Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant
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!

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!

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!

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

- 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.

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
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Gentle Giant knitting patterns and cast on!
More Jumbo-Weight Yarns
- Shop our collection of jumbo-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool
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!
Love the collar and shall make it for my daughter!
How much yarn will I need for this in Cashmere Merino Bloom?
Hi Dale,
Thanks for writing in! Our Cashmere Merino Bloom is a good deal thinner than the Gentle Giant that we used here. We do have a close to the neck version of this same cowl using a yarn that knits in a similar gauge to Cashmere Merino Bloom that might be a better fit for the yarn. It can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2016/02/01/mistake-rib-cowl/ For this smaller version, you would need 2 skeins of Cashmere Merino Bloom!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Is 4 skeins of gentle giant enough to make this? That is all I have in my stash.
Thanks!
Hi Blair,
Thanks for reaching out! Since this is quite a generously sized cowl, you could certainly knit it out of four skeins if you don’t mind it turning out a little smaller! I would probably cast on 100 stitches and knit until you have just enough yarn left to work the cast off.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Is there a non-wool yarn you could recommend for this pattern?
Thanks
Joyce
Hello Joyce,
Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t carry any non wool yarns that are thick enough for this pattern. I would reccomend checking out our Lovely Ribbed Cowl which could be knit up using Blue Sky’s Worsted Cotton or ourhttps://www.purlsoho.com/create/2017/10/04/thorn-stitch-cowl/ which is knit in our Understory yarn which is 50% baby alpaca, 25% baby yak, 25% silk.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
This looks gorgeous! Could you tell me please how to knit this flat?
Thanks!
Hi Sol,
Thanks for reaching out! To work the Mistake Rib stitch flat, you will need to cast on a multiple of 4 plus 3 stitches, and then work every row as *k2, p2,* repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k2, p1. It is the exact same stitch we use in our Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf, Mistake Rib Scarf in Mulberry Merino, and Mistake Rib Scarf in Cashmere Merino Bloom – as you can see, we’re big fans of this lovely but super simple stitch!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Re: Mistake Rib Cowl in Gentle Giant
Would it be nice to do where the Cowl does not wrap twice? I’d like to knit where you pull it over for warmth. We live in a warmer climate although the temperature can drop in winter or cold winds blow through. I’m not sure we would need it double wrapped. Would it look nice if it were not ‘double’ wrapped? If so, could you advise how many stitches to cast on? Best. Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing in! I think this cowl would still be stunning worn as a single layer or wrap! To do so, I would suggest casting on 56 stitches to halve the length. You can then follow the rest of the pattern as written!
Best,
Julianna
For the 56 stitch cast on, what size needles (17, maybe 20″ circular?) should we use. I tried using the 40″, but it twisted the stitches.
Thanks so much!
Hi Carol,
Great question! Since the cowl will only measure about 28 inches around when casting on 56 stitches, yes, I think a 20″ circular would be the best length to use.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Thanks so much!
Hi,
If i wanted to make this using a DK weight yarn so that it still was able to be worn doubled; what size needles would you recommend? And how many stitches would I need to cast on?
Thanks
Hi Mya,
Thanks for writing in! To knit this cowl in DK weight yarn, I would suggest following the instructions for our original Mistake Rib Cowl, which is knit on US 7 needles. For a double wrapped cowl, you will need to cast on 352 stitches.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna