Simple Chains Cowl

This simple crochet cowl pattern works up quickly with a chunky yarn and a large crochet hook. The chain and slip stitch construction makes it a quick and easy project.

The Origin Of This Pattern

This was another pattern that was birthed because I just couldn’t pass up a beautiful yarn! Ha! I’ve been doing a lot of that lately!!

I saw this yarn at Hobby Lobby and had to grab it. I wasn’t quite sure how it would work up though with all the different colors. It seemed like maybe the safest construction for a nice distribution of all those tones would be a simple chain.

As with most of my cowl patterns I wanted it to decrease as I worked, because I like the way a cowl lays when it comes in closer to the neck, rather than having it stack up on top of itself like a column.

I kind of winged it as I went and frogged when I decreased too quickly. I kept frogging and reconstructing until I found the decrease I liked. It took several tries before I felt happy with it. In the end it formed a kind of a strange bell shape when laid flat, but I was happy with the way it looked when worn.

The Yarn For This Pattern

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The Pattern

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Materials:

Size 5/ Bulky Yarn (I used 2 skeins of Yarn Bee Arabella in Foxtrot Fella, 210 yards)
US K/ 6.5mm Crochet Hook
Yarn Needle
Scissors

Gauge:

4” x 4” dc swatch = 11 dc x 7 rows

Finished Size:

15 “ tall
Circumference around bottom edge = 30”
Circumference around top edge= 18”

Stitches Used:

(ch) chain
(sl st) slip stitch
(fhdc) foundation half double crochet

Pattern Notes:

At the end of round 2, you will begin to crochet in a continuous (spiral) round, meaning that you do not ‘join’ at the end of each round but continue crocheting directly into the previous round without stopping.

It can be helpful to use some kind of stitch marker to keep track of the end of each round.

I tend to crochet tightly. So be sure to check your gauge and if you are crocheting more loosely you can move to a smaller hook (or larger if you crochet even more tightly). Some people find they even need to go down two hook sizes to meet my gauge.

Pattern:

Round 1: Fhdc 81, or until roughly 30 inches (If you adjust the # of stitches, just make sure you end up with a multiple of 3).

Join to the first fhdc with a slip stitch to make a circle. Be sure not to twist the row. Use the tail to also join the lower side of the row.

Note: This is the only round of the pattern that has a row of actual stitches, rather than chains. The reason I chose to do this on the first row is because I preferred to work into a row of stitches for round 2, rather than into chains. However, if you feel like this row of stitches feels strange with the rest of the pattern, you could always just chain 81 and join your chain and move to round 2, stitching into chains rather than stitches.

Round 2: *Ch 6. Skip 2 stitches. Slip stitch into the next stitch.* Repeat from * to * around. Chain 6. Slip stitch in the first chain 6 space of the round (this is what is meant by working in a “continuous round”). Mark your last chain 6 with a stitch marker. From this point on you will crochet in a continuous round like this. See photo below. (27 chains)

Round 3: *Ch 6. Sl st into the next ch 6 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (27)

Rounds 4-6: Repeat round 3.

Round 7: *Ch 5. Sl st into the next ch 6 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (27)

Round 8: *Ch 5. Sl st into the next ch 5 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (27)

Round 9-11: Repeat round 8.

Round 12: *Ch 4. Sl st into the next ch 5 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (27)

Round 13: *Ch 4. Sl st into the next ch 4 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (27)

Round 14-21: Repeat round 13.

Round 22: *Ch 6. Sl st into the next ch 4 space. (do not chain again) Sl st into the next ch 4 space* (this will basically be a decrease, as the two chain spaces from the previous round will essentially be held together. See photo below). Repeat from * to * 12 more times. Ch 6 and sl st into the first ch 6 of the round. Continue to crochet in a continuous round. (14 chains)

Round 23: *Ch 6. Sl st into the next ch 6 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (14)

Rounds 24-26: Repeat round 23.

Round 27: *Ch 5. Sl st to next chain 6 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (14)

Round 28: *Ch 5. Sl st to next chain 5 space.* Repeat from * to * around. At the end of the round, continue to crochet in a continuous round by placing your last sl st into the first chain of the row. (14)

Rounds 29-31: Repeat round 28.

Finish off and weave in ends.

The shape when laid flat will look odd (like a big bell, see photo below), but the decreases will allow the piece to lay around the neck with more drape.

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More Cowl & Scarf Patterns You Might Enjoy:

Sand Drift Cowl

The Kimberly Scarf

The Twisted Chains Cowl

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Note: Feel free to sell finished products made with this pattern. If finished products are posted online, please include a reference/credit to this pattern, including a link. Do not distribute or claim the pattern as your own, or alter and use my photos to market your finished products.