There’s something wonderfully preppy and fantastical about a Harry Potter Scarf, or more accurately, a Hogwarts House Scarf.
Knit in 1×1 rib with affordable acrylic yarn, this scarf is great for beginner knitters looking for a new challenge beyond garter stitch.
With a slipped selvedge edge and a slightly narrow width, this Hogwarts scarf is sleek and modern. Make it a part of your everyday wardrobe or use it as the finishing touch in your Hogwarts cosplay.
Hogwarts House Colours
Hogwarts scarf colors correspond to one of the four Hogwarts houses. Below, a brief summary of the four noble houses.
Gryffindor: founded by Godric Gryffindor, Gryffindors value 
bravery, daring, nerve and chivalry. The house corresponds to the element of fire, and its emblem is a lion. Gryffindor house colors are scarlet and gold.
Ravenclaw: founded by Rowena Ravenclaw, Ravenclaws are intelligent, knowledgeable and witty. The house corresponds to the element of air, and its emblem is an eagle. Ravenclaw house colors are blue and bronze.
Hufflepuff: Hufflepuff: Founded by Helga Hufflepuff, Hufflepuffs are hard working, dedicated, loyal and fair. The house corresponds to the element of earth, and its emblem is a badger. Hufflepuff house colors are yellow and black.
Slytherin: Founded by Salazar Slytherin, Slytherins are ambitious, cunning and resourceful. The house corresponds to the element of water, and its emblem is a snake. Slytherin house colors are emerald green and silver.
For those wanting to be sorted into a Hogwarts House, the Pottermore website (run by J.K. Rowling herself!) has a wonderful Sorting Hat Quiz that will have you sorted into a House in two shakes of a newt’s tail! (Note that you’ll need to sign up for a free account first).
All house information is from Harry Potter Wiki
A Note about this Hogwarts Scarf Pattern:
According to fan forums, the stripe pattern consisting of a large block of color followed by two smaller stripes is reserved for older students in their third or fourth years.
First and second year students wear scarves with large blocks of color.
In this pattern tutorial, we’ll go through the third and fourth year scarf style, with two smaller bands of color.
Who Should Knit a Hogwarts Scarf?
If you’re comfortable casting on, knitting, purling and casting off, then you’re ready to knit this scarf!
If you need a bit more practice, check out the How to Knit: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to get a handle on the basic steps of knitting.
In the video tutorial below, you’ll learn how to:
- slip a selvedge edge
- join new yarn into knitting
- weave in ends as you knit
- weave in remaining ends
- make a fringe (optional)
Materials and Notes
The yarn that I’ve chosen is Paintbox Yarns Simply DK. It’s an affordable acrylic yarn that’s soft and easy to work with.
Best of all, a ball costs less than $3 USD, putting the yarn costs for this scarf at under $10!
Yarns Used:
- 2 balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in color Red Wine 115 (100% acrylic)
- 1 ball of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in color Mustard 123 (100% acrylic)
Other Similar Yarns for Gryffindor:
- Patons Fab DK in color Cherry or Burgundy and Canary (100% acrylic)
- Stylecraft Special DK in color Lipstick or Claret and Mustard or Sunshine (100% acrylic)
- Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in color Stitch Raven or Christmas Red and Golden Glow (75% acrylic/25% wool)
Yarns for Other Hogwarts Houses:
- Slytherin: 2 balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in color Grass Green or Racing Green and 1 ball in Slate Grey (100% acrylic)
- Hufflepuff: 2 balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in color Mustard Yellow and 1 ball in Pure Black (100% acrylic)
- Ravenclaw: 2 balls of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK in color Midnight Blue or Royal Blue and 1 ball in Slate Grey (100% acrylic)
Recommended Needles: 1 pair of 4mm straight knitting needles (aluminium)
Finished Measurements: width is 5.5″ and length is 75.5″
Notions:
Pattern Notes:
Custom Width: You can make this Hogwarts scarf as thin or as wide as you like. Just cast on an odd number of stitches and follow the pattern as written.
Scarf Width: After casting on and knitting for one or two rows, you might notice that this scarf is quite wide. Don’t fret. The scarf will narrow after a few more rows of knitting.
Pattern Repeat: This scarf follows a simple color pattern consisting of 4 inches of red, 4 rows of yellow, 4 rows of red, and 4 rows of yellow. This pattern is repeated until the scarf is the length that you like.
1×1 Rib: the scarf is knit in 1×1 rib with a slipped selvedge. If you need a bit more instruction on 1×1 rib, check out this tutorial on rib knitting, which includes a video tutorial and some handy tips.
1×1 Rib on Straight Needles:
Row 1: *knit 1, purl 1; repeat from * to the end of the row
Row 2 and all other rows: knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches
Harry Potter Scarf Video Tutorial
For step-by-step instructions on how to knit this Harry Potter scarf, watch the video tutorial above.
It includes a walkthrough of how to attach an optional fringe!
Knitting Instructions
With red yarn, CO 47 sts
Row 1: Sl1 knitwise, *P1, K1; repeat from * to end
Row 2: Sl1 purlwise, *K1, P1; repeat from * to end
Repeat Rows 1-2 with red yarn until piece measures 4” from cast on edge.
