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Make a Drop Stitch Scarf with a Circular Knitting Machine

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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!

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Summer T-Shirt Knitting Patterns

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.