Celtic Cabled Scarf

The Celtic Cabled Scarf looks like it took real skill, and here is the quiet truth - the cables are easy. They are made with a front post stitch worked a couple of rows below, which pulls the fabric into a raised, twisting cable without any special tools or fuss. Once you see how the post stitches travel, the whole thing clicks, and you will keep working just to watch the next cable form.

The body is single crochet, plain and steady, with the cables running in columns down the length. That contrast is what makes it work. The flat single crochet background lets the raised cables stand out, so the scarf reads rich and textured while staying simple to make. It it's a a sixteen-row repeat that you will know by heart before long.

A proper winter scarf, blocked, it is 7 inches wide and 58 inches long, enough to wrap around the neck and still have ends to tuck into a coat. The cables give it weight and warmth without being bulky, the kind of scarf that earns its place on the coldest days and looks good doing it.

Yarn: 

450 yards of fingering weight yarn.

The sample uses Malabrigo Silky Merino Yarn (50% silk, 50% merino wool, 50g / 150 yards) in the color #416 Indiecita.

Hook: 

Size G/6 (4.0 mm), or the size needed for gauge. Make sure you take the time to check it before you start.

Notions: 

Yarn needle

Gauge: 

16 sc = 4.5 inches and 16 sc rows = 4 inches. Check your gauge before you begin. It sets the width of the scarf and how far your yardage will take you.

Finished Size: 

7 inches wide by 58 inches long. Blocking evens the fabric and sets the cables, so plan for it.