Fishermen would often wear a neckerchief to prevent the wool of their gansey jumpers rubbing their necks. Choose the softest wool or a plump alpaca DK for this scarf. You could also make it in cotton, or 4ply wool and a strand of mohair/silk held together.

With this little scarf there isn’t a right or wrong side, both look equally good, but they are different, so you can choose to show off one side or t’other!

This scarflette is knitted in half-fishermen’s rib, which creates a crunchy rib pattern on one side, and a smooth rib (that looks similar to a brioche stitch) on the other. Half-fishermen’s rib is worked by knitting k1, p1 rib on one side, then knitting into the row below on the knit stitch on the next row. It is very easy to work.

The scarf is shaped at both ends and is edged with tubular cords for a neat and reversible finish.

Two sizes are given, a short and a long version. The short version is intended to be tied like a neckerchief, while the longer version can be wrapped twice round the neck. I added pompoms to one of the longer versions I made.

The pattern has been professionally tech edited.

You will need
112m of DK yarn for the short neckerchief, or 200m of DK for the long scarflette version.
If you wish to add pompoms, you will need approx 20m more.

When knitting the mustard neckerchief shown here, I only had approx 2m of yarn leftover from the full ball of WYS Bo Peep Pure DK. If your gauge is different to mine, you may find you run out of yarn, so please ensure your gauge is correct. Alternatively, have access to extra yarn just in case.

Also needed
4.5mm (US7) needles for knitting flat
DPN or cable needle
Tapestry needle

Difficulty
Adventurous beginner or intermediate
Techniques: Knit and purl sts; k1below (knit next st into the row below), i-cord edging

Yarn Weight
DK

Sizes
Short (Long)
Width 11cm
Length 80 (118)cm
You can knit T’other Side as long as you wish but yarn amounts will vary.

Tension/gauge
20 sts and 44 rows to 10cm measured over half-fishermen’s rib patt, using 4.5mm needles

Don’t forget to swatch first, to ensure you achieve the correct gauge.

This pattern is for personal, non-commercial use only. Photocopying this pattern and knitting this pattern for profit are prohibited. Design of garment, pattern, instructions, charts and photos are all © Anni Howard 2026.