How to Knit a Lei Scarf with FREE printable pattern!

Knitting a scarf is easier than you might think!  If you’re looking for a fun knitting project with amazing pictured instructions, plus a free PDF printable, then you are in luck!  {{I’ve got your back}}.   Here’’s how to knit a Lei scarf using Ribbons yarn that is absolutely swoon worthy.

Print Free File Here:
How to Knit a Lei Scarf {printable instructions} (1676 downloads )

It’s always fun to see what’s next when it comes to yarn! I was excited to try out the new Red Heart Boutique Ribbons after trying their Sashay yarn last year (see my free scarf pattern for Sashay here). One of the things I enjoy about novelty yarns like these are that they don’t look like yarn really–you end up with a finished product that’s hard to believe is a DIY. Ribbons has a fabulous texture, great saturated colors in an ombre effect, and you can get different looks depending on the length and number of your knitting rows.

I couldn’t resist letting this yarn run long, long, long and ribbon-y, so I chose to design a scarf in the round using a shorter number of long rows. It looks so organic this way, almost like petals. I call it the Ribbons Lei Scarf. Wear it flat, or twist, twist, twist…

 Print Free File Here:
How to Knit a Lei Scarf {printable instructions} (1676 downloads )

How to Knit a Lei Scarf with FREE printable pattern!

Want to make one? I’ve got a step-by-step tutorial. You’ll need:

• One skein Ribbons yarn (I chose “Fire”)
• Size 8 circular knitting needles, 32 inches long
• Sewing needle and thread for finishing

Before working with this yarn, carefully unfold it. It’s not wound the way typical yarn skeins are.

Find the end.

Find the strings in a few places holding the yarn together and snip these so you can easily pull the yarn from your folded pile. I found it worked just fine this way without getting tangled.

The yarn has rectangular holes or windows along the top. You will be working in these to knit the scarf together starting with a different way of “casting on.”

To begin, cast on stitches by inserting your needle from front to back through each hole. Skip the first to leave a short tail for stitching down when you are finishing the scarf.

After casting on the first “stitch” rotate your needle around the yarn to the front and insert the needle into the next hole from front to back.

Repeat until you have cast on 100 stitches.

Now to knit…

Holding your needles as if to knit, insert your right needle through the back loop of the first stitch on your left needle,…

…now pick up the tail of the yarn and find the next hole…

…and insert your right needle from front to back through it,…

…and pull that loop through the stitch on your left needle.

Pull the stitch off your left needle and you have just completed your first knit stitch.

Repeat knitting each of the 100 stitches you cast on.

When you get to the end of the row,…

…instead of turning, slide the stitches to the end of your left needle and knit the first stitch on it…

…to join your knitting in a round.

Place a stitch marker here to mark the start of your row. This will make it easier to keep track of your rows. Here’s what your work will start to look like. The “ribbons” will hang down as you work your rows.

Knit 15 rows.

You will be looking at the mesh of threads created by your knitting and the ribbons will be hanging on the inside of your round.

You can’t help but enjoy all the texture this knitting creates! I love it.

When you have finished knitting your 15th row,…

…remove the stitch marker and bind off all your stitches. The bind-off is the standard bind-off you would do with regular yarn, but it looks a little different. To do it, “knit” 1 stitch…

…then knit a second stitch. Now insert your left needle under the first stitch you knit on your right needle…

…and pull that stitch over the 2nd stitch you knit.

You have bound off one stitch and have a new “first” stitch on your right needle (in addition to the rest of the row behind it).

Continue binding off. After a few stitches your work will look like this with your “first stitch” for binding off and then a large gap (representing the stitches you have bound off) between it and the end of the row you are working.

When you come to your last two stitches, your final bind-off,…

…rather than pulling the yarn through the last stitch as you typically would to finish, keep that final stitch on your right needle,…

…cut the Ribbons yarn leaving a one-inch tail, and…

…using a double threaded sewing needle, pull the thread through the loop…

…and knot it by inserting the needle between the threads and pulling tight.

Now stitch down the short tail of yarn. Knot and cut the thread.

Repeat this finishing work on the tail left when you cast on.

You’ve done it! You’ve knit a Ribbons Lei Scarf.

It looks pretty cool on the wrong side.

And really beautiful on the right side! I hope you enjoy wearing it!

Print Free File Here: Download

Other Knitting Tutorials:

• 10 Knitting & Crochet Patterns Using Shimmer Yarn
• 15 Free Crochet & Knitting Bag Patterns
• Christmas in July:  12 Free Patterns

Anneliese shares her creative, authentic, and inspiring creations at Aesthetic Nest.  She is driven to beautify the space around her, and has a knack for creating gorgeous, original items that enhance her space.  At Aesthetic Nest, you’ll find a creative journal where Anneliese showcases things she makes including sewing, knitting, crochet, cooking, painting (not often enough), room decorating, and party designing.