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Cowl Crochet Snowflake Pattern
As you may (or may not) already know, I live in a tiny off-grid cabin on a lake in upstate New York. While beautiful in the summer and fall months, our winters are cold and long. So naturally, I spend much of my time crocheting things to keep me warm – such as this winter snowflake crochet cowl.
This is made using the waistcoat stitch, which is actually just a variation of the single crochet stitch. It gives your finished projects a traditional knit-look but without having to knit a single stitch – it’s all crochet!
This pattern comes with three types of instructions: written, a color graph and color blocks. The written instructions come first followed by the color graph and finally, the color blocks. Scroll down to your preferred method of choice and let’s make this lovely winter cowl pattern together 🙂
Free Cowl Crochet Snowflake Pattern
Materials:
- two contrasting colors of worsted-weight acrylic or wool yarn, approximately 200 yards each. I used Big Twist solids.
- H-8 (5.00mm) crochet hook or whatever size is needed to obtain gauge.
- scissors
- tapestry needle
Skill Level:
- Intermediate. The maker should have basic knowledge of how to change colors. This pattern also uses the waistcoat stitch – which requires the maker to be able to tension their yarn accordingly.
Pattern Notes:
- This pattern is written using standard US crochet terms.
- This cowl is worked in the round.
- Unless otherwise indicated, each round ends by joining with a slip stitch and each round begins by immediately working into the first stitch. You will not chain 1.
- Loose tension is very important for this particular design! You may need to go up a hook size or two if you have very tight tension.
- You can make this cowl shorter or longer by removing/adding to the solid color rows.
- The first two rows and the last two rows are the dc/fpdc/bpdc rows as indicated in the written instructions. Row 3 is sc. Please refer to the written instructions for these rows. All other rows are made in the ws.
- There are 3 sets of instructions given for the colorwork section. Written instructions, a color graph and color block instructions are all given depending on your preferred pattern-reading method.
STITCHES USED AND ABBREVIATIONS (US TERMS):
- ch = chain
- st/sts = stitch/stitches
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- fpdc = front post double crochet
- bpdc = back post double crochet
- wst = waistcoat stitch
- A = color A (I used red)
- B = color B (I used ivory)
GAUGE:
- After rows 1 & 2, make at least 5 ws rows. You should have: 5 ws rows x 4 sts = 1 square inch.
FINISHED SIZE (approximate):
- 12.25″ x 12.25″
HOW TO ADJUST THE SIZE:
You can make this cowl smaller by either using a smaller hook OR you can eliminate a sequence of 14 stitches. So instead of repeating the sequence 6 times, you’d only repeat it 5 times. To make it shorter, you can make less of the solid color rows, or you can add more solid color rows to make it longer.
Instructions for the Cowl Crochet Snowflake Pattern
using color A: Ch 84, join to first ch with a sl st being careful not to twist it. Ch 2. (84 ch)
Rounds 1: work one dc in each ch all the way around. Join with a sl st to the first st, ch 1. (84 dc)
Rounds 2: work one fpdc in the first stitch, bpdc in the next stitch. Alternate between fpdc and bpdc all the way around. Join with a sl st to the first st, ch1. (84 fpdc/bpdc)
For the colorwork rounds (13-39) there are 3 sets of instructions depending on your preference. There are written instructions below. However, if you prefer a color graph you can find that HERE. Or if you find color block instructions easier, you can find that HERE.
*Row 3 is made with sc and rows 4-50 will be worked using the waistcoat stitch. Join at the end of each round with a sl st but do not chain 1. Carry your yarn between color changes.
To keep these instructions shorter and easier to read, repeat each the instructions for each row 6 times to complete it.
For the first color-changing round, you will start with color A and work 5 stitches, change color on the last pull-through of the 6th stitch so that you can begin with color B on stitch 7.
*Carry the yarn you’re not using all the way around. To “carry” yarn means to lay it across the next stitch and crochet over it. Thus you are “carrying” it along until you need to use it again. This eliminates ‘lines’ of yarn across the back of your work.
*Row 3 is made with sc. Every row after that is ws.
