Project – Man-Stitch Scarf

My favorite stitch combination.

This stitch actually has a different official name: it’s called Mistake Rib or Broken Rib, because it’s worked in 2×2 ribbing, but the knit and purl stitches don’t line up.

The resulting texture is perfect for soft and simple scarves that also look rugged and manly. This last scarf project is going to make you a pro at reading your work and fixing your mistakes – you are going to be SO far ahead of other knitters when it comes to these skills.

The Mistake Rib is a perfect challenge for us to practice those techniques.

You can work along with the videos and just make a swatch if you don’t want to make a complete scarf, but if you do want to make the scarf, here are some general tips about knitting projects and choosing yarn for men, an adventure in itself.

Knitting For Men

Here are just a few thoughts about knitting scarves for men – please keep in mind that this advice will not apply in every situation or to every man, so don’t get mad at me if your man isn’t like this.

That being said… Knitting for men in your life is fun but can also be dangerous, because if after all your hard work he doesn’t want it and doesn’t wear it, it’s going to be a bummer.

For this reason, I think it’s best to wait until your man says, “Can you make ME a scarf?” to take the plunge.

If said man DOES want said scarf, I would first ask him what his favorite color is – who doesn’t like stuff in their favorite color?

What, he already has two navy-blue scarves? Perfect. That’s how you know he likes ‘em.

If your scarf is going to be a surprise, you will be mostly safe sticking to navy blue, green, and shades of gray (if your guy is a lime-green-and-purple kind of guy, you’ll already know it).

Second, don’t scrimp on the yarn quality – make sure it’s soft and not itchy. Most men are less accustomed to suffering for fashion than women are – an itchy scarf will live at the back of the drawer no matter how much he loves you.

Use a pure merino wool, or even a cashmere blend if you feel like spoiling him (and your fingers). I’ll recommend some of my favorite choices for our man-scarf, but before you buy the yarn, hold it up to your neck to see if it’s prickly.

Warning: Alpaca feels soft but can sometimes be uncomfortable nonetheless – depending on the company, some alpaca yarn fibers seem to reach out and prickle your neck in the most irritating way.

So rub the yarn all over your neck first to check for prickles.

That’s it! Read through the pattern below and I’ll help you pick out some yarn and we’ll get started.

Pattern – Man-Stitch Scarf (Mistake Rib Scarf)

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Done reading through the pattern? Okay, let’s go shopping!

Shopping for Yarn for Your Man-Stitch Scarf

The yarn you choose should depend on how chunky you want the scarf to look, and how much time you want to spend knitting this scarf. The bulky scarf in the pattern photo took about two afternoons to knit – a finer yarn will take longer.

For bulky yarn, I recommend Malabrigo Chunky or Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, for aran-weight yarn I recommend Berroco Pure Merino or Malabrigo Twist, and for worsted-weight yarn I recommend Malabrigo Merino Worsted or Malabrigo Rios.

Again, semi-solid, kettle-dyed, and heathered or tweed yarns will show off this pattern the best. Self-striping yarns like Noro can be gorgeous in this stitch as well.

First Rows of Mistake-Rib Scarf

Let’s get started. We’ll do the first few rows together and then take a look at the properties of stitches in this scarf.

Troubleshooting Man-Stitch

The next few videos will help you recognize and fix any errors.

If You Get Lost in the Pattern/End With Wrong Stitch

First, what to do if you get lost, for example, if your stitch-count is off, and you don’t end with a P1 like you’re supposed to.

Stitches Don’t Line Up Right

Here’s what to do if you notice that your stitches aren’t lining up like they’re supposed to.

Nice work. You did it! I hope you and your man both appreciate how much skill and hard work it took to make this work of art.