cowl | by Midknight Designs

Simple Winter Cowl ~ Free Pattern

A WordPress Exclusive Free Pattern!

This design happened because of a need for a quick to make and useful Christmas gifts. I had come across the Waistcoat Crochet Stitch on Pinterest a couple of years ago and liked the look of it; like a knitted stockinette stitch, but not, it’s not Tunisian either, just a simple single crochet, but worked differently. From what I read, it is a vintage crochet stitch come back. It is also known as the Center Single Crochet and the Crochet Stockinette Stitch. The Waistcoat Stitch makes for a nice warm fabric using worsted or aran weight yarn when finished. It is much easier than it looks, but it does require a loose tension and using a tapered crochet hook helps too. I paired it with the 3rd Loop Half Double Crochet and it added some fun textured stripes within the stockinette look of the Waistcoat Stitch.

This pattern is written for one size, but because it is worked in a multiple of 1, it is very easy to size up or down to fit anyone from child to adult.

I do plan on getting better photos once I can get some one to model it for me.

Simple Winter Cowl

Difficulty:

Easy, but not for beginners

Sizes:

One Size, approx. 24 inches circumference and 8 inches long

Materials:

6.00mm hook
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft for single color cowl
2 skeins of Caron Simply Soft (color A & B) for 2 color cowl (optional)

Stitches used are in US terminology

Terms used with abbreviations:

ch – chain
fsc – foundation singe crochet
sc – single crochet
wcs – waistcoat stitch
hdc – half double crochet
slst – slip stitch
st(s) – stitch(es)

Gauge:

Working the Waistcoat stitch in the round (see special stitches below):

For gauge swatch, fsc 30, join in 1st fsc with slst

rnd 1: ch1, sc in 1st st and in each st around, join with slst in 1st sc

rnd 2 – 20 : ch1, ch 1, wcs in same st as joining and in each st around, join with slst in 1st wcs

7 sts and 10 rnds = 2 inches, if your gauge is a little bigger, that’s ok.

Keep tension loose, may go up a hook size if tension is still to tight with the 6.00mm hook to work the wcs. Working with a tapered hook also helps.

The Waistcoat Stitch in the round will slant a bit.

Special Stitches:

Waistcoat Stitch (wcs): insert hook in between the “legs” of the stitch indicated in the previous row, yo, pull through stitch loosely (2 loops on hook), yo, pull through both loops. (on the front of the stitch (right side), the “legs” look like a V, on the back of the stitch (wrong side), the “legs” look like an upside down V. You will work between both, insert the hook into the front legs and out the back legs for working in the round)

(video tutorial on Moogly, but keep in mind the tutorial is worked flat, this project is worked in the round)

Finding the 3rd loop on a hdc: (video tutorial on Moogly for 3rd loop half double crochet)

click to enlarge

Note: This pattern has not been tested. Please let me know if there is anything that is unclear. Thanks

Pattern

Note: Do not turn at the end of the rounds.

fsc: 75, join in 1st st making sure not to twist

rnd 1: ch1, sc in 1st st and in each st around, join with slst in 1st sc (75 sc)

rnds 2 – 5: ch 1, wcs in 1st st and in each st around, join with slst in 1st wcs (75 wcs)

rnd 6: ch 1, hdc in 1st st the same way as the wcs is made and in each st around, join with slst in the 1st hdc (75 hdc)

rnds 7 & 8: ch1, hdc in the 3rd loop in the back of 1st st and in the 3rd loop of each st around, join with slst in the 1st hdc (75 3rd loop hdc)

rnd 9: ch1, sc in the 3rd loop in the back of 1st st and in the 3rd loop of each st around, join with slst in the 1st sc (75 sc)

rnds 10 – 25: repeat rnds 2 -9 2x’s (75 sts)

rnds 26 – 29: repeat rnds 2 – 5 once (75 sts)

rnd 30: repeat rnd 1 (75 sc)

Finish off, weave in ends

For 2 colors: (optional)

change to color B when starting the hdc rnds (rnd 6), changing back to color A when starting the sc/wcs rnds (rnd 9) in the above pattern instructions.