Tutorial Tuesday: the simple cowl

I am proud to offer you an original pattern and tutorial this week!

It turns out that I have become rather hooked on crochet! I ended up watching a number of tutorials on YouTube recently and I got inspired to try my hand at making a cowl.

To get an idea for size I wrapped one of my scarves around my neck to see how long I would like it. Then I took it off and grabbed my measuring tape - it was somewhere in the area of 30"-36". As I was making the chain I checked the length along the way by wrapping it around my neck. I started off with a 6.5mm hook and two strands of worsted weight yarn, but it was much too stiff! So, I unraveled, scoured the internet for other cowl patterns and found that a 10mm hook is ideal when using two strands of yarn, and I happened to have a 10mm hook on hand! So I started up again and it turned out great!

The pattern uses the following stitches:

SS (slip stitch)
SC (single crochet)
HDC (half double crochet)
DC (double crochet)

Matterials*:

1 skein* of Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn (Michael's brand)
     (note: I just made this with Caron Simply Soft and I love it!)
1 10mm crochet hook
1 stitch marker*
1 large-eye yarn needle
Tape measure
Scissors


Method:

Using two strands of yarn at the same time, the outside and inside strands, make a chain that is approx. 32" (or desired length) and join with a SS, taking care not to twist your chain.

Row 1.   SC into each chain, marking the final stitch with your stitch marker.

Row 2.   Chain one (don't turn, you are working in the round) and HDC for the entire row. Mark your final stitch. SS to join to the beginning of your row.

Row 3.   Chain 2 and DC into every stitch. Mark your final stitch. SS to join to the beginning of your row.

Row 4.   Chain 1 and HDC into every stitch. Mark your final stitch. SS to join to the beginning of your row.

Row 5. Same as 3

Rows 6-10. Continue alternating between HDC and DC, as in the rows 4 (HDC) and 3 (DC), ending with the HDC.

Row 11.   SC into each stitch, marking your final stitch. You will not need to "join."

Row 12.   SS into each stitch around, taking care not to make the stitches too tight. Bind off, leaving a tail, pull tight and sew in the tail.

Tighten the tail from the slip knot where you began and sew in the tail.

Your finished product should be about 18" flat, 36" around, and about 7" tall.

* 1 skein refers to the solid color ball with 277 yards of yarn - other styles of Impeccable have fewer yards of yarn. If you us a different yarn you might need more than one skein (i.e. Vanna's Choice is only 145 yds., so you would need two skeins). UPDATE: I just made a cowl with Caron Simply Soft and I LOVE IT - it has such a nice weight to it, and the yarn is set up for pulling from the outside and the inside for convenience. It also has more yardage than Impeccable, so you can make the cowl a bit taller if you like. For a stitch marker I typically use a paperclip, but in the pictures above I just used a strand from the tail. You can use a piece of yarn in a different color, a safety pin... whatever you have.

You could also make this 60"+ so that you can wrap it twice. And you might want to try stacking stitches rather than doing every-other, or throw in some single-crochets, or maybe even the treble stitch.  Have fun with it!

If you have any questions regarding the pattern, please leave a comment or send me an email at TheMadeWithLoveProject {at} gmail {dot} com.

If you try this pattern I would love to see the pictures! Tag me on Instagram or share a link in the comments. Thanks!

Enjoy!

Knitting (and crochet) for Your Health

I know that for me, knitting and crochet are really helpful in reducing stress and anxiety, and going through the motion is often more important to me than the finished product. I guess that is why I have never really branched out too much and learned special techniques and stitches - I just like repetition of a simple stitch. Starting this blog, and my desire to share this fun skill with others, has increased my desire to learn new stitches and techniques, and so I am really trying for more than my typical knit & purl routine.

As I have been branching out, I have realized that sometimes I am in the mood to do something a little complicated or new, and other times I just need some yarn, needles, and a garter stitch. Regardless of the mood that I am in when I start, I always feel better when I am done, and I can see that my time was not wasted because I have something physical to show for it. And I am not the only one who feels this way.

I decided to do a quick Google search on "knitting for health" and I found a lot of articles and videos. It turns out that knitting and crochet are not just great for reducing stress, but they are also great for prevention of depression, pain, and memory loss. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that when you knit or crochet you are very focused on what is happening with the yarn and the tool(s) you are working with, your brain is telling your fingers how to create a series of loops, the motions are repetitive, and there is a product that comes from the work that you are doing.

For me, I become lost in the stitches; they take over my brain and I am not thinking of anything else but what my fingers will do next, what is happening with the fabric I am producing, and how I will move forward - will I switch stitches or keep going with what I have? - all of this, plus the chance to be creative, to decide what I want to make and what I want it to look like, and also the ability to keep expanding and growing in the skill. It is all very rewarding, materially, mentally, and creatively.

So, I encourage you to pick up your needles and hooks, whether for the first time or the thousandth time, and make something. Big or small, simple or complex, the doing is all that matters.

Happy Stitching!