Row 3: (r) x 14
Row 4: (r) x 14
Row 5: (r) x 14
Row 6: (r) x 14
Row 7: (r) x 14
Row 8: (r) x 14
Row 9: (r) x 14
Row 10: (r) x 14
Row 11: (r) x 14
Row 12: (r) x 14
Row 13: (r) x 6, (w) x 1, (r) x 6, (w) x 1
Row 14: (w) x 1, (r) x 4, (w) x 3, (r) x 4, (w) x 2
Row 15: (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 2, (w) x 1
Row 16: (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 5, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 2
Row 17: (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x
1
Row 18: (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1
Row 19: (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 1
Row 20: (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 2, (w) x 1
Row 21: (r) x 1, (w) x 2, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 2, (r) x 2
Row 22: (w) x 3, (r) x 7, (w) x 3, (r) x 1
Row 23: (w) x 2, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 2, (r) x 1
Row 24: (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 3, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1
Row 25: (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 2, (w) x 3, (r) x 2
Row 26: (r) x 5, (w) x 3, (r) x 5, (w) x 1
Row 27: (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 2, (w) x 3, (r) x 2
Row 28: (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 3, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1
Row 29: (w) x 2, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 2, (r) x 1
Row 30: (w) x 3, (r) x 7, (w) x 3, (r) x 1
Row 31: (r) x 1, (w) x 2, (r) x 7, (w) x 2, (r) x 2
Row 32: (r) x 2, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 3
Row 33: (r) x 5, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 5, (w) x 1
Row 34: (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 3, (w) x 1, (r) x 1
Row 35: (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1
Row 36: (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 5, (r) x 1, (w) x 1, (r) x 1, (w) x 2
Row 37: (w) x 2, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 3, (r) x 1, (w) x 2, (r) x 1
Row 38: (r) x 1, (w) x 4, (r) x 3, (w) x 4, (r) x 2
Row 39: (w) x 6, (r) x 1, (w) x 6, (r) x 1
Row 40: (w) x 14
Row 41: (w) x 14
Row 42: (w) x 14
Row 43: (w) x 14
Row 44: (w) x 14
Row 45: (w) x 14
Row 46: (w) x 14
Row 47: (w) x 14
Row 48: (w) x 14
Row 49: (w) x 14
Row 50: (w) x 14 *after joining this row with a sl st, ch 2
Row 51: work one dc in each st all the way around. Join with a sl st to the first st, ch 1. (84 dc)
Row 52: work one fpdc in the first stitch, bpdc in the next stitch. Alternate between fpdc and bpdc all the way around. Join with a sl st to the first st. (84 fpdc/bpdc) Fasten off and weave in ends.
HOW TO READ THE COLOR GRAPH:
Each square on the graph represents one stitch. Just as we crochet from right to left, the graph is to be read from right to left for each round. The graph is shown flat, but you will be working in the round. To keep the graph small and easier to read, I’ve only included a sequence of 14 stitches. This sequence is to be repeated a total of 6 times to complete the round.
The first two rows and the last two rows are the dc/fpdc/bpdc rows and row 3 is a sc row. Please refer to the written instructions for these rows. Rows 4-50 are all made in the ws.
For the first color-changing round, you will start with color A and work 5 stitches, change color on the last pull-through of the 6th stitch so that you can begin with color B on stitch 7.
*Carry the yarn you’re not using all the way around. To “carry” yarn means to lay it across the next stitch and crochet over it. Thus you are “carrying” it along until you need to use it again. This eliminates ‘lines’ of yarn across the back of your work.
Color Block Instructions:
Work the number of stitches in each block in the color shown. Repeat each sequence a total of 6 times to complete the round. Rows 1, 2, 51 and 52 are the dc/fpcd/bpdc rounds and row 3 is a sc round. Please refer to the written instructions for these rows. All other rounds (4-50) are made with the ws.
Your beautiful winter snowflake cowl is now finished! Don’t you just love it?? I’d love to know what you think of this pattern. Tag me @spottedhorsedesignco on social media – I adore seeing your finished pieces 🙂
Need more cold weather patterns? Here are more designs to love:
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These photos are the property of Spotted Horse Design Co. This tutorial is for your personal use only. Please do not copy/paste, distribute, or alter and claim as your own.
