The new version is up! For ease of use, I’m treating it as a separate design. If you’d like to purchase the paid version of this scarf, please go here:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/apocalypse-cowl-2

And thanks!

The Old-School Pennant scarf is one of those designs that seems to take incredibly long time to develop, mentally, into a satisfying final form—a year, in this case—and then seems impossibly simple and obvious once it’s done. Are you years or dozens of projects past a simple garter-stitch scarf, but longing for that mindless stitch and the toasty texture of plain knitting? This might be just the thing.

The Old-School Pennant uses short row shaping and light-worsted/light DK yarn (depending on your region/terminology). It’s a great simple showcase for fancy color-effects or self-striping yarn, and knits up in about 280 yards when worked at the given gauge. (Allow a little extra to account for different fiber contents.) So it’s a good project for cakes and multicolor handspun—or even a gradient/fade of your own devising.

Materials:
-280 yards of light DK yarn; sample shown in Sugarwheel Cotton
-One 40”+ circular knitting needle in US6-8/4.0-5.0mm, or size needed for gauge
-Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Optional:
-Three stitch markers

Gauge:
Gauge is 12 sts and 30 rows over 4”. Gauge is not too important to the fit of the finished scarf, because it’s a scarf, but it is important to yarn estimates and the finished dimensions of your scarf.

Important note: This pattern recommends several different yarns with very different fiber contents! Because of this, the needle size needed to achieve the recommended gauge may vary more widely than usual—not only the usual differences in tension but also the effect of cotton vs. wool will apply to the end gauge. Please be sure to check your gauge, and even more so than usual, use the needles you need rather than trying to make your knitting style fit the needle size given. This .PDF recommends a US6/4.0mm-US8/5.0mm circular needle (long, 40”+), but even though this is meant as a best guess as to the most average size used, this is only a starting point.