How to Make Homespun Scarfs With Yarn
Knitting a scarf with homespun yarn can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. If you have recently started spinning your own yarn and are looking for a project to use it, or if you have found a handspun yarn in a yarn store that you have fallen in love with, there are lots of ways to utilize that yarn. When buying handspun yarn, always make sure to buy as much as you would want right then, because if you run out of that yarn it can be hard to match the dyelot of handspun yarn at a later date if need be.
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Things You'll Need
- Handspun yarn
- Appropriately sized knitting needles
- Standard size pencil
- Ruler
- Postage scale, or one designed just for weighing yarn
Instructions
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1
Measure the weight of your yarn -- for example, whether the weight is fingering weight, worsted weight or bulky. Mark off an inch on the pencil by measuring it with a ruler. Then wrap a strand of the handspun yarn around the pencil within that inch.
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2
Find a pattern you like, in pattern books, magazines or online from sites such as LionBrand.com. Now that you know the weight of your yarn, choose a pattern that calls for that weight of yarn. In general, it's best to use a simple pattern for homespun yarn, because homespun yarn tends to be a bit thick and thin, and a simple pattern will showcase that best.
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Knit your scarf according to the pattern, or just make a simple garter stitch pattern for your scarf. To accomplish that, choose knitting needles appropriate for your weight of yarn. For example, if your yarn is worsted weight, choose size 7 to 9 needles.
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Cast on anywhere from 10 to 25 stitches, depending on how wide you want your scarf, and knit every row until you've reached your desired length, generally anywhere from 60 to 70 inches.
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Tips & Warnings
The number of wraps you can fit, one next to another, within that inch is known as wraps per inch, or WPI. Consult a chart to determine the weight of your yarn, for example, worsted weight yarn would be 12 WPI, while super bulky yarn would be only 8 WPI.
For a different look, or to add weight to your yarn if the homespun is very thin, consider holding another strand of commercial yarn together with a strand of homespun while you're knitting.
