequence: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.

3. 3

   Carry colours up the side

   Rather than cutting and rejoining yarn every two rows, carry the unused colours loosely up the side edge. After working the last stitch of a row, lay the carried yarn along the top of the previous row and work over it with your new colour. This keeps the side edges neat and saves you weaving in dozens of ends.

4. 4

   Repeat the stripe sequence

   Work through the full rainbow sequence (6 colours × 2 rows = 12 rows per repeat) as many times as needed to reach your desired width — about 9–10 repeats for an 18 cm wide scarf. End on a complete repeat so both ends of the scarf match.

5. 5

   Add a simple border

   With any colour (white or the first colour works well), work a row of sc evenly along each long edge and 3 sc in each corner stitch to keep the corners flat. Fasten off and weave in any remaining ends. Block the scarf by pinning it flat and steaming lightly to even out the tension.