Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf
This Easy Mistake Stitch scarf is made with Jade Sapphire’s gorgeous 12-ply Cashmere in color “Green Tea”. If you know how to knit and purl you can make this scarf! Mistake Stitch creates a deep and lofty rib that looks like so much more work than it actually is.
If you’re interested in the Lovely Leaf Lace Scarf (the orange one on the right), you can find the full, free pattern right here!
Materials
- 5 skeins of Jade Sapphire’s 12-ply Cashmere. We used the color Green Tea. (If you’d like to explore other yarns for this project, check out our collection of chunky yarns, you will need 300 yards total to complete the scarf.
- US 11 (8 mm) needles
Gauge
4.5 stitches per inch in rib pattern, slightly stretched
Finished Measurements
48-inches long by approximately 8-inches wide
Pattern Note
Mistake rib works over a multiple of 4 + 3 stitches.
Pattern
Cast on 39 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
K2, p2, repeat to last 3 stitches, k2, p1.
Repeat this row. That’s it!
Bind off in stitch pattern.
Sew in ends, wash gently by hand, block and let air dry.
I really like this pattern and have made a number of scarves using it. Thanks to you!
Hello! I’m a fairly new knitter and will be trying this pattern out as a christmas gift. Wondering how to adjust for slightly chunkier yarn (#5). Would I cast on a different number of stitches? Use a different sized needle? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern is written for a yarn that is approximately a #5 according to the Craft Yarn Council’s standard yarn weight system, so I don’t think you will have to make any changes to the pattern at all! Although I would recommend knitting a gauge swatch for a larger project to make sure your yarn substitution will work out, in the case of a relatively narrow scarf like this, you can just start the scarf and if you find that the stitches are too tight or the scarf is too wide after a few inches, it won’t be too much work to start over.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you for your response, Julianna! I ended up purchasing size 9 needles since that is what was listed on the yarn I purchased. I’ll definitely knit a gauge swatch first as you recommended 🙂
Hello! Would you suggest blocking this piece to open up the rib a little? I am using a chunky alpaca yarn. Thank you!
Hi Lisha,
Great question! Yes, we do like the look of the Mistake Rib stitch after blocking! It isn’t necessary to block it aggressively, however – you can just soak the finished piece and gently lay it flat to dry!
Best,
Julianna
I bought the yarn I want already and it is worsted weight. I have three 150 meter/100 gram balls but I LOVE this pattern!! Any suggestions for alterations to make this work or should I buy new yarn?
Hi Lise,
Thanks for reaching out! This should be fairly easy to adjust to your yarn! I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch in pattern on the needle size recommended for your yarn. You can then multiply your stitches per inch by 8 inches and round to the nearest multiple of 4 plus 3 stitches to determine how many stitches to cast on!
Best,
Julianna
Hi Lisha,
I am really enjoying this pattern for a scarf. Do you have a pattern for a matching hat?
Thanks,
Marlene
Hi Marlene,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t have a hat pattern in Mistake Rib; however, although the stitch patterns are a bit different, I think our Snow Day Hat would complement the scarf quite well!
Best,
Julianna
This scarf looks beautiful! Do you need to slip the first stitch at the beginning of each row? Thanks!
Hi Becca,
Thanks for writing in! We didn’t use a slip stitch edging on this scarf; however, if you want to add one, just make sure you add two stitches to the cast on so it doesn’t interfere with the stitch pattern!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi,
I want to thank you for this easy to make yet gorgeous pattern scarf. I was skeptical about the pattern simply because I can’t picture it in my head, I am fairly new knitter as well. But once I started, I can see it in front me, I just fell in love with the design. Thank you.
