🧣 Choosing the Colors: My Red Heart Yarn Hunt for the Fourth Doctor Scarf
In my previous post, I shared my excitement about finally recreating the Fourth Doctor’s iconic scarf — all 12 to 14 feet of it, bursting with stripes and quirky charm. I also dropped some fun facts about the original scarf’s wild history (spoiler: the knitter thought she was making a cozy and made a legend instead).
Now it’s time for the juicy part: figuring out what yarn to use. And friends, it was a journey.
🧶 The Great Yarn Dilemma
My first instinct was to use Pound of Love — it’s my favorite large skein acrylic yarn. The texture is lovely, the yardage is generous, and I trust it for big, long-term projects. But sadly, the color range didn’t hit all the notes I needed for this scarf’s earthy, eccentric vibe.
Then came Caron One Pound. It got me closer with some great options — especially for the deep purple and rust tones. But I ran into a wall with the Yellow-Beige color. Caron’s “Off White” felt too pale, too sterile. I briefly considered dyeing a custom skein… but mixing fiber content for just one stripe felt like too much for this version of the project.
So finally, I turned to Red Heart Super Saver. I’ve had mixed feelings about it in the past — mostly because of the texture — but it’s been years since I’ve used it, and I figured it was worth another shot. For this project? It hits the mark for color variety, affordability, and big skein options.
But there was one plot twist: I almost used the color “Buff” for two different stripes. Yikes. Not on my scarf! So after a bit of back-and-forth, I chose Buff for the Camel stripe and Cornmeal for the Yellow-Beige. Problem solved — and now every color has its own moment to shine. ✨
🎨 The Final Color Lineup
| Scarf Color | Red Heart Super Saver Match | Jumbo Skein? |
|---|---|---|
| Purple (Eggplant/Plum) | Plum | No ❌ |
| Camel (Light Tan) | Buff | Yes ✅ |
| Bronze (Burnt Orange) | Carrot | Yes ✅ |
| Mustard (Goldenrod) | Gold | Yes ✅ |
| Rust (Red Clay/Brick) | Rustic | No ❌ |
| Greyish Green (Olive Mix) | Tea Leaf | Yes ✅ |
| Yellow-Beige (Wheat) | Cornmeal | Yes ✅ |
Is it the softest yarn out there? Maybe not. But for now, I’m treating this as an experiment — and a story to share. If the yarn feels better than I remembered, awesome! If not, that’s valuable feedback too.
⏭️ What’s Next?
Next post, I’ll be showing off the full yarn haul once everything is in hand — skeins, tags, and all. There may be some dramatic photos of yarn posed heroically on my work table. 😉
After that, it’s time to start the crochet version — and that’s where the stripe planning, stitch decisions, and scarf math begin!
👀 Follow Along
Make sure you’re subscribed or following the label Fourth Doctor Scarf to catch every update. I’d love to know — which yarn would you have chosen for this project?
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