16 Easy Chunky Scarf Knitting Patterns (Striped & Plain) (2024)

Knitting a chunky scarf is almost a rite of passage for beginner knitters, and for good reason: it’s one of the easiest things you can knit. It’s a fantastic way to master the basics, and it’ll only cost you one or two skeins of yarn.

Bulky scarves aren’t just for newbies, though — if you’re a lifelong knitter with some scrap yarn lying around, you’ll be able to knit one up in a day or two without taking your eyes off the TV.

Scarf patterns are a dime a dozen for this very reason, though. So how do you get started, and which patterns are actually worth your time?

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this list, we’ve collected the very best chunky scarf knitting patterns out there. You’ll find a hand-picked collection of easy patterns, some of which are completely free to download.

All of these scarves are knitted with big needles, bulky yarn, and a combination of basic knit and purl stitches, which makes them extremely beginner-friendly. They really are as simple as it gets, but they’re also modern enough that you’ll still actually want to wear them.

For more adventurous knitters, we’ve also included some striped scarf knitting patterns with two, three and even four colors. They’re still chunky, but they’re a little more colorful and include some intermediate stitch patterns, including ribbing, cable stitch, and moss stitch.

16 Chunky & Striped Scarf Knitting Patterns

The patterns below will teach you how to knit up a chunky scarf that’s fun, fashionable, and maybe even educational.

You’ll find classic, cable knit, and two-color options, as well as some reversible patterns that you can throw on without worrying how it looks.

Most importantly, they all require just a few skeins of bulky yarn, and they’re designed to be quick and easy to make — so you don’t have to be an expert knitter to get started.

So, what’s the hold up? Let’s go!

1. The “Windchill” Chunky Scarf Pattern

This pattern ticks every box, which is why it’s first in this list! The scarf isn’t just super simple to knit, it’s also got a beautifully thick and cozy texture that will keep you warm and keep the knitting process interesting.

It includes video tutorials along with its written instructions, so you’ll have a helping hand to guide you through any issues.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

If you’re wonderinghow to use up your piles of scrap or leftover yarn, then this colorful pattern is for you. It includes instructions for two matching garments: a hat and a chunky striped scarf.

Each garment is created with random stripes in four different blocks of color that you can customize to your preference. It’s perfect for blasting through those old skeins you’ve stashed away, or just to mimic the “scrappy-chic” look!

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Refashioned from a vintage pattern, this bulky scarf is worked up in garter stitch to create a fully reversible fabric. You’ll need just 100g of super chunky yarn and a pair of 10mm needles — it doesn’t get easier than this!

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Knitted using a simple combination of garter stitch and stockinette stitch, this free scarf knitting pattern is both chunky and striped — the best of both worlds!

It’s made with the legendary “Crazy Sexy Wool” from Wool and the Gang, a soft and super bulky yarn that’s popular amongst beginners, and for good reason.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

If you’re here for a quick and easy pattern that you can finish in a day or two, this one’s for you. It’s knitted using super bulky yarn and requires knowledge of just three main techniques: knit stitch, slipping a stitch, and yarn overs.

Follow this pattern and you could create a brand new chunky scarf in just a day or two. Best of all, the knitting pattern is completely free.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Don’t let this chunky scarf’s colorful appearance fool you — this is an easy and enjoyable pattern for ambitious beginners and beyond.

Although it might seem fiddly at first, confident beginners who can knit, purl, and change color on a new row will find this pattern completely manageable. You’ll learn how to work with ribbing, and you’ll even get an introduction to the basics of crochet.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

This beautifully sophisticated set from Petite Knit consists of both a hat and a scarf with matching stripes.

The scarf is worked in the round on circular needles using approximately 300g of medium to chunky yarn. The ends are then sewn together to form a complete tube that combines the right and wrong side of the knitted fabric, like an infinity scarf.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

This big, bulky knitted scarf pattern is an absolute delight to knit and to wear. It uses “Big Wool” — also by Rowan — to create a beautifully textured and cozy scarf with highly-visible stitchwork.

If you’re looking for a statement piece that’s simple to knit but still looks sophisticated, this one’s for you.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

PetiteKnit is notorious for bringing Scandi-chic to knitters all over the world, and this pattern is no different. Knitted using a mix of brioche stitch and ribbing, it creates a fantastically modern scarf with muted colors and a braided string for that final decorative touch.

You’ll need to be comfortable with a few intermediate techniques for this project, including brioche stitch decreases, color changes, and changing needle sizes midway through your knitting.

It’s a little more complicated than some of the other chunky scarves in this list, but the results are absolutely worth it!

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Another strikingly bulky scarf from Rowan, the “Loretta” scarf pattern takes chunky to the next level.

It’s designed to be oversized, reaching an impressive 2.5 meters long when finished. Combine that with its chunky stockinette stitchwork and extra long tassels, you’ll find it both a dream to knit and a pleasure to wear.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Lauren Aston Designs’ “Rainbow Scarf” is knitted solely using plain knit stitch. That makes it the perfect stash-busting project for brand new knitters looking to create something simple but colorful in just a few days.

It’s wonderfully customizable too: you can use the full spectrum of colors if you’re feeling bold, or use just two colors to create chunky stripes instead. However many colors you choose, this is an excellent pattern to help brighten up those dull winter days.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Featuring a bold striped pattern along its length, this super chunky knitted scarf pattern from Rowan is knit using “Brushed Fleece” yarn, held double for a bulky finish.

