FAB YARN FAQS | Knitting Up the Perfect Scarf: How Much Yarn You'll Need

Knitting Scarves 101: The Basics

Selecting Your Yarn

Choosing the right yarn is key to a cozy scarf. For a lightweight accessory, opt for a wool or acrylic in a light to medium weight. For extra warmth, go with a chunky wool or wool blend. Whatever you pick, get enough skeins to complete your project. As a general rule, you’ll want at least 1 skein for every 2 feet of scarf length.

Picking Your Needles

The needle size depends on your yarn choice. Lighter yarns call for smaller needles, while bulky yarns require larger ones. For most medium weight yarns, size 8-10 needles are a good all-purpose choice. Longer needles, called circular needles, are easier to work with for scarves.

Casting On and Binding Off

Cast on loosely and bind off evenly to get nice edges that won’t curl. For easy edges, use a simple cast on like the long-tail method and bind off in pattern. Make your cast on row slightly looser than the rest of the scarf so you can comfortably fit it over your head!

Keeping Tension

Maintaining even tension is key to a good-looking scarf. Work at a comfortable pace and avoid pulling too tightly. Check your gauge as you go and make adjustments to get evenly sized stitches. Tug on the working yarn to tighten up or gently spread out the stitches on the needle to loosen up. With some yarn, needles, and patience, you'll be knitting up a cozy scarf in no time. Keep your stitches even, check your gauge, and before you know it, you'll have a handcrafted accessory to keep you warm all winter long.

How to Calculate Yarn Needed for Your Scarf

To figure out how much yarn you'll need for that scarf you've been dreaming of knitting, you'll need to determine how long and wide you want it. For a standard long scarf, aim for 60 to 72 inches. That's a good, cozy size that still has plenty of drape. If you want something more dramatic, go for 90 inches or more. For a shorter scarf, 30 to 50 inches is typical. Write down your desired length in inches.

Width

Most scarves are between 4 to 8 inches wide. Skinny scarves are around 4 to 6 inches, average ones 6 to 7 inches, and oversized scarves 7 inches and up. Choose a width in the range you prefer and note that down too.

Yarn Weight

The yarn weight will also impact how much you need. Bulkier yarns require more yardage than finer yarns for the same size scarf. Check the specifics of your chosen yarn to determine its weight, like worsted or DK. Then you can estimate how much you'll need. For example, a 60 x 6 inch worsted weight scarf will need around 600 yards of yarn. The same size in bulky weight may need 900 yards or more. It's always best to buy an extra skein just in case.

Do the Math

Now do the math. Multiply your desired scarf length and width in inches. Divide by 36 to get the number of square yards. Then multiply by the typical yardage requirement for your yarn weight, which you can find on the yarn specifications or by searching online. That will give you a pretty accurate estimate of the total yards of yarn you should purchase for your perfect scarf. Happy knitting!