Two-Color Mistake Rib Cowl
Not all mistakes are bad. In fact, some result in fascinating, lofty, and very beautiful stitch patterns! The so-called Mistake Rib is one such mistake, a case of misaligned knits and purls that creates a squishy-soft hand knit like this one, our Two-Color Mistake Rib Cowl.
Mistake Rib in one color is lovely, but add another, and you’re in the business off creating a herringbone textile so intricate looking you wouldn’t imagine that it’s a simple matter of knit 2, purl 2 and switching colors each round. Amazing!
And please, let’s make sure the knitting is as enjoyable as the wearing! One of our very favorite yarns, our Season Alpaca is a 100% super baby alpaca treat, ensuring that the time spent is a pleasure, not a chore!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoTwoColorMistakeRibCowl, and #PurlSohoSeasonAlpaca. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Color A: 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Season Alpaca, 100% super baby alpaca. Each skein is 218 yards; approximately 431 yards required. We used Stillwater Blue.
- Color B: 2 skeins of Season Alpaca. Approximately 431 yards required. We used Heirloom White.
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 40- or 47-inch circular needles
- A stitch marker
Gauge
Unblocked: 34 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches in mistake rib pattern
Blocked: 31 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in mistake rib pattern
Size
- Finished Circumference: Approximately 55 inches
- Finished Height: Approximately 10 inches
Notes
Stitch Multiple
Mistake Rib in the round is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches.
Pattern
With Color A, cast on 424 stitches. We used a Basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place a marker, and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Bottom Edge: One-Color Mistake Rib
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 two more times.
Body: Two-Color Mistake Rib
NOTE: Join Color B the first time you work Round 2.
Round 1: With Color A, *k2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: With Color B, p1, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k2, p1.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 9½ inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Cut Color A.
Top Edge: One-Color Mistake Rib
With Color B, repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of One-Color Mistake Rib pattern three times.
Bind off in stitch pattern.
Weave in the ends and block as desired.
If I wanted to use this stitch to make a blanket, how would I adapt for knitting flat with two colors?
Hi Ellen,
Great question! I would suggest starting with our Two-Tone Mistake Rib Scarf as the basis for your blanket! Just like the cowl, it is knit in single stripes of two different colors in Mistake Rib, but this pattern has the four-row repeat you need to use to work the stitch flat.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Is this cowl designed to wrap twice around the neck or only once?
Hi Kris,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, the cowl is designed to wrap around twice!
Best,
Gianna
Is there something that I need to do to avoid a jog in the round when I switch colors?
Hi Megan,
Thanks for reaching out! A slight jog will just happen naturally when working in the round and switching colors so there isn’t necessarily a way to avoid that.
All the best,
Gianna
Love this but would like to use a single cowl. Any suggestions with a 7 needle too?
Hi Denise,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend checking out our other pattern Mistake Rib Cowl In Cashmere Tend, it is the same stitch but worked in one color on a US 8 needle! You can easily adjust the pattern to be worked in 2 colors by following the color work instructions for the Two-Color Mistake Rib Cowl!
I hope this helps, feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Just confirming that the cast on is 424 stitches (I’m dreading that part). Is there a way to make it somewhat smaller but still be able to double it? Thanks so much – love your store!
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes that is correct, the cast on in 424 for this cowl! I actually knit the sample in the photographs and the cast on was definitely a long process, but long tail cast on helps keep it pretty manageable! I also recommend placing a stitch marker every 50 or 100 stitches to help you keep track of how many you have cast on. The cowl as is (55″ finished circumference) fits perfectly doubled, so I wouldn’t suggest changing the cast on too much. The stitch pattern works over a multiple of 4 stitches, So I would go down to 420 or 416 stitches but wouldn’t go much smaller than that to insure you can still double it!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
It seems as though the headings on the pattern sections are mislabeled. i.e. Top Edge: One-Color Mistake Rib starts out “With Color B”… You would not have a Color B for a One-Color cowl.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out! It is not mislabeled, since this is a two color version of this cowl you have Color A which is your main color and Color B which is the constraining color. For our sample Color A was Stillwater Blue and Color B was Heirloom White. This cowl is knit from the bottom up, both edges start and finish with the ONE-COLOR MISTAKE RIB pattern, you will start by casting on and working 1 inch in ONE-COLOR MISTAKE RIB using Color A, then you will work TWO-COLOR MISTAKE RIB using A and B together and finally you will finish with another inch of ONE-COLOR MISTAKE RIB now in Color B.
I hope this clears things up, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi Deborah,
I would love to knit this lovely cowl but prefer to not twist it at all. Would I be right in halving the number of stitches? Here in Australia 🇦🇺 the winters are not as severe as in the Northern Hemisphere. A single cowl would be just right otherwise it would come off extremely quickly from overheating.
Thank you so much for your freebies I so appreciate your kindness. I love a good ‘pay it forward’. Please thank your lovely designer.
Hi Francien,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! I will certainly pass your note along to the designer! You can easily adjust this pattern to be a single wrap cowl! Depending on the overall circumference you would like and if your gauge is consistent with the pattern you can calculate your cast on amount from there, just be sure to keep in mind that Mistake Rib in the round is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches.
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
Hello,
I love this pattern so much and the yarn! But wondering if you might be able to suggest a slightly less expensive yarn that could also work? Would the pattern work with Purl Soho’s Cotton Pure yarn?
Thank you!
Hi Laura,
Thanks for writing in. I think this pattern would be lovely in Cotton Pure! You may also want to consider Good Wool, or Brooklyn Tweed’s Ranch 03, which are some other cheaper options for a sportweight yarn.
As always, we recommend making a gauge swatch before starting a project to be sure you’re working with the right needles, especially when substituting yarns. If this is daunting, I’d recommend checking out a tutorial called All About Gauge, which covers some incredibly helpful information.
All the best,
Lili