On My Needles: Zick Zack Scarf

I wasn’t sure what I’d make with my last batch of green yarn. The yarn is beautiful, hand-dyed in multiple shades of green. It also runs the risk of looking a bit like camouflage when knitted up! When I stumbled upon the Zick Zack Scarf on Ravelry, I knew it was a perfect fit.

I’ve been working on this scarf for about a month, stealing stitches in the car, at soccer games, and in waiting rooms.

About the Zick Zack Scarf Pattern

Christy Kamm released the Zick Zack scarf pattern a few years ago and it has been knit several thousand times since. The reviews praise its simplicity and beauty. It is both simple and beautiful!

Yes, this scarf pattern is simple enough for a beginner, but the results look complex. This makes it a very satisfying project for a new knitter.

Another satisfying aspect of the yarn is its construction. The chevron shape begins to emerge after only a few rows.

Since the same 12 stitches make up the entire pattern, repeating across each row, and because each row is identical, you only have to remember 12 stitches for this entire pattern. Since I was able to memorize it quickly, I took the scarf everywhere I went in a small project bag. I was able to knit it all in “in-between minutes,” like waiting in car line.

Modifications

The pattern calls for alternating two different yarns while working, but I chose to use only one variegated yarn. The result has been very interesting with a stripe-like pattern gently emerging on each edge and diffusing as the yarn crosses.

Can you see it?

Other iterations feature two different solid yarns or one solid and one variegated or gradient yarn. Both are gorgeous, too!

To match the yarn I was using, I used US 6/4.00 mm knitting needles. Instead of casting on 96 stitches, I cast on 36. Because I’d sized up the needles, the scarf was still about 6″ wide. (The original is about 9″ wide.) I continued till it was time to play yarn chicken, resulting in a scarf that was about 6 feet long.

Find the pattern and my modified Zick Zack scarf on Ravelry.