Cardamom Blossoms Cowl Free Crochet Pattern

Namaste friends 🙏,

How was the National Crochet Month for you? 

Did you crochet a new project or try a new crochet technique?

I decided to do something different this time, so rather than crocheting, I organised my yarn stash. The sheer amount of yarn I had accumulated over the years was mind-boggling!!

Now I understood the frequent lamentations from the Fam "Oh God, there's yarn everywhere in this house!". I am wondering if I will ever be able to crochet through the stash...

Do you know there is a name for this condition? It is called SABLE ie: "Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy". I guess I will have to crochet even faster, shoulder pain notwithstanding. 

I have a new cowl pattern today, which I wanted to release last month but the above activity kept me busy.

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you. *

The Name:

There was a time when crochet was very popular in India, and every household had at least a couple of crochet pieces made by the Grandmother or Great Grandmother. 

The art of crochet had different names in different languages, and even the different stitches have weird names. 

For eg: In Marathi, the language spoken in my home state Maharashtra, a literal translation of Single crochet is "Mute post". 

The Puff stitch was called "Velchi" or Cardamom because it does look like a cardamom pod. 

As this pattern had a lot of puff stitches I wanted to add the word in the name. And while I was looking up some pics of the plant I saw that my pattern does resemble the actual flower, hence Cardamom Blossoms Cowl. 

Yes, I can be weird at times, and my family will vouch for that. 😁

This pattern makes a great stash buster!

Do not despair if, like me, you like in a tropical climate and will never be needing a cowl. 

This pattern is worked in the round, is seamless and would work wonderfully for a bag/purse.

If you need any help in making the bag just write to me.

So here goes the Cardamom Blossoms Cowl pattern:

Skill Level:    Easy                    

Size:  Cowl measures approximately 28 inches around and  9 inches wide 

          (71 cms by 23 cms).

Materials:

·        Yarn - DK weight yarn* around  110 gms/ approx. 3.90 oz (55 gms of each colour)  

·        Hooks - US G/6 (4.00 mm),* UK 8

Gauge:  11 rows and Two and half motifs in pattern  = 4".

     

Notes:

·        This pattern uses US terminology.

·        Ch 2 at beginning of the round counts as stitch.  

.        Ch 1 at beginning of the round does NOT count as a stitch.        

·        The pattern is worked in multiples of 8.

Abbreviations: 

beg – beginning,  

ch - chain,  

st - stitch,

sk - skip

sp - space

sl st - slip stitch

nxt - next,

sc – single crochet,

dc – double crochet,

hdc - half double crochet,

puff stitch - hdc3tog,

beg puff st - beginning puff st,

puff v-st - puff v-stitch

Shell st - (3dc, ch1, 3dc) in space indicated

beg shell st - beginning shell stitch,

rep – repeat

Pattern Stitches:

Beg Puff stitch - Into the stitch indicated work (ch2, hdc2tog).

Beg shell stitch - Into the space indicated work (ch3, 2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc).

Puff V-st - Into the stitch indicated work (puff st, ch 1, puff st).

Instructions:

Round 1: (Colour A) Ch 136, join in 1st ch with a sl st, ch2, hdc in nxt ch and each ch around (136 hdc).

Round 2: Ch 2, hdc2tog in same st, ch 1, sk 1, * puff st in nxt st, ch 1, sk 1, rep from * around ending with sl st into 1st hdc2tog.

Round 3: Ch 1, hdc in same st, hdc in ch-1 sp, * hdc in puff st, hdc in ch-1 sp, rep from * around ending with sl st in 1st hdc (136 hdc).

Round 4: (Colour B) Attach yarn with sc into 1st hdc below, * ch 1, sk 3, shell in nxt st, ch 1, sk 3, sc in nxt st, rep from * around ending with sl st in 1st sc (17 shells).

Round 5: (Colour A) Beg puff v-st in sc, ch 2, sk 1 ch, sk 3dc, sc in ch-1 sp (in centre of shell), ch 2, sk 3dc, sk ch 1, * puff v-st in sc below, ch 2, sk ch, sk 3dc, sc in ch-1 sp, ch 2, sk 3dc, sk ch 1, rep from * ending with sl st in 1st puff st.

