Rapunzel Scarf Pattern

View a pdf version of this pattern here.

“Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!”

I’ve always imagined Rapunzel unfurling a long, blonde braid that looked like a magnificent, intricately woven rope. This scarf reminds me of that braid. A couple years ago, Anthropologie was selling a Rapunzel Scarf that consisted of a braided rope of various yarns (a great way to use up your stash, by the way), but I thought an I-cord version in a nice, neutral ivory would be even lovelier. I hope you enjoy it!

Finished Measurements: 3″ wide X 96″ long/8 X 244 cm (excluding fringe)

Note on length: I designed this scarf to be extra-long so you can wrap it around your neck several times to create a great braided effect and keep your neck warm in spite of how narrow the scarf is. If you want to make a different length, adjust the length of the I-cords accordingly, keeping in mind that you will “lose” approximately 30% of your length when you braid the cords together.

Materials:

• 3 skeins Sirdar Denim Ultra (60% acrylic/25% cotton/15% wool; 82 yards/75 meters; 100g), color: 508
• Size 17 double-pointed needles
• Large tapestry needle

Gauge: 10 stitches and 8 rows = 4″/10cm (note: gauge is not very important for this project)

How to Make the Rapunzel Scarf:

Cast on 4 stitches leaving a 24″/61 cm tail. Make an I-cord 120″/305 cm (yes, that’s 12 feet/3.05 meters!) long as follows:

Knit all four stitches. *Switch right-hand needle (with new stitches on it) to your left hand again. Slide all 4 stitches to the other end of the needle. Pull the working yarn tightly across the back of the stitches and knit all 4 stitches*; repeat from * to * until I-cord is desired length. Leave a 24″/61 cm tail.

Tip: give the working yarn a little tug as you carry it across the back of the stitch to begin the next row to maintain proper tension and make sure the stitches appear continuous.

Make 4 I-cords total.

Line up one end of the four I-cords so they are hanging evenly. Tie a knot in the tails near the head of the braid, but do not cut tails. You may want to hang this end from a doorknob or clothes hanger while braiding.

Braid I-cords as follows:

Lay the cords flat and think of them, from left to right, as cords A, B, C, and D. You may want to mark them in some way initially before you get used to the braiding process. Weave A over B, and then weave C over D. Weave D over A and under B.

From this point on, you repeat the last step for whichever cord is rightmost–take that cord and go under the cord to its left, over the next cord to the left, and under the last cord on the left. Repeat until you run out of I-cord. Tie the tail ends in a big knot to secure braid.

Note:This process is described with easy-to-read color diagrams here and with strands of yarn here. There are several other braiding sites as well as some videos online. Theoretically, you could make this scarf with 4, 5, 8… or more lines of I-cord.

Tassels:

Cut 40 lengths of yarn 16″/41 cm long. Divide into two groups of 20 each.

Take one of the groups and thread them through the space between the braid and the knot in the tails. Make sure the ends hang evenly. Thread the tapestry needle through the end of one of the 24″/61 cm tails and wrap it tightly around the knot and tie off. If you can’t get sufficient “coverage” of the knot with one tail, repeat with a second tail. Trim all the tassel ends evenly.

Repeat for the other end of the scarf.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this pattern, or you’d just like to send me pictures of your finished product, please email me at thelyfsoshort{at}att.net.