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Knitty Pretty Reversible Crochet Cowl

My “Aunt” Dorothy taught me to crochet close to 40 years ago.  A wonderful woman who spent many a patient hour with me teaching me all she knew about crochet, knit and sewing.  Unfortunately, I didn’t quite “take” to the knit and sew part like I did to crochet.  She was a valiant fighter and tried and tried but it didn’t seem to fit me as well.  Crochet has always felt like a friend to me — comforting, stress relieving and always there when I needed it.

Knitting, on the other hand, was my nemesis always there to defeat me with two needles and dropped stitches.  I love the look of knitting though and recently I found a new way to learn that has helped me and I believe it is the method they recommend to crocheters — the Continental Method.  I can now knit basic stitches with confidence and have a nice looking project at the end.  However, crochet is still my best friend and is usually my go to.

So, because I love the look of knit but prefer to crochet I have found a few stitches that do resemble knitting — for you knitters out there I know it isn’t quite the same and I have the utmost respect for your craft!

This cowl is so pretty and it works up quickly.  Best thing — it is reversible and I do think this stitch looks fantastic from either side.  This pattern is perfect for the self-striping cakes as it disguises those abrupt color changes really well.  If you prefer a more gradient look to yours you could certainly use the Lion Brand Mandala instead as I did for my previous cowl.  Bear in mind the Mandala is a smaller weight than the Caron Cakes so you should use the recommended smaller hook so it would work up smaller.  I also think the Red Heart Ombre yarn would be another great choice for a more gradient look!  I made this cowl using one of the newly released Caron cake colors Plum Crisp.  I am really enjoying the new colors that have just been released.  I am leaning towards White Truffle for my next one.

Knitty Pretty Reversible Crochet Cowl in faux knit stitch

This stitch will only have this appearance if worked in the round.  If you worked back and forth in rows it would have a completely different look.  The stitch is worked in the third “hidden” back loop behind the two loops you would generally use for a standard hdc.  I have included a video tutorial to help you with this stitch if you have any questions.

You can find an ad-free pdf version of this pattern on Ravelry here.

Materials:

1 Caron Cake Plum Crisp 383 yds (7.1 oz/200 g)

Crochet Hook Size H (5mm)

Tapestry needle

Pattern is written in US crochet terminology

Approximate finished size:  10” wide and 38” circumference

Gauge 16 hdc = 4”

Abbreviations:

sl st slip stitch

ch chain

hdc half double crochet

sc single crochet

Notes about pattern:

You will not join with a sl st to the first st as you would normally.  By not joining this gives the rounds a more continuous knit appearance.

Ch 150

Without twisting ch, sl st into 1st ch.

Round 1 Ch 1 hdc into same ch and into each ch across.  Do not join. (150)

Round 2 1 hdc into hidden third loop behind 1st hdc from previous round (see video tutorial for instructions) and in each hdc across.

Continue round 2 until you run out of yarn.  This was approx 36 rounds for me.

With just a small bit of yarn left and since I really didn’t want an abrupt drop at the end of my work, I did a sc in the next st in the hidden third loop behind the next st and a sl st in the back hidden third loop of the next st before fastening off.  This helped disguise the end a little better than a regular hdc would have.

Knitty Pretty Reversible Crochet Cowl

Weave in ends.

Knitty Pretty Reversible Crochet Cowl