Round 6: (Colour B) Beg shell in centre of puff v-st, ch 1, sk 2 ch, sc in sc below, ch 1, sk 2 ch, * shell in centre of puff v-st, ch 1, sk 2ch, sc in nxt st, ch 1, sk 2ch, rep from * around ending with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch 3.

Round 7: (Colour A) * sc in ch-1 sp of shell, ch 2, sk 3dc, sk ch, puff v-st in sc, ch 2, sk ch1, sk 3dc, rep from * around ending with sl st in 1st sc. 

Round 8:  Repeat Round 6.

Round 9: Repeat Round 5.

Rounds 10 to 19: Repeat Rounds 6 and 5

OR repeat Rounds 6 and 5 till you get the desired width, taking care to end with Round 5 ie the round with the puff v-sts.

Round 20: Repeat Round 6. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Round 21: Repeat Round 5. 

Round 22: (Colour A) Ch 2 (counts as hdc), * hdc in ch-1 sp, hdc in puff st, 2 hdc in ch-2 sp, hdc in sc, 2 hdc in ch-2 sp, hdc in puff st, rep from * around ending with sl st in 2nd ch of beg ch 2.

Round 23: Repeat Round 2.

Round 24: Repeat Round 3. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Crochet Tip: When working in the round with two or more colours, I prefer to fasten off the yarn without cutting it off and then pick it up when it is required. This works best for projects that are not reversible. Here's a pic that shows the wrong side of my Harmony cowl.

You can find the free pattern for the Harmony cowl HERE. 

I hope you will try this pattern. And maybe have a cup of cardamom tea while you are at it.

Thank you for your time.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop, and also to contact me for private crochet coaching sessions from anywhere in the world! 😀

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.* 

Would you like a bag pattern using this stitch? Do let me know.

Crochet Bella Cowl Free Pattern

Namaste Friends 🙏.

Hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe.

In this post, I have a free cowl pattern for you.

It is the Bella cowl, named after my BFF from childhood Bela (that's how she spells it).

We have been besties since the fifth grade!! 

The Bella cowl is a wonderful scrap-buster and will put to use all those little balls of your favourite yarn that you have been hoarding. 

You can make it in a single colour or use three colours like I have in this pic.

Here is one more colour combination.

For the pink cowl, I used around 30 gms of White (colour A), 40 gms of watermelon pink (colour B), and 25 gms of variegated Peach (colour C).

And you can also make it in a single colour like so;

The salmon coloured cowl looks slightly different as I had used a different border pattern, but it looked like too much texture going on, so I decided to keep it simple.

This lovely stitch pattern can be used for a scarf/shawl. 

A bag with this stitch pattern would look gorgeous! 😍

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

So here goes the Bella Cowl pattern:

Skill Level:  Easy.

Size:      The pink cowl measures 8" wide and 32" around (20 cms by 82 cms) approx. 

Materials:

• DK wt acrylic yarn around 100 gms

• Hook 4mm, US G/6, UK 8

• Scissors

• Yarn needle

Notes:

This pattern uses US terminology.

The cowl is worked in the round without turning.  

Ch 4 at beg of the round counts as 1dc and 1ch.

Ch 5 at beg of the round counts as 1dc and 2ch.       

The pattern needs multiples of 3                 

Abbreviations:

beg – beginning,

ch - chain,

st – stitch,

sp – space,

sl st – slip stitch,

dc – double crochet,

yo – yarn over hook

cl - cluster

beg cl - beginning cluster

3dc cl - 3 double crochet cluster

X - st - Cross stitch or X stitch

Pattern Stitches:

Beg cl:  Ch 2, dc2tog into same st as sl st counts as 1^st cluster or Beg cl. Round 5 starts with a Beg Cl.

3dc cl:  - Into the space indicated, yo, insert hook in sp, yo, pull through st, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, (yo, insert hook in same sp, yo, pull through, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook) twice, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

X-st: - Dc in st indicated, ch 1, then dc in 2nd stitch to the RIGHT of the 1st dc (the 1st st to the Right is left unworked). One X-st is completed.

You may find THIS tutorial helpful, just remember that my pattern has a chain in between the Dcs.

Instructions:

Round 1: With colour A - Ch 150, join with sl st in 1st ch to form a ring. Ch 1, sc in same st as sl st, sc in each st around, join with sl st in first sc. (150 sc)

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in same st as sl st, sc in each st around, join with sl st in first sc. (150 sc)

Round 3: Repeat Round 2.