So, my wife cut her hair super short during a mid-life crisis of sorts, and was initially feeling a little apprehensive about it, so I thought a home/hubby-made scarf to keep her neck warm this winter would be the perfect surprise for Christmas! Only problem was that I had never knit anything in my life, and I only had 4 weeks to get it done! The description of this scarf boosted my confidence, and I took the plunge. With the help of YouTube (man, some people can knit discouragingly fast!), I learned all sorts of things: how to read pattern descriptions and skein labels, picking the right yarn and needles, casting on, gauge, knitting versus purling, slipping the first stitch for selvedge edges (saw your other posting on the mulberry Mistake rib scarf), joining, binding off in pattern, weaving in, and blocking…oh my! Was I in over my head? After half a dozen attempts at a gauge swatch, I figured I was close enough to begin. Over the first 20 or so rows and a few more videos (thanks, Google), I learned that I was doing it way too tight and how to keep the edges from being too loose. I also figured out why I was periodically adding stitches, and occasionally losing a stitch (scary), how to effectively back out a row…and…that my scarf was WAY to wide–39 stitches of the super bulky lion head yarn resulted in a scarf that was going to be a foot wide! So I learned how to start over, and hoped my unlearned fingers would learn the motions and become more efficient (I play the piano, after all, but boy was I feeling clumsy with this!), because I had already calculated how long it was taking and I was barely going to make it by Christmas as it was! Casting on 31 stitches seemed more reasonable, and fortunately my fingers picked up the rhythm quick enough that I wasn’t too embarrassed to knit during my train commute–but this business suit-knitter did get a few strange looks from all the phone swipers, ha! My wife likes longer scarfs, so I used a full 4 skeins. The scarf ended up about 7″ wide and 100″ long after blocking–probably too long, but I’m confident I could shorten as desired with my new-found skills. Oh, there are a few mistakes if you look close enough, but this rib pattern does help conceal those. I’m proud of how it turned out! I’m already looking forward to another daintier scarf next year. Thanks!
Darren you sound like you’ve made incredible progress. I learned a lot from reading your post – there are many things in it that I need to check out on Youtube. Congratulations on your scarf – your wife is a very lucky duck, lovely to read how you helped her haircut crisis!
I plan to knit the “mistake rib scarf in rainbow colours for my grandson who lives in Weybridge. ( I am living in Cape Town South Africa where it is nearly impossible to get a choice of knitting patterns ) S o thank you very much for giving me access to your patterns, I hope the scarf keeps my grandson warm in chilly Sussex !
can you use a #4 yarn to make the easy mistake scarf
Hi Doris,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, our Mistake Rib Scarf looks lovely in a wide variety of yarn weights! This version of the scarf is written for a bulky, or #5, yarn, so you will need to modify the cast on slightly. To do so, I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch in pattern using your yarn and a US 8 or 9 needle. You can then multiply your stitches per inch by 8 inches, or however wide you would like the scarf to be, and round to the nearest multiple of 4 plus 3 stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi,
I’m sorry if this is a silly question, but if I want the scarf to be wider, should I just cast on more stitches? Does it need to be a certain number more if so?
Hi Mariko,
Thanks for reaching out, and I don’t think it’s a silly question at all – one of the best thing about knitting is getting to customize the size of your items! For this pattern, you can cast on any multiple of 4 plus an extra 3 stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi – I want to make this wider as well. And maybe about 70 inches long. How do I figure out how much wool I will need?
Thank you
Hi Peggy Jo
Thanks for writing in! If you want the length to be around 70 inches, I would add another 150 yards. It’s a difficult for me to estimate the actual yardage without knowing the width you would like. If you wanted to make your total width around 12″ wide by 70″ it will take around 700 yards. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting
Jessica
Jessica,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Sorry but I am a beginning knitter and realize I should have been more specific. So if I want this scarf to be 10 inches wide and 70 inches long, how much yarn should I buy in terms of skeins? I don’t really understand yards unless that is clearly marked on the packaging. Also- how many stitches would you suggest I cast on?
Thank you again.
Hi Peggy Jo
Thanks for giving me more specific measurements! If you cast on 47 stitches this should get you around 10″ if you are knitting at the correct gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch. It will take about 550 yards to knit to this measurement, which would be 10 skeins of Jade Sapphire 12 Ply. This will be gorgeous!
Best
Jessica
So sorry- final question. You told other knitters to make your amount of stitches cast on to be a multiple of 4 plus 3. 49 is not a multiple of 4 and neither is 46. So I’m confused. And if one side ends in a K stitch and the other a P stitch, won’t they look different?
Thank you, thank you for your patience.
Hi Peggy Jo
I’m so sorry, I must have been doing too much math yesterday! You are correct, it does need to be a multiple of 4+3. So I would cast on 47 stitches.
Thanks for catching that!
Best
Jessica
It happens to all of us! Thanks again.
I love this pattern and have been working in my first scarf with it! But I’m having some issues with length… I am making it for my dad as a gift, but I am not sure how long I should make it. I know that sometimes the yarn can stretch, so I’m scared of making it too long and it stretch too much or to make it too short and not stretch enough. What would the recommend size be? Thanks everybody!
Hi Cami,
Thank you for reaching out and asking about this! All knitting will stretch a little with wear, but most yarns will bounce back to shape every time the item is washed. It does depend a bit on what type of yarn you’re using – cashmere will stretch more than wool, for example. The Mistake Stitch scarf was knit to 48 inches long, which is a nice length for folding over (as shown in the second picture) and tucking into a coat or jacket. I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
I’m really excited about completing this pattern.The jade sapphire 12 ply cashmere yarn is a little more than I want to spend on yarn. What would you suggest as a less expensive yarn that would also work for this pattern, and has the same gauge?
