We aren’t shy about our love for mistake rib and have used this simple stitch to make a handful of scarves and cowls… but never in Gentle Giant. It turns out that this big, cozy single ply merino is just right for showing off the  beautiful texture of this stitch and that our Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant is a new mistake rib favorite!

Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant | Purl Soho

Peak and valley after peak and valley, when the mistake rib stitch and Gentle Giant get together, there’s no escaping a distinct texture and graphic look. This apparent complexity is created by simply working a 2 x 2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) that jogs over on alternating rows. Even a very beginner knitter can cast on for this one!

Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant | Purl Soho

Gentle Giant comes in 21 colors, including 6 new spunky ones, and it knits up at 1½ stitches to the inch. So, imagine how many of these beauties you can make before the holidays… A lot!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant | Purl Soho

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoMistakeRibCowl, and #PurlSohoGentleGiant. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant | Purl Soho
  • 5 skeins of Purl Soho’s Gentle Giant, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this super bulky yarn is 48 yards/ 125 grams; approximately 240 yards required. We used White Peppercorn.
  • US 17 (12mm), 40- or 47-inch circular needles
  • A large stitch marker

Gauge

8 stitches and 11 rows = 4 inches in mistake rib, unstretched

Size

Finished Circumference: 56 inches, to wrap twice around neck
Finished Height: 11 inches

Note

Mistake rib in the round is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches.

Pattern

Using Long Tail Cast On, cast on 112 stitches.

Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: P1, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k2, p1.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until the piece measures 11 inches from the cast-on edge, or until the desired height.

Bind off loosely in stitch pattern.

Weave in the ends and lightly steam if desired.

Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant | Purl Soho

LEARN ABOUT GENTLE GIANT + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS

You can’t get more gentle or more giant than Gentle Giant! A single ply of 100% merino wool, Gentle Giant has a loose and lofty spin that puts the fiber’s softness up front and also keeps this jumbo-weight yarn from weighing you down. You knit Gentle Giant up on mega US 17 or 19 (12-15 mm) knitting needles, making it a very smart choice for last-minute gifts that don’t sacrifice a lick of beauty!

More Free Knitting Patterns

More Jumbo-Weight Yarns

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Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!