The best scarf yarns – the right material makes for the perfect scarf

Scarves are knitting projects where yarn selection is particularly emphasized. A scarf is in contact with the delicate skin of the neck, so softness and comfort are key. It is in scarves that the yarn truly gets to shine: color, texture, and fiber properties are beautifully showcased. Different materials bring a different look, feel, and purpose to a scarf – which is why the perfect scarf yarn is often chosen based on the type of scarf you are making.

Currently, small neck scarves are particularly popular, often requiring only one skein of thin yarn to knit. They are wonderful quick projects, great gift knits, and a perfect way to try out luxurious or hand-dyed yarn, for example, without a large material consumption. Larger shawls often require several skeins of yarn, depending on the yarn and pattern.

Merino wool – a soft classic for scarves

Merino wool is a favorite among many scarf knitters, and for good reason. It is softer than regular wool, flexible, and warm, yet breathable. Merino is excellent for lace scarves as well as chunky everyday scarves.

Knitting for Olive Merino (50 g = 250 m) is a soft and light yarn made from 100% merino wool that feels pleasant against the skin, making it suitable for sensitive skin. This yarn produces an even and beautiful knitted fabric. Our selection also includes the thicker Knitting for Olive Heavy Merino (50 g = approx. 125 m).

Krea Deluxe Organic Wool (50 g = 150 m) is an organic yarn produced without chemicals. The yarn was originally developed for babies, children, and those with allergies, so its quality and softness have been prioritized from the start.

Sandnes Garn Sunday (50 g = 235 m) is 100% merino wool without superwash treatment. Our selection offers a wide range of colors.

Alpaca – luxurious softness and warmth

Alpaca is known for its softness and lightness. It is very warm for its weight, making it ideal for wonderfully light yet warm scarves. Alpaca blends are particularly popular for drapey shawls and soft winter scarves.

Lumoava Baby Alpaca-Silk (100 g = 400 m) is a wonderfully soft hand-dyed yarn with 70% baby alpaca, 20% silk, and 10% cashmere.

Silk – beautiful drape and luxurious feel

Silk brings a wonderful sheen, lightness, and elegant drape to scarves. Silk is often used in blends, for example with merino – combining softness, durability, and a sophisticated look. Especially in lace scarves, silk truly comes into its own, and you can knit a festive shawl from silk, for example.

Knitting for Olive Pure Silk (50 g = 250 m) is a soft and luxurious silk yarn that feels pleasant directly against the skin. The yarn is 100% bourette silk, produced responsibly by collecting silk from cocoons only after the larvae have hatched into butterflies.

Lumoava silk yarn (100 g = 400 m) is incredibly soft hand-dyed yarn, which contains superwash merino wool (50%) in addition to silk (50%).

Silk-mohair – airiness and dreamy lightness

In silk-mohair yarn, mohair brings a delicate fluffiness and airiness to the scarf, while silk provides strength and softness. The result is a light but striking scarf with a soft and airy feel. Thin silk-mohair can be knitted as is, doubled or multiplied, or combined with, for example, merino yarn.

Krea Deluxe Silk Mohair (20 g = 240 m) contains baby alpaca (22%) in addition to silk (45%) and mohair (33%). This yarn feels extremely soft and usually does not itch or feel coarse even on sensitive areas, such as the neck.

Knitting for Olive Soft Silk Mohair (25 g = 225 m) is a wonderful combination of the finest mohair (70%) and silk (30%), making the yarn extremely soft and pleasant on the skin.

Cotton – a soft alternative for those avoiding wool

Cotton is an excellent choice for those who find wool itchy or who are looking for a breathable yarn for transitional and summer scarves. Cotton drapes beautifully, feels cool against the skin, and doesn't itch.

Krea Deluxe Organic Cotton (50 g = 165 m) is a high-quality organic cotton yarn, the cotton of which is produced without chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Sandnes Garn's cotton yarns Line (50 g = 110 m), Tynn Line (50 g = 220 m) and Mandarin Petit (50 g = 180 m) offer a wide selection of beautiful colors.

Hand-dyed yarns – colors come to life in a scarf

Hand-dyed yarn is a wonderful choice for scarves when you truly want the colors to pop. Nuanced shades and unique colors make even a simple scarf striking, and the variations in tone bring vibrancy to the knitted fabric.

Our selection includes, for example, Adelia Fibers Merino Sock (100 g = 425 m), WoolWomen Merino Sock (100 g = 425 m), and Lumoava hand-dyed yarns.

Which yarn for sensitive skin?

If the neck area easily reacts with itching or wool feels unpleasant, it's worth choosing particularly soft fibers, such as fine merino, alpaca, silk, or soft cotton yarns. In a scarf, the feel of the material truly matters – at its best, a knitted scarf feels as wonderful to wear as it was to make. With the right yarn, the scarf becomes exactly what you want to wrap yourself in again and again.

Explore all scarf yarns in our online store or visit our Vantaa store to feel the materials in person.