I designed this scarf to pay homage to one of the more intimidating denizens of the high mountain desert, the Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). Beautiful but bad-tempered, she is dangerous only to the disrespectful – giving fair warning before she strikes!

The textured diamonds and raised decorative bands are worked seamlessly end-to-end entirely in stockinette and reverse stockinette, with an eyelet border to keep the scarf nice and flat. These design elements may look like cable and I-cord, but are not – and so, easier and faster to knit.

The design is charted, and in addition to basic knit and purl includes several different types of increase and decrease stitches. The three simple charts – head, body and tail – are easy to follow, and the special stitches are clearly defined, so I’m calling this an “easy intermediate” level project.

Both finished sides are pleasing to the eye, so weave your ends in neatly for a fully reversible scarf. You may decide you like the “back” even better than the “front”!

Custom Sizing

At the gauge given, I used 370 of the 400 yards suggested, to knit the sample scarf measuring 60 inches long and 7-1/2 inches wide after gentle blocking (153 cm by 19 cm).

It’s easy to lengthen or shorten the scarf by knitting more or fewer “body” chart repeats. The pattern includes specific instructions on calculating how much yarn you’ll need to customize the length.

Yarn Suggestions

I chose a bronzed-brown worsted yarn with subtle color changes, in 100% merino superwash, to work the sample project (Tosh Vintage in Hickory).

Any smooth wool or wool-blend yarn – you’ll want the springiness and memory of wool - that gives you good stitch definition will work well.

And if realism is your thing, note that Western diamondback coloration ranges from brick red to straw yellow to dozens of shades of beige, brown and gray!

More Patterns

This is the second knitting pattern in my series of original designs inspired by the wild, wild West (the Pueblo Mosaic Scarf is the first).

To see more, visit my Ravelry pattern store, or my kNotes for kNitters Etsy shop.