Knitting a scarf is a cool project, especially for beginners. If you’re working on your first knitting project, need a cool piece of accessory to add to your outfit, or want to give someone a special gift that you’ve made yourself, a knitted scarf will be the right choice.
Once you’ve made up your mind about knitting a scarf, you need to ask yourself a few questions. One of the most important ones is: how long does it take to knit a scarf? This will help you decide on whether your scarf will be ready for an upcoming occasion or not. Keep on reading to learn more about how much time it will take to have your scarf finished.
How Long Does it Take to Knit a Scarf?
Of course, being a beginner means that you will probably take more time to have your scarf finished. Someone who has been knitting for years will finish the scarf faster. In addition to experience, there are other factors that affect how long it would take to have your knitted scarf finished.
- The width and length of the scarf
- The thickness of the yarn and the size of the needles
- The simplicity or complexity of the knitting pattern
- The time you actually spend on knitting every single day
A knitted scarf would take any time between a week and a couple of months, depending on all these factors.
Factors that Affect How Fast Your Knitted Scarf Will Be Ready
A beginner would always take more time because they’re merely less accustomed to the repetitive motion of knitting. However, you’ll find that your knitting skills are improving in a very short time, especially if you have picked a simple pattern.
In addition to your level of experience, the following factors will impact how fast your knitting will be ready.
The Length and Width of the Scarf
Picking the right length and width of your scarf is a matter of personal choice. A skinny scarf will be more appropriate to wear when the weather isn’t too cold. You can also manipulate it into several designs to make your outfits look more unique.
A wider scarf is more appropriate for extremely cold conditions as it allows you to enjoy more warmth. Picking the stitching pattern will also have an impact on how wide the scarf will be. Lace patterns and other more complicated stitching patterns require a wider scarf to show the full pattern.
The average length of a scarf can be determined by stretching out your arms and measuring from your fingers’ tips from one hand to the other end. You can also use a scarf that you own and love as a model. A medium-length scarf will be around 70 inches when extended. A short one will measure 55 inches, while a longer one would be 80 inches or even more.
If you’re using another scarf as a model, you don’t need to stretch it too much as the knitting usually expands when pulled. You should also consider this while you measure the scarf when you’re still working on it. If not washed properly, scarves will also stretch over time, so you need to block your knitted scarf after it’s finished.
When it comes to knitting a scarf for your child, you need to make sure that it’s not extra-long as this can be a safety hazard. Very long scarves can get entangled and might accidentally suffocate your child while they’re playing.
Knitting a cowl might be more suitable for children because it’s safer. A cowl will keep your child warm but won’t get caught up in objects.
The Yarn and Needle
A scarf can be knitted using any yarn, and this is an easy project for beginners. The thin yarn is more suitable for complicated patterns because it shows the beauty of the stitches. Thick yarn is easier to work with and provides a better grip.
Most people prefer to work with thick yarn because you can finish a big part of your knitting in less time. However, the extremely thick yarn might be a little challenging to work with, depending on the pattern you’re choosing.
When you’re buying yarn, you should check the label to decide on the right needle size. If the yarn label says that you should work with a 7 mm needle, you can work with a 6 mm or an 8 mm needle.
Smaller needle size will make the stitching more compact and the scarf warmer. Bigger needle size will make the stitching looser and the scarf more flexible. You can even go for a bigger size if you feel that you like your stitches to look less defined.
An excellent way to decide on the right size of the needle is to experiment with several ones. Do a patch test and work with several needles to pick the most appropriate pattern. Although this might seem time-consuming, it’s actually an excellent way to show you how your finished scarf will look, so you can choose a different pattern or needle if it doesn’t look the way you prefer.
The Type of Pattern
Choosing a knitting pattern for your scarf is an enjoyable task. There are literally hundreds of complicated stitches that you can do using the needles you would normally use for normal knitting.
Simple knitting is the easier one to use, and if you pick it, you will probably finish the scarf fast. More complicated patterns take more time because they require accurate counting and repetition.
Knitting patterns are rated for beginners and more experienced users. A beginner rating is suitable for first-time knitters because it’s straightforward. Moreover, the risk of making mistakes is minimum, so you won’t have to worry about undoing your knitting because you have done something wrong.
An easy rating is similar to the beginner rating but involves a few repetitions, or you might need to switch between 2 colors. An intermediate rating is more suitable for more experienced knitters. Intermediate knitting refers to simple lace designs, cables, and intarsia; however, the designs won’t be that complicated. Typically, as a beginner, you will take more time to finish an intermediate-rated pattern.
The experienced rating refers to stitches that look more complicated and would typically take more time. Even if you’ve been knitting for years, it might take you some time before you could master an experienced-rated pattern. These patterns are beautiful and will make your scarf look more unique. Some of these stitches look even better when you’re using 2 colors of yarn.
Your Availability
In a perfect world, you would have all the time you need, so you can work on your knitting. However, you probably need to focus on other aspects of your life, and you also need to allow your eyes to relax. Too much knitting can cause eye strain even if you’re experienced.
If you have a job and need to take care of your family, you might have an hour or even less time to work on your knitting. You might even have the chance to work only on the weekends.
As a matter of fact, taking breaks will also be good for your back and legs. It’s recommended that you take a short break every 30 to 60 minutes to help relieve your muscles.
Wrap Up
Understanding how much time is needed to finish a knitted scarf will help you plan your time in advance. This way, you can start early enough if you need to have your scarf ready before a specific date. Remember that you’ll get better with time and will be able to finish knitted projects faster. Next, check out our post on how to crochet a scarf and how to use a crochet hook to get you started successfully on your next project.