With slip stitch edging and stockinette stitch throughout the rest of the rows, this scarf not only looks great, but it’s also incredibly comfortable to wear. The Brushed Fleece yarn is made from a blend of alpaca, wool, and polyamide, which makes it both warm and lightweight.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

The “Tundra” scarf by Witre Design is knitted primarily in linen stitch, with a touch of ribbing at each end. It uses two strands of yarn held simultaneously to create a beautifully dense and chunky texture that you won’t want to take off.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Lauren Aston Designs is notorious for making beginner knitting projects fun, and she’s done it again with this pattern. It uses super simple techniques to create a fantastically bulky two-color scarf that’ll take just a few hours to finish. If you want to knit up a chunky scarf with just knit stitch and purl stitch, look no further.

For similar scarves made even simpler, you can also check out our hand-picked collection of scarf knitting kits, where some other Lauren Aston Designs patterns also feature.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

This list is drawing to a close, but how could we finish without including a chunky cable knit scarf pattern, too? It would be a sin!

In this knitting pattern, you’ll find easy, step-by-step instructions for knitting up a bulky cable scarf with a beautiful fringe. It makes a fantastic introduction to the basics of cable knitting — not too complicated, but exciting enough to keep you progressing.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Finally, we’re ending with a scarf pattern that fits all of our criteria for this list: it’s super chunky, it’s striped, and it’s absolutely free.

A true beginner-level project, you can knit this scarf with approximately 600g of bulky scrap yarn, or fork out for 3 balls of Wool and the Gang’s “Crazy Sexy Wool” — a fan favorite.

More importantly, it’s worked up solely using garter stitch, leaving you with an easy and completely reversible scarf you can show off to all of your friends.

Recommended Materials

To knit this pattern, you will need the following materials:

Knitting a Chunky Scarf: What You Need to Know

Scarves are arguably the easiest thing you can knit, aside from a gauge swatch. You can work one up using the most basic techniques in knitting: casting-on, knitting flat using straight needles, and casting-off.

Unlike other more complicated projects, you don’t need to worry about shaping, positive ease, or how the garment will fit. You can simply cast on your desired number of stitches and then keep adding rows until the scarf reaches the length you’re looking for.

It’s basically like knitting one long rectangle. That’s what makes scarf patterns so popular amongst beginner knitters.

If you’re knitting a chunky scarf, this process is even easier. Chunky scarves typically use super bulky yarn and big needles, which are much simpler to work with than smaller alternatives.

You can finish a chunky knitted scarf in half the time it would take using a lighter yarn weight, and you’ll be able to see your stitches with better definition, too.

The vast majority of knitting patterns we’ve recommended in this article fit this criteria: they’re knitted using super bulky yarn and knitting needles that are at least 10mm in diameter.

There’s also a mixture of patterns knitted flat and in the round, which is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with both techniques.

How Do You Actually Knit a Scarf?

To start knitting a basic scarf, simply cast on a number of stitches that matches how wide you want the finished scarf to be.

For example, if you’re using chunky yarn and you’d like to knit a scarf that’s 10 inches wide, you’ll likely need to cast-on approximately 15-35 stitches.

Of course, the exact number of cast-on stitches you’ll need will depend on the pattern you’re following, the yarn you’re using, and the needle size you’re working with. You can cast-on however many stitches you like until it looks right to you.

Once your stitches are on the needle, you’ll need to secure them in place by knitting the working yarn together with the first stitch at the back of the work. This makes sure your stitches don’t unravel as the scarf progresses.

There are dozens of different knitting stitch types that you can use for the body of the scarf, all of which will produce different textures and appearances. The easiest patterns will use stockinette stitch (alternating knits and purls) or garter stitch (using knit stitch on the front and back), so we recommend starting here.

Whichever stitch you use, simply continue adding rows until the scarf reaches your desired length, then bind off. It’s as simple as that!

How Do You Change Colors to Knit a Striped Scarf?

Knitting a striped scarf follows exactly the same process as we’ve outlined above, with one key exception: you’ll need to change yarn colors every few rows.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Make sure you’re ready with two different colors of yarn in the same type and weight.
2. Cast-on as usual and keep knitting until you’re ready to switch to the second color.
3. To change colors, drop the end of the first color and let the yarn hang at the back of your work.
4. Bring the yarn in the second color next to it at the back of your work and hold the two strands together, with the new color in front of the old color.
5. Insert your right-hand needle into the next stitch as you would normally.
6. Instead of wrapping the first color around the needle, wrap the new color around the needle and use it to pull a loop through the stitch.
7. Tighten the stitch and make sure to leave a tail that’s at least a few inches long to weave in later.
8. Continue knitting as usual. When you want to switch back to the first color, you can simply pick up the strand you dropped before and carry on.

Using this technique, you can easily alternate between colors every few rows to create simple stripes in your fabric.

What Materials Will I Need?

Based on the patterns we recommend in this list, you’ll need 2 to 3 balls of super chunky yarn to finish knitting your scarf. This can vary hugely between patterns though, so make sure you check the designer’s recommendation before you get started.

The most common knitting needle size for a chunky scarf is between 10mm (US Size 15) and 15mm (US Size 19). That said, you can find even bulkier patterns that use needles all the way up to 20mm in diameter.