Winter Crystals Hooded Cowl

My last pattern, the Cables & Braids Cowl & Beanie Set were much loved last week... so I thought I'd share another pattern featuring the same cable stitch with you all! The stitch in this pattern was the Battle of the Stitches Round 3 stitch! If you aren't familiar with the BOS, be sure to check them out. This pattern was a ton of fun to make and my daughter absolutely loved modeling it for me... though, I must say, I can't help but feel that she steals the spotlight!

This pattern can be purchased on Ravelry or Etsy (linked below) and is at a sale price on Ravelry today only (12/16/14)! No coupon code needed - be sure to check that out. 

I used a very soft and sturdy wool blend for this project but my testers also had luck using Vanna's choice and you could even use Red Heart Super Saver, Red Heart with Love or I Love This Yarn for more affordable choices! Just make sure you match gauge by adjusting your hook size if need be. 

Ravelry

& 

Etsy

And be sure to let me know if you like the pattern because if there is interest I'll be designing adult sizes as well! From small women's to extra large! 

Braids & Cables Beanie & Cowl Set

I'm going to release a pattern early today... and it is officially the FIRST free crochet pattern I'm listing that uses the Battle of the Stitches Round 3 stitch! This pattern is easy to figure out and works up quickly. A link to a tutorial video is provided below and the hints & tips section will give you some extra help too!

Scroll down for the free patterns... want to save the pattern to your Ravelry library or print it off easily? Buy it on Ravelry for just $2.50 HERE.

Hook: J
Material: Red Heart with Love
Gauge: 3 dc & 2 rounds (1 sc + 1 dc) = 1”

Hints & Tips:

-          The sc round gets skipped over when working the front post stitches. You can see a tutorial video HERE.

-          The cowl/scarf is designed to be approximately 72” long at the gauge written. The gauge isn’t super important with the cowl unless you want it to be the same size as the one in the photo taken. The gauge IS important with the hat.

-          When measuring the cowl’s gauge, I stretched it out to its normal length. The cables make it seem a little “tighter” than it is and made a sc and dc round right under an inch. Once I stretched it out a bit, it fit the gauge I wrote which is the same gauge as the hat.

-          The hat is designed to be unisex. I did not add a pom-pom to the one in the photo but that is an excellent option!

-          The hat is a little tricky. Round 4 has less stitches than round 3 and this might throw you off. It is correct. The reason being the cable stitches are worked OVER round 3 and into round 2. Round 3’s increases are just used as a filler round and to increase the hat size. The stitch counts are correct.

-     This pattern is sized in adult only.

Special Stitches:

-          Braid - BR – sk next st, fptrc in each of next 2 sts, working in front of last 2 sts, fptrc in skipped st

-          Front Post Triple Crochet – fptrc – YO 2x, insert hook around post of specified st (the post will be towards the front of the hook, not behind it) and draw up a loop, *YO and throw through 2 loops on hook* 3 times

Abbreviations/stitches:

-          Ch – chain

-          Dc – double crochet

-          Sl st – slip stitch

-          Fpdc – front post double crochet

-          St – stitch

-          Sc – single crochet

-          Bpdc – back post double crochet

-          BR – braid

-          Fptrc – front post triple/treble crochet

Beanie:

Round 1) Using magic circle, ch 2, 15 dc in circle, pull tight and join to first st with sl st – 15 dc

Round 2) Ch 2, 2 fpdc around every st around, join to first st with sl st – 30 dc

Round 3) Ch 1, sc in 1^st st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st* around, join to first st with sl st – 45 sc

Round 4) Ch 2, dc in same 1^st st, fptrc around first dc from round 2, BR, fptrc around next dc, dc in next 2 st, *fptrc around next dc from round 2, BR, fptrc around next dc from round 2, dc in next 2 st* around ending with a dc in last st of round 3, join to first st with sl st – 42 st – 6 BR

Round 5) Ch 1, sc in 1^st st and next 5 st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 6 st, 2 sc in next st* around, join to first st with sl st – 48 sc

Round 6) Ch 2, dc in 1^st st, dc in next st, fptrc around fptrc, BR, fptrc around fptrc, dc in next 4 st, *fptrc around fptrc, BR, fptrc around fptrc, dc in next 4 st* around ending with 2 dc, join to first st with sl st – 54 st

Round 7) Ch 1, sc in every st around, join to first st with sl st – 54 sc

Round 8) Ch 2, dc in 1^st 2 st, *fptrc around fptrc, BR, fptrc around fptrc, dc in next 4 st* around ending with 2 dc, join to first st with sl st – 54 st

Round 9) Ch 1, sc in every st around, join to first st with sl st – 54 sc

Round 10 - 21) Repeat rounds 8 & 9

Round 22) Ch 1, turn (so that the front of your stitches are facing the inside of the hat), dc in every st around, join to first st with sl st – 54 dc

Round 23) Ch 1, fpdc around 1^st st, bpdc around next st, *fpdc around next st, bpdc around next st* around, join to first st with sl st – 54 dc

Round 24 – 25) Repeat round 23 and then tie off at end of round 25

Fold last four rounds over so that the right sides of the stitches face out.

