Mistake Rib Scarf in Mulberry Merino
There are people and cultures all over the world that not only abide by mistakes in their handcrafts, they cherish them. We love that the Mistake Rib embraces this philosophy. By the simple “mistake” of casting on one stitch too few, a basic 2 x 2 rib takes on depth and complexity beyond our expectations.
To catch the magic of this stitch, we used Purl Soho’s new Mulberry Merino. A blend of mulberry silk and extra fine merino, this latest addition to the Purl Soho yarn collection is especially beautiful with its rich color and gentle luster. And in mistake rib, Mulberry Merino is classic and elegant, dense and cozy.
All this talk brings to mind the old adage, “If you don’t make a mistake, you don’t make anything!” Isn’t that a nice reminder? Cast on, give it a try and remember that some mistakes are meant to be!
Update: New Yarn!
OCTOBER 2016
If your relationship with handcrafting is all about embracing imperfections, then the Mistake Rib may call your name. It certainly calls ours! We revisited this wonderfully textured scarf, this time with our Cashmere Merino Bloom! See the full range of colors and the additional photos here!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoMistakeRibScarf. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino, 80% extra fine merino and 20% mulberry silk. Each skein is 247 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 872 yards required. (NOTE: We no longer offer Mulberry Merino, but choose from one of our other sport weight yarns.)
- A US 6 (4 mm) circular or straight needles
Gauge
38 stitches = approximately 4 inches, in pattern, unstretched
Size
Finished measurements: 7 inches x 70 inches (Note: Each skein yields approximately 20 inches of scarf, so for a 60-inch scarf, you’d only need 3 skeins.)
Note
Mistake Rib is worked over a multiple of 4 + 3 stitches.
Pattern
Cast on 67 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, p2, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k2, p1.
Repeat Row 1 until piece measures 70 inches from cast one edge, or until desired length.
Bind off in stitch pattern.
Weave in the ends and enjoy!
Hi!
I’d like to make this scarf in Line Weight on size 3 needles & I’m wondering if I should purchase 3 or 4 skeins to get a similar sized scarf? I’ve tried to compare this pattern to the Brioche scarf in line weight and see that one only requires 2 skeins on size 2 needles.
Hi Alexandra,
Thanks for writing in! 2 skeins of Line Weight should actually be plenty for your to complete this scarf on a size 3 needle!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
I just wanted to confirm the number of stitches to cast on using Cashmere Merino Bloom (I have 3 skeins) – is it 67 stitches (with a gauge swatch of 27 stitches for 4 inches?) Thanks in advance for your help. The yarn was a most generous gift.
Hi Rachelle!
Thank you for your question! Yes, the cast-on amount for the Cashmere Merino Bloom version is also 67 stitches. The Cashmere Merino Bloom is slightly thicker, so you will have a wider scarf than the Mulberry Merino version, but who doesn’t love a big, cozy scarf?
If you would like to adjust your cast-on amount for a 7″ thick scarf, you can cast on 48 stitches.
I hope this helps, and happy knitting!
All the best,
Margaret
Hi! If I’m using the Cashmere Merino Wool on size 3 needles, about how many skeins will I need? 2 or 3? Thank you!
Hi Grace!
Thank you for your question. We actually have a version of this scarf in Cashmere Merino Bloom that uses 3 skeins on a size US 6 (4mm) needle, which you can find right here! If you are using a smaller needle at the same gauge, you will need 3 skeins, however if you are using a smaller needle at a tighter gauge, you may need more yarn than the 3 skeins, so I suggest making a gauge swatch to be sure! You can always return any unused skeins in their original condition for store credit as well.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
Hi there
Id love to make this pattern
I’d like to use Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino for this pattern
Would I still cast on 67 stitches and use 3.25mm needles?
Thank you so much !
Hi Neeta,
Thanks for reaching out. It looks like the yarn you’re planning on using is also a sportweight yarn, like Mulberry Merino! That means that it should be very easy to get the same gauge as the pattern, but to be sure, I’d recommend swatching beforehand. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge! If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge. Once you’ve matched your gauge to that of the pattern, you can follow it as written!
All the best,
Lili
Happy New year Lili! Super thank you so much! I’ll definitely check that out!
Lili another quick question do I need to block the scarf after it’s completed?
Thank you so much!
Neeta
Hi Neeta,
You can definitely block this scarf if you want to, but I’d say that it’s not absolutely necessary for this pattern! Blocking will help even out the stitches and dimensions though!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you so much!
Neeta
Hi!
Happy New Year! I love the pattern of this scarf and made it with the Mulberry Marino wool. I have 4 skeins of the super soft merino and would like to make it with that. Do you think it will come out as nice as the mulberry Marino and will I just follow the same pattern?
Thanks so much!
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for reaching out. You can absolutely use Super Soft Merino for this pattern, but because that yarn is significantly thicker than Mulberry Merino was, you’ll need to change the number of stitches you cast on so that the scarf comes to the correct dimensions.
To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern (if this is daunting, we have a wonderful tutorial called All About Gauge). Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width of the scarf (7 inches) and cast on the nearest multiple of 4 + 3. Then you can follow the pattern as written until the scarf is as long as you’d like!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks Lili! Yes, it’s daunting to figure out the number of stitches to cast on. Even after reviewing the tutorial. Lol. Would I use the same size needles? Size 6?
Hi Patricia,
Since Super Soft Merino is a whole lot thicker than Mulberry Merino I would not recommend using size 6 needles! We recommend using sizes US 11 or US 13 for Super Soft Merino. Once you knit up a gauge swatch with these larger needles, I’d be happy to help calculate your cast-on number for you! Just let me know how many stitches per inch you’re getting with Super Soft Merino on the larger needles.
All the best,
Lili
Wondering if there is a hat pattern to match this scarf?
Hi Denise,
Thanks for writing in, although I’m sorry to say that we have not designed a hat in the mistake rib stitch yet. I’ll pass that idea along to our design team though!
All the best,
Lili
What do you mean in the last line of the pattern, “bind off in stitch pattern”? It’s a long time since I have knit anything, so nothing is intuitive at this point.
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for reaching out! “Bind off in stitch pattern” means to work the stitches in the current row of the stitch pattern while also binding them off as you go. In this pattern, you’re just repeating Row 1 for every row, so for the bind-off row, you work the stitches in Row 1 as you have been doing, but you also pass the second stitch on the right needle over the first after each stitch, which binds them off. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Could I make this scarf using pure cashmere wool?
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can absolutely make this scarf using a cashmere yarn!
As always, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before casting on your project, especially when you are substituting yarns. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge! If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge, which you can find right here.
All the best,
Lili
Hi,
I started this project 3 years ago but put it aside during multiple life changes, moves ,etc. I recently found it and am rediscovering the joy of knitting. Unfortunately , I realized that one half of it was narrower. It looks like I’m now knitting over 57 stitches vs 67. I don’t see any dropped stitches however I see some change I mistakenly made over a few rows and thinking that’s how I decreased.
Anyway wondering how I can correct this without pulling it all out. It would still look fine with the middle of the scarf not being as wide as the ends. C
Any suggestions? Thank you for any help.
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
I’m sorry to hear that your stitch count has changed so drastically! I would recommend putting in a lifeline just before the point where you notice the change in width. That way, you can pull out just the narrower section without the risk of dropping stitches! Then, you can continue knitting with the correct stitch count.
All the best,
Lili