First Yellow Join:
With red yarn, work Row 1 to the last stitch. Introduce yellow yarn and use it to knit the last stitch. Leave a 6” tail on red yarn and cut it loose. Turn work over to knit next row.
Next row: with yellow yarn, Sl1 purlwise. Hold yellow working yarn together with the yellow tail end and knit in 1×1 rib for for the next 4 sts. Drop the yellow tail end. Continue knitting in 1×1 rib with working yarn to end of row.
The yellow tail end has now been woven into the knitting. Any remaining tail end can be trimmed off or woven into the knitting.
Continue knitting Rows 1-2 with yellow yarn for 3 more rows. When you reach the last stitch, introduce the red yarn and use it to knit the last stitch. End having worked Row 1.
Red Middle Join:
With red yarn, Sl1 purlwise. Hold red working yarn together with red tail end and knit in 1×1 rib for for the next 4 sts. Drop the red tail end. Continue knitting in 1×1 rib with working yarn to end of row.
The red tail end has now been woven into the knitting. Any remaining tail end can be trimmed off or woven into the knitting.
Continue knitting Rows 1-2 with red yarn for 3 more rows. When you reach the last stitch, introduce the yellow yarn and use it to knit the last stitch. End having worked Row 1.
Second Yellow Join:
Introduce the yellow yarn and follow instructions for First Yellow Join.
Red Block Join:
Begin working Row 2 with red yarn. Continue knitting Rows 1-2 until this red portion measures 4”
Repeat instructions from First Yellow Join to Red Block Join until scarf measures 75.5” or desired length.
Cast off in pattern and weave in ends.
Abbreviations
* *: repeat instructions between asterisks the number of times indicated
CO: cast on
K: knit
knitwise: as if to knit
P: purl
purlwise: as if to purl
Sl: slip a stitch
St(s): stitch(es)
Help Support Sheep & Stitch
While the pattern instructions and video tutorial are free and available above, for the price of a butterbeer at the Hog’s Head, you can support Sheep & Stitch by purchasing a PDF file of this pattern. This 3-page PDF file is beautifully laid out and ready to be printed!
Upon purchase, the pattern PDF file will be delivered to you by email. Thank you for your support!
Thank you so much for this amazing pattern! I love how detailed it is, and the video is just perfect to follow and knit along to. I truly appreciate the time and effort you must have put into creating this xx
I’m curious if you would have any yarn/color suggestions for knitting this same pattern for the other house colors? I would personally love to know which colors would work best for a Ravenclaw scarf 🙂
Thanks again!
Hey Inbal! Thanks for your comment! I appreciate it!
Your suggestion about including yarns for the other Houses is great! I’ll add some links asap. I’ll need to do that research since I plan on knitting a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff scarf for the holidays!
In your instructions you say to knit the knits and purl the purls. However, in your video tutorial, you got to the end of row 1 with a knit stitch. When you started Row 2, you slipped the stitch purl wise. You did this to a knitted stitch. When I have done rib stitch, it’s always been instructed to me when ending a row, with say, a knit, you begin the next row with a purl. What am I missing here? Thanks!
Yes, you should knit the knits and purl the purl stitches. When it comes to slipping a stitch, you would follow the same concept: slip knitwise a knit stitch and slip purlwise a purl stitch. I may have made a mistake in the video, so go by the above directions.
When you change hands after a row you turn your work around. Like you knit form your left hand needle to your right hand needle. So afterwards you put the needle where your work is on in your left hand. That automatically turns your work over. Knit Stitches are just Purl Stitches turned over. A Knit Stitch looks like a Purl Stitch form the back and vice versa. So it makes sense to start second row with a Purl Stitch as your Knit Stitch is now a Purl Stitch after you turned your work over.
I love this pattern and the tutorial. Three of my grandchildren plan to dress as Harry Potter Characters for Halloween. They asked if I would make scarves for them. The scarves I made for them turned out very nice. Have you made a Harry Potter House Hat Knitting Pattern? I would be glad to purchase it.
I am not referring to the hat with the patterns. I mean the striped hat in the house colors.
Hi Elizabeth, I don’t have scarves available for sale – just instructions on how you can knit one for yourself (or your grandkids)!
Davina,
Please read my comment above again. I made the scarf from the pattern that I bought from Sheep & Stitch. I am looking for a matching pattern to knit a striped HAT to go with the scarves.
I love the pattern you shared. My grandchildren have gotten a lot of compliments on their scarves. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Elizabeth, I don’t have any matching hat patterns for sale. Sorry about that!
These instructions are so thorough! I can’t wait to make this!
Question, though: if I were to buy 2 skeins of the main color, will there be enough yarn left over after knitting the scarf to add the fringe like in the video? Or do I need to buy another skein to make the fringe?
If your yarn has the same yardage as the Paintbox yarn that I use, then you’ll have enough yarn leftover for a fringe.
