This can't be right...

I only managed to get a chance to cast on today, so I'm rather behind. Muh. I'm doing my scarf in Lion Brand cotton and being very jealous of those whose scarf recipients (or themselves) are not allergic to wool. I'm only 1/2 a repeat in, but what I'm getting is 9 inches wide! SURELY there's something wrong with this...the pattern says it should be 5 1/2 inches. I know cables pull things in, but that much? I'm not really liking how loose the fabric I'm getting is anyway, so I'll probably go down to 7's or 6's. I know this is a scarf, so it doesn't really matter, I just wanted to feel included. Stupid so-called real life interfering with my knitting...