When you first get a circular knitting machine there are a few classic projects that everyone seems to make, and one of them is a dropped stitch scarf.
It’s easy to see why, because this is a really simple project that’s quick to make and it’s fun to see how the scarf grows as you deliberately drop stitches after the knitting is done.
The reason this works is that dropping the stitches loosens the stitches around them, making the stitches that remain elongate, thus making the scarf longer.
I experimented with a couple of different lengths on a couple of different machines, and I came up with what I would probably consider a child or teen size scarf and one that’s more adult sized or for people who like a more drapey look.
The smaller one can be wrapped around the neck twice and is relatively snug, perfect for cooler weather, while the longer one can wrap three times, or twice with a longer section draping down. It just gives you more options and is a style I’d probably wear more in different seasons.
Dropping all those stitches also makes for a lightweight and breathable scarf that you can wear even when it’s not that cool outside. I didn’t make one on a little 22 stitch machine, but I’ll bet if you did you’d come up with something more like a necklace than a scarf.
You can grab the pattern and read about my experiments over at Our Daily Craft. If you’ve made one of these I’d love to hear how long you made it.
Also, if you’re not a circular knitting machine person, you can do this exact thing with knitting needles. Just cast on 40-48 stitches, work in the round for however long you like, and before you bind off drop every other stitch off the needle. Then you can drop those stitches back to the cast on edge and sew it into a loop or not as you like!