This is the BEST pattern I’ve seen and it looks GORGEOUS. I have a habit of making family members and friends scarves for the holidays and I just knew I had to this one. I’ve started on a Hufflepuff version following the pattern exactly (same yarn, stitches, length) but it was just a bit thin for me – not hating on the pattern, just personal preference – so I bumped up the stitches to 67 and it looks lovely. Although the large blocks are supposed to be 4” I also found them to be a bit thin so I added 2”.
I’m not here hating on the pattern cause it’s brilliant and EXTREMELY thorough (hard to find those these days, so thank you!). Just customized it a bit.
Am I gonna run out of Yellow yarn though because I upped the stitches and inches on the large section?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Morgan! Thanks for sharing your notes and customisations. It’s great! I have a section above on making the scarf a custom width, so it’s great you’re able to get the exact width you want! As for whether you’ll run out of yarn, if you purchased the same yardage as what’s called for the “materials” section, then I think you’ll be fine. The Paintbox yarn that I used has a very generous yardage.
My daughter and I love you site and videos, but we have a question about the pattern. Should it be 4″ between the stripes or 8″? Seems like you’re specifying 4″, but if you look at the still from the movie you posted there seems to be a good bit more than that. Maybe 6″?
Hi Dave, each color block measures 4 inches. But it’s up to you how long each block is! If you like the look of a 6″ color block, then go ahead and knit 6 inches. Just be consistent!
Thank you sooo much for this knitting pattern!!! I absolutely love how descriptive your videos are and how clearly you demonstrate how you knit it.
Also, I love a lot this pattern because you can do not just the house colors, you can also actually make a custom striped scarf by using different colors and not just the house color combinations.
Wishing you all the best!!!!
Love the pattern! Do the dimensions change after washing and blocking the scarf? I’m trying to decide how many stitches to CO.
so awesome! will be using!!!
Hi! I’m just about to get the yarn to start this pattern and I am wondering if it is light worsted? It appears to be so, but I would rather be sure. Thanks!
Hello Davina,
Do you HAVE to know how to do the purl stitch to do this scarf? Can you just make in with the knit stitch?
Hello Selina,
I am a new knitter and yes a purl stich is needed to sew anything with a rib because if you continuously use a knit stitch you will end up with a garter stitch.
Learning how to purl is relatively easy, just have your needle in front instead of behind and enter your stitch from top to bottom.
When I first made the mistake to only do knit stitches it looks the same on both sides!
Hope this helps!
I would like to print just the pattern – can I do that?
I’m a beginner, so could I just use the knit stitch instead of alternating knit/purl? Would it turn out okay?
Hi there! I love this pattern. How long does it take you to complete this project, on average?
I’m a beginner here. I’m having trouble with the first row. I am just lost. After casting on my stitches, I slip a stitch knitwise, then I bring the working yarn over to the front and it unravels? and I purl. I continued on. I follow the pattern, purl, knit, purl, and knit and move the working yarn to front and back accordingly. After a while, it becomes a jumble mess. Help!!
Hi,
Have you got a knitting pattern for a Hufflepuff Scarf, my Grandaughter is in the Hufflepuff House at School and she would love one.
Thank you.
This pattern can be for any hogwarts house scarf, you just need to purchase yellow and black wool for a Hufflepuff scarf instead red and yellow.
Just a note on the Ravenclaw scarf colours. The proper colours are Blue and Bronze but the movie has them as Blue and Silver. You can make with your choice as to which you like best. Bronze might be difficult to match.
I LOVE this tutorial thank you 🙂 Will you be doing a Hogwarts hat design to match?
Hi Davina,
My granddaughter has requested this scarf. I am using Berroco DK 100 grams. She wants this to be long but wider than your 5.5 ” width, maybe at least 10″. What do you recommend as far as quantity of wool. You list 2 skeins main and 1 skein thin stripe.
I need to order yarn on line so an estimate would be appreciated.
Any help in estimating would be so appreciated as I am a novice!!!!
Thanks,
Theresa
I
I love this scarf, BUT I am having so much trouble with the yarn stated here. Constantly splits on the the selvages. Is anyone else having the same problem?
I accidentally bought Paintbox Simply Chunky Yarn instead of Simply DK 😭 Can I still make this or would it turn out bad? What would be the differences?
Hi! The difference would be that the scarf would be thicker because the chunky yarn is thicker than DK. You can consider reducing the number of stitches if you want the scarf to be thinner, or just experiment to find a width that works for you.
Hi! I was just wondering whether this’ll work with worsted weight yarn/if it’ll look much different? I’m having trouble finding dk weight yarn in the correct colors where I live. Thank you!
Yes worsted weight would work!
Easy to follow instructions and great tutorial video! Thank you!
Hi..love the pattern. For the stripes, how do you end on a Row 1 if you’re knitting 4 rows of colour? Seems like youd need to knit 5 rows to get there?
Hello!
Wonderful tutorial thank you!
I am finding that when I do the first yellow join it looks great, even, but by the end of that row it is not even. The last stitch is higher, making the entire yellow block off by one at the end of the row. A little red loop into the yellow. I’ve redone it to make sure there wasn’t an error. Any suggestions?