Hi Lauren
Thanks so much for reaching out! The Super Soft MerinoBig Good Wool
Awesome! Thank you so much.
Hi, I was wondering if this pattern will cause the edges of the scarf to curl inwards (like in a stockinette stitch scarf).
Hi Helen,
Thanks for reaching out! The stitch used here acts more like a rib stitch than stockinette so you don’t have to worry at all about curling edges!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Begginer here, what do you mean by stitch in ends please
Hi Jane,
Thanks for writing in! Sewing in the ends is another way of saying to weave in the ends! If you need any assistance with this technique we have an excellent Weaving in Your Ends tutorial!
All the best,
Gianna
What would be a soft and comfy yarn to use instead of the yarn you used To expensive for me. Please recommend a yarn for me to use for the very pretty green tea scarf
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out! You can use any bulky yarn for this scarf, I would recommend our Super Soft Merino, Lovebird or even Brooklyn Tweed Quarry!
All the best,
Gianna
Gianna Thank You for your recommendations
Hi! I’m a beginner, and planning on making this scarf, my yarn is size 6. What size needles should I use? Also, what does it mean to gauge the size?
Thank you!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! A size 6 yarn is a super bulky yarn, so a US 11-17 needle could work! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use and will walk you through the whole concept of gauging and how to do it!
All the best,
Gianna
Thank you, Gianna!! Happy New Year!
Hi, I’m a complete beginner so knitting patterns are completely new. When repeating the row, you start with 2 knit stitch, not one purl? I guess I’m a little confused that I’ll be putting a knit stitch over a purl?!? Thank you and sorry if I’m being a bit dim!
Hi Jen,
Thanks for reaching out! No worries! Since this is a “Mistake Stitch” pattern you are following the exact same K2, p2, repeat to last 3 stitches, k2, p1 pattern in order to get the “mistake” look, if you were to start then next row with a purl stitch instead, it would create a rib stitch pattern which would be a totally different look!
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
I am a beginner to knitting and I have a size 4 yarn. I am not sure what size needle I need. I only have size 6 and size 6.5 needles. Which would work best?
Hi Kristyna,
Thanks for reaching out! A size 4 yarn is comparable to a Worsted/Aran weight which typically calls for a US 7-9 needle. Are your needles in US sizing or mm? I believe they may be mm and in that case both sizes would be a bit too big for that yarn and would result in a very open fabric. I would suggest working a gauge swatch in the needles you have to see if you like how the fabric turns out and comparing your gauge to the written gauge of the pattern. You can then adjust the gauge and change needle size from there! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi Julianna,
Is knitting dementia a term? I’m an eternal advanced beginner then took a break for last year or two and now that I picked it up I don’t know left from right. So this pattern, after you k2, p2 and last 3 do the k2, p1 but it looks a mess and nothing like any type of rib stitch I’ve done before. I’m 5 rows in…does it start to look like the scarf pictured?
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! Since this is a “Mistake Stitch” patter it is a bit different than a rib stitch and wont look the same! Since you are K2, p2, repeat to last 3 stitches, k2, p1 and repeating this row for all of the rows the rib stitch will be offset each time giving you the mistake stitch! Once you work several rows the pattern will begin to emerge!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi, I’ve been working on this scarf for a while and I love the way it looks – but increasingly as I go on I find that the first and last stitches in the row come out very loose, no matter how tight I pull them, and make the edges of my scarf look bumpy and untidy. I’m not sure if maybe I’m doing them wrong?
Any tips you can provide would be much appreciated!
Hi Jacqueline,
Thanks for reaching out! My best advice for keeping the edges tidy is to make sure that when you are knitting the first and last stitch to be extra careful not to overstretch the stitch below (that you are working into) no matter how tightly you pull the yarn if the stitch below is overstretched it will look a bit wonky. The good news is that you can also adjust this a bit when you block the finished scarf!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Thanks so much Gianna 🙂 I’ve never blocked anything before but this will make a great piece to practice with!
I don’t understand why the last three stitches are k2 , p1. Wouldn’t you just end with two K stitches and then when you begin on the other side, start with two purls?
Hi Thorina,
Thanks for reaching out. The stitch pattern in this scarf is the Mistake Rib, which is a little different than a traditional rib stitch! The reason that there is a p1 at the end of the row is so that the stitches can become offset, creating the unique mistake rib pattern. Hope this clarifies things!
All the best,
Lili