Cowl/Scarf:

Row 1) Ch 22, turn and sc in 2^nd ch from hook and across – 21 sc

Row 2) Ch 1, turn, dc in every st across – 21 dc

Row 3) Ch 1, turn, sc in every st across – 21 sc

Row 4) Ch 1, turn, dc in 1^st st, fptrc around 2^nd dc of round 2, BR, fptrc around next dc of round 2, dc in next 9 st, fptrc around dc of round 2, BR, fptrc around dc of round 2, dc in last st – 21 st

Row 5) Ch 1, turn, sc in every st across – 21 sc

Row 6) Ch 1, turn, dc in 1^st st, fptrc around fptrc, BR, fptrc around fptrc, dc in next 9 st, fptrc around fptrc, BR, fptrc around fptrc, dc in last st – 21 st

Row 7 - 143) Repeat rows 5 & 6 ending with row 143 being a repeat of row 5

For cowl, face right sides of cowl together and slip st the last row and the first row together before tying off.

For scarf, tie off and weave in ends or add fringe to the bottom.  

Fiery Waves Cowl

This yarn is from Yarn Baby LLC  - Hot Lava - it was incredible to work with! I absolutely love her material and her colors and you will too. In fact, the model in the photo commented on how amazed she was by the material (and she doesn't crochet or knit or anything!) - she loved the stretch it had without losing its shape at all. Great stuff, I'm telling you. Check her out. It says she still has FOUR skeins of it available so definitely get some while you can ;) 

Hook: F
Material: Yarn Baby SW Merino USA – DK – Hot Lava
Finished measurements: 14” long & 6” wide (14” after folded, 28” total length)

Abbreviations/Stitches:

-          Ch – chian

-          Sc – single crochet

-          Sk – skip

-          St – stitch

Row 1) Ch 28, turn, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and across – 27 sc

Row 2 - 3) Ch 1, turn, sc in every st across – 27 sc

Row 4) Ch 1, turn, sc in 1^st st, sc in next st, *ch 4, sk next 3 st, sc in next st* 6 times, sc in last st – 9 sc, 6 ch 4 spaces

Row 5) Ch 1, turn, sc in 1^st st, *sc in next st, 3 sc in ch 4 sp* 6 times, sc in last 2 st – 27 sc

Row 6 - 7) Repeat row 4 & 5

Row 8 – 9) Repeat row 4 & 5

Row 10 – 11) Ch 1, turn, sc in every st across – 27 sc

Row 12) *Ch 16, sk next st, sl st in next st* to end, ch 7 – 13 ch 16 loops, 1 ch 7 strand

Row 13) Turn, 2 sc in every ch 16 loop across, 1 more sc in last ch 16 loop – 27 sc

Row 14 – 15) Ch 1, turn, sc in every st across – 27 sc

Row 16 – 27) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Row 28 – 39) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Row 40 – 51) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Row 52 – 63) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Row 64 – 75) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Row 76 – 87) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Row 88 – 99) Repeat rows 4 – 15

Fold in half, join edges together and sl st into 1^st st of row 1, turn, sl st down rows and tie off. 

Also released this week: 

THREE new mermaid patterns!! Two of these three eBooks can be found individually or in the eBook with the third one being an eBook exclusive! AND if you buy the eBook you get my previously released mermaid tail designs as well. Find this deal on Ravelry HERE.

Nothin' But Loops Cowl

Get the pattern at Ravelry or Etsy linked below.

Ravelry

Or 

Etsy

The beautiful cowl you see adorning this lovely ladies neck is a one skein cowl made with Red Heart Medley. 

Medley is one of Red Heart's newest materials and is absolutely beautiful! The material is soft, it is thick and it is squishy... in my books, that makes it perfect for anything you want to wear! This material runs just under $6 bucks a skein on Red Heart's Website  which really makes this cowl even better because you'll only need one skein! 

Now, enough about the material, let's talk about the pattern! This pattern has an elegant look to it. It's warm, it utilizes the thickness of the material and accents it! Regardless of your skill level, you'll enjoy working up this cowl and it would make a great project to sell or gift! 

The pattern includes two different ways to join or you can just sew the ends together. What's really nice about this cowl is, if you'd like to get another 2-3 skeins of the material, it would make a gorgeous scarf! Two different projects out of just one pattern always makes life nice ;)