This easy crochet cowl pattern is a very quick project to make.  With a unique woven appearance and gorgeous texture, this easy and eye-popping crochet cowl is a beautiful and warm winter accessory!

The Mountain Trail Cowl is part of my Mountain Trail stitch pattern series which started with the Mountain Trail Tweed Poncho.  The other patterns in this series are the Mountain Trail Tweed Blanket and the Mountain Trail Hat which is a perfect match to this cowl.  

I changed up the yarn I used for both the hat and cowl as I wanted shorter ombre color changes. The projects are much smaller than the poncho and blanket so I needed a different yarn in order to get a similar woven appearance. So I used another one of my favorite yarns by Lion Brand – Ferris Wheel yarn* with many vibrant color options and short ombre color changes.

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself. This post may contain affiliate links that if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. 

If you would like to change the yarn you use to a different weight perhaps to a bulky yarn or a dk yarn you could certainly make that adjustment easily by just working your rectangle to the approximate finished size dimensions provided in the pattern.  

Mountain Trail Cowl Crochet Pattern Details

This easy crochet cowl has very simple, beginner-friendly construction.  You will crochet a rectangle which is worked row by row and is then folded and sewn or crocheted together to create the cowl shape.  You could also add a decorative button if you chose as well. This would be a fun way to highlight that gorgeous unique large button you have been saving for just the right occassion!

I love to wear cowls.  They really are the perfect accessory to keep warm all winter long without the fuss of wrapping or tying. Just throw on and go!

This easy crochet cowl is worked by alternating colors from two yarn cakes or by working both ends of the same yarn cake, switching colors every second row.  This really provides interesting texture and a unique woven look to your finished cowl.  You could certainly choose to alternate two solid colors instead of the self-striping yarn I used for another option as well.

And, even though you are working color changes throughout no worries about a ton of ends to weave in at the end.  You will not cut yarn when changing between yarn cakes – drop unused yarn to be picked up 2 rows later.  Yarn floats will be covered during seaming process. Yay!

Even though this stitch pattern may look complicated it is much easier than it looks.  You are using the beginner-friendly double crochet stitch and single crochet stitches throughout.  The unique placement of the double crochet stitches create the interesting woven texture.  If you are a crochet beginner you will want to check out my tutorials for the stitch I used.

Click on the link below for the Interlocking Arched Columns stitch photo and video tutorial.  Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get notified whenever I post a new video.

Interlocking Arched Columns Stitch Tutorial

If you would love to see another pattern in this series let me know!  I am thinking of designing a matching pair of fingerless gloves in this stitch pattern as well.  Leave a comment below to let me know if this is something you would be interested in seeing.  I love to hear from my readers and makers.  Thanks so much for being here!

The Mountain Trail Cowl pattern is also available as an ad-free, printable PDF! You can purchase the individual pattern for the Mountain Trail Crochet Cowl Pattern, or if you love PDFs, you might want to check out my Lifetime Membership. It’s an awesome deal! Never pay for one of my PDFs again!! (Or, scroll down for the free version!)

Purchase the ad-free pdf of the Mountain Trail Cowl Pattern for a small fee.  Thank you so much for supporting my work! 

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You may also like the following free crochet cowl patterns by Nana’s Crafty Home:

• 1. Falling Leaves Cowl free crochet pattern
• 2. Mesa Sunset Bandana Cowl free crochet pattern
• 3. Curly Cute Cowl free crochet pattern

Mountain Trail Crochet Cowl free pattern instructions

Pattern written in US crochet terminology

Supplies:

• Lion Brand Ferris Wheel, Weight 4 Medium (100% acrylic) 3 oz / 270 yd 
• Color Summer Day 4.2 oz / 380 yards

Crochet hook size H/8 (5.0 mm)
Stitch markers
Scissors

Tapestry Needle

Approximate finished size: 33.5” length (circumference) x 9.5” width (height) before folding

Gauge: 13.5 pattern rows x 16 dc st = 4” x 4”

Abbreviations:

ch(s) = chain(s)
dc = double crochet
sk = skip(ped)
st = stitch
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
RS = right side
WS = wrong side

Recommended Tutorials:

Interlocking Arched Columns Stitch Tutorial

Pattern Notes:

• Cowl is worked by alternating colors from two yarn cakes or by working both ends of the same yarn cake, switching colors every second row. 
• Do not cut yarn when changing between yarn cakes – drop unused yarn to be picked up 2 rows later.  Yarn will be covered during joining process.
• Chain 4 at beginning of a row counts as first dc + ch 1 throughout.
• Rows with even numbers are RS, odd numbers are WS.

Pattern Instructions

With Cake A, ch 139

Row 1:  dc in 5th ch from hook (sk chains count as 1st dc + ch 1), ch 1, *sk next ch, dc in next ch, ch 1* repeat from * to * to last 2 chs, sk next ch, 1 dc in last ch.  Turn.  Do not fasten off.  Switch to Cake B or opposite end of cake.  69 sts, 68 ch-1 sps

Row 2 (RS):  ch 1, sc in same st, *working in front of ch-1 sp work dc in skipped ch from foundation chain, sc in next dc of row 1; repeat from * across working last dc in 4th ch from foundation ch and sc in top of ch-3. Turn.  (137) Note: use a stitch marker to mark this as right side of cowl, if desired.

Row 3: ch 4 (counts as first dc + ch 1), sk next st, *dc in sc, ch 1, sk next st*, repeat from * to * to last st, dc in last st. Turn. Do not fasten off. Switch to Cake A or opposite end of cake. 

Row 4:  ch 1, sc in same st, *working behind the ch-1 from previous row work dc in skipped st 2 rows below, sc in next st from previous row,* repeat from * to * to end, sc in last st (work sc in the dc of dc + 1).  Turn.

Row 5:  ch 4 (counts as first dc + ch 1), sk next st, *dc in sc, ch 1, sk next st*, repeat from * to * to last st, dc in last st.  Turn.  Do not fasten off. Switch to Cake B or opposite end of cake. 

Row 6:  ch 1, sc in same st, *working in front of the ch-1 from previous row work dc in skipped st 2 rows below, sc in next st (top of dc post from previous row),* repeat from * to * to end.  Turn.

Row 7 – 36 Repeat rows 3-6, ending after row 4 or until measures approximately 9.5” in height.

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Fold ends of rectangle together with RS facing out.  Place stitch markers at both left and right edges of cowl as shown below.  With RS facing, attach yarn with slip stitch to bottom corner at first stitch marker through both panels to join.  Ch 1, work sc stitches evenly from left to right front of cowl working stitches through both panels. Alternatively, you could also use a long length of yarn to sew from stitch marker to stitch marker.  Fasten off.  Weave in ends. 

Copyright 2021 Tonya Bush / Nana’s Crafty Home

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