THE HARPER SCARF
Your step-by-step guide to making your masterpiece
Hey there, stitch superstar! You’ve got your knitting kit and you've unlocked the secret sauce to making your very own Harper Scarf, and we’re excited to be stitching it out with you.
This guide will be your BFF through the entire journey. Whether you’re brand new to knitting or just here for a refresh, we’ll take you from “how do I hold these sticks?” to “look what I made!” — one cosy row at a time.
Heads up! You'll need the physical pattern that came in your knit kit as well as this online guide. The pattern contains the specifics, this guide gives you the extra layer of detail.
INCLUDED IN YOUR KIT
Knitting Glossary
(AKA the Stitch Decoder)
ROW
One line of stitches worked across the needles.
GARTER STITCH
The fancy name for the stitch pattern created when you knit every stitch in every row.
STOCKINETTE STITCH
The name for the stitch pattern created when you knit one row of stitches, then purl the next row of stitches.
GAUGE
The number of stitches and rows within a 10x10cm square. Checking your gauge helps ensure your finished project is the correct size.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT (Or CLOSE ENOUGH!)
Before we dive into the good stuff, let’s warm up those hands and needles. Think of this like stretching before a workout, except comfier, cuter, and way more fun.
Grab some of the yarn from your kit (just a little, you’ve got enough to spare!), and get familiar with the motions. Try out the stitches you’ll be using in this pattern. This is your time to mess it up, try again, and feel things out — no pressure, no judgement, just you and your new fave hobby.
Bonus: practising now = fewer headaches later (trust us on this one).
Slip Knot
Casting On
Knit Stitch
Casting Off
TEST YOUR GAUGE
Once you’re feeling comfy with the stitches, it’s time to check your gauge. We know, we know — it sounds technical, but it’s really just about making sure your tension matches the pattern.
Why? Because different knitters = different stitch tightness. And we want your finished masterpiece to fit like a dream.
So grab your measuring tape, knit up a little swatch (there’s a guide for that at the link below!), and let’s make sure you’re on track before the main event begins.
How to test your gauge
THE HARPER SCARF
If done correctly, your 10x10cm knitted swatch should measure 7 stitches wide, and 11 rows high when knitted in garter stitch (knit stitch) on your 15mm needles.
Repeat after me:
“I solemnly swear to knit bravely, unpick calmly, and pretend I meant to do that.
I accept that chaos is part of the craft, and possibly part of my personality.
I will finish what I start… eventually.”
The Harper Scarf is perfect for beginners. In fact, we designed her specially for newbies who want an easy-as-pie project. So chunky, so cosy and so your new favourite.
Using your 15mm needles, cast on the correct number of stitches.
💡 Your piece of knitting will grow as you knit so don't be concerned if after you've cast on the piece doesn't look big enough.
We knit our scarf in garter stitch. This is where we knit all the stitches every row. Easy!
💭 One of the things we found the hardest when we were learning to knit was keeping track of our rows. Before we were able to easily identify a row of stitches we used a pen and paper to keep track. That's why we've included handy circles in our patterns - you can tick them off as you go.
🧶 When your first ball runs out you’ll start a new one. To do this, simply leave a 10–15cm tail from the old yarn and begin knitting with the new ball, holding both tails together for a few stitches. Then, drop the old yarn and continue with the new one. You can weave in the ends later to tidy things up - easy as that!
💡 When you put your knitting down, it’s always best to stop at the end of a row, not mid-way through. That way you won’t get confused about what direction you’re knitting in!
Cast off your stitches!
When you've got just one stitch left on your right needle, simply cut your yarn from the ball (leaving about 20cm) and thread the loose end back through your last stitch to secure it.
🔥 Nice Work!
It's tassel time!
Grab your scissors and using the left over yarn, cut 40 equal length pieces - twice as long as you want your tassels to be. We normally go for lengths of around 40cm.
We're going to attach 8 tassels to each end of the scarf. Grab 2 pieces of yarn, pinching them in half. Using your fingers tread the loop through the cast on/cast off edge. Then thread the tails back through the loop and pull to secure.
Repeat until you've attached all your tassels, then trim them so they are even.
🪡 The final thing you'll do is use your darning needle to weave the yarn tails back into your work. This gives you a neat finish.
To do this, thread the darning needle with a tail, then pass the needle through the stitches on the wrong side of your work, following the path of the yarn for 5–10cm. Then change direction and weave back through a few more stitches to help lock it in place. Because seamless projects don’t have seams to hide ends in, try to stay within the structure of the stitches so the tail disappears without creating bulk or showing through to the front. Once it’s secure, trim any excess yarn close to the fabric.
