This is a great beginner project. You only need to know how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off. You literally create your pattern as you go. Throw a die 3 times to plan each section of your scarf.

All the stitch patterns are reversible so it will look good on both sides, and you can find free instructional videos showing basic knitting skills on vickitwigg(dot)com.
The instructions are written and charted so you can choose which to follow and learn how charts work at the same time.