Fall is undoubtedly my favorite time of year and I don’t care who knows 🙂 Some of you may strongly disagree, but to each their own. I love the crisp air, the vibrant colors and the time for reflection. I also absolutely adore fall attire. Enter the Stonehaven Crochet Cowl.

While camping with the kids this weekend, likely our last of the season, the temperatures were significantly cooler at night and the inspiration for this cowl was born. It can be worked up in under 2 hours and kept me warm and cozy by the campfire and while sleeping in the tent in 11 degrees Celcius (51 degrees Fahrenheit.) Brrrrr.

The fun thing about this crochet cowl, however, is that it’s a loose stitch so it’s super light and pliable as well so you’re not going to melt in it on a sunny fall day. The stitch used is the double crochet cross stitch so it creates a gorgeous texture reminiscent of stone like granite or marble. Additionally, I used a very pretty Aran Fleck yarn from Red Heart which adds further to the texture and also to the rustic charm of the cowl.

For more crochet wearables, see the Lakeridge Cowl, the Diosa Scoodie and the Meadow Pullover.

LET’S GET MAKING! Scroll down for the free pattern below OR you can get the Ad-Free, printable version from my Etsy store HERE

SUPPLY LIST – 6.5 mm hook, Yarn Used: Red Heart Super Saver Aran Fleck (4wt), Approx 80 yards (73 metres), Scissors, Tapestry needle

STITCHES & ABBREVIATIONS – CH – chain, SL ST – slip stitch, SC – single crochet, DC – double crochet, DCX – double crochet cross stitch

SIZES – One size fits all

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS – 11” height by 13” width

GAUGE – Not important, but 10 ST x 6 rows = 4” x 4”

DIFFICULTY LEVEL – Beginner

PATTERN & SIZING NOTES –

• This cowl is made with DC rows/rounds on the top and bottom (2 rounds) and the body of the cowl is made using the Double Crochet Cross Stitch or “DCX” (18 rounds) for a total of 20 rows/rounds
• Other than the first joined row, the cowl is made in a spiral
• Keep the tension on your foundation chain more loose than usual since you’re working not only with a larger than normal hook for this yarn weight (4wt) but also because you’re working a loose DCX
• While the cowl has an even number of stitches, in order to offset the DCX stitches to create the diagonal effect, the first ST in the first “round” of the cowl (after the first joined row) is a CH only, but that CH will count as a stitch
• While we are counting “rounds” in this cowl, the 2^nd last round will be only about ¾ of a round so that both your foundation tails and your starting stitch of the last round of DC line up to be better hidden when worn at the back – this also helps the cowls to be more even since it’s worked as a spiral (the reason for this is that the first stitch in a round will always shift to the left on this project)
• This cowl is completely versatile and can be made longer to accommodate your tastes – simply start with a longer foundation chain as long as it is an even number

INSTRUCTIONS –

Chain 62, SL ST to join

ROW 1: CH 3, DC in each stitch across, SL ST to top of chain 3 (62)

ROUND 2: <spiral starts> CH 1 (counts as a stitch), DCX in all stitches across (62)

ROUND 3: You’re back at the CH 1 from the previous round, you’re skipping this ST and DC’ing in the next stitch then crossing and DC’ing in the CH 1 and continuing the DCX for the round (62)

ROUND 4 – 18: DCX in each stitch in the round (62)

ROUND 19: DCX until your working stitches line up vertically with the tail of your foundation chain – this is where you will start your last round of just DC

ROUND 20: DC in the next 60 ST across, 1 SC, 1 SL ST (62)

YO and pull through to tie off and cut yarn

Weave in all ends with a tapestry needle to complete.

HOW TO DO DOUBLE CROCHET CROSS STITCH (DCX):

For the DCX, you simply skip 1 stitch, double crochet in the next stitch then cross back to double crochet in the stitch you skipped. More specifically, you:

Step 1 – yarn over, skip a stitch, put your hook through the next stitch, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through the first two loops then yarn over and pull through the two remaining loops

Step 2 – yarn over, cross your hook back over top of the double crochet you just completed and put it through the skipped stitch, yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through the first two loops then yarn over and pull through the remaining two loops

** for a video tutorial, see https://hearthookhome.com/crossed-double-crochet-stitch-tutorial/