Round 4: With colour B - Attach yarn with sl st in any st close to the last st of Round 3. Ch4, dc in 2nd st to the RIGHT of the ch-4, (the first st to the Right is left unworked). One X-st done. * sk 2, dc in next st, ch 1, dc in 2nd st to the right, rep from * around, join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4.  (50 X-sts).

Round 5: With colour C - Attach yarn with sl st in a ch-1 sp, work (ch2, dc2tog) in same sp, ch 3, * sk 2, cl in next ch-1 sp, ch 3, rep from * around, join with sl st in 1st cl.  (50 cl).

Round 6: With colour B - Attach yarn with sl st in a ch-3 sp, ch 4, dc in previous ch-3 sp to the RIGHT - X-st completed, * sk cl, dc in next ch-3 sp, ch 1, dc in prev ch-3 sp, rep from * around, join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4.  (50 X-sts). 

Round 7: With colour A - Attach yarn with sl st in a ch-1 sp of an X-st, ch 5, sk 2, * dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 2, sk 2, rep from * around, join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-5.  (50 dc).

Round 8: With colour B - Attach yarn with sl st in a ch-2 sp, ch 4, dc in previous ch-2 sp to the RIGHT - Beg X-st completed, * sk next dc, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, dc in previous ch-1 sp to the RIGHT - X_st done, rep from * around, join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4.  (50 X-sts).

Round 9: With colour C - Rep Round 5.

Round 10: With colour B - Rep Round 6.

Round 11: With colour A - Rep Round 7.

Round 12: With colour B - Rep Round 8.

Round 13: With colour C - Rep Round 5.

Round 14: With colour B - Rep Round 6.

Rounds 15 to 18: Rep Rounds 11 to 14.

Round 19: With colour A - Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st around, join with sl st in 1st sc. (150 sc).

Rounds 20 and 21: Rep Round 2.

To make the cowl wider repeat Rounds 15 to 18 as many times as you desire. And to make it longer just add chains in multiples of 3 in Round 1.

For the blue cowl, I started the pattern with a Dc round and not an X-st round, so as you can see it looks slightly different.

My crochet classes kept me really busy as it is vacation time here in Mumbai.

Also, I have signed up for Sanskrit classes which leaves me with little time for blogging. 

If you find a mistake in the pattern above please be a dear and let me know. :)

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you. 

Hope you enjoy making the Bella Cowl. 

Thank you for your time.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop and also to contact me for private crochet coaching sessions from anywhere in the world! 😀

Crochet Sheldon Beanie Free Pattern

Namaste Friends!

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

The year 2021 is coming to an end and it looks likes the coronavirus will be (sadly) accompanying us into 2022. And with the constant mutations, there is not much we can do to prevent it except look for ways to fight back. 

But let us look at positive things like the upcoming festive season! 

Here, in India it was festivals galore in the last few months, leaving me very little time for blogging.

I have a free beanie pattern for you today which I hope you will find useful for gifting or for yourself.

It is the Sheldon Beanie named after my favourite character in The Big Bang Theory. 

In fact, I love all the main characters in the series and it is my favourite series.

The pattern is for a unisex hat and also one of the reasons I named it Sheldon. So if you are looking forward to making something handmade for your Dad, Grandad, brother or that someone special, I hope you will give it a try.

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

So here goes the Sheldon crochet beanie pattern.

Skill Level:  Easy

Size: Hat measures approximately 22 inches (56 cms) around and 8 inches (20 cms) in height. (Adult size)

Materials:

• DK weight yarn around 60 – 70 gms/ 2.30 oz

  If using two colours the around 30 gms of each colour.

• Hook – US G or 6 (4 mm), UK 8

• Scissors

• Yarn needle

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4” in Alpine stitch pattern.

Notes:

This pattern uses US terminology.

The hat is worked top-down, in the round without turning.

Chain 3 at beg of round counts as a DC.

Chain 1 and chain 2 at beg of round does not count as a stitch.     

Abbreviations:

beg – beginning,

ch - chain,

st – stitch,

sp – space,

sl st – slip stitch,

dc – double crochet,

yo – yarn over hook,

flo – front loop only

blo – back loop only

fpdc – front post double crochet,

Pattern stitches:

Fpdc: Front Post Double crochet – YO and insert hook from front to back between the posts of the first and second dc of the round below, then insert hook from back to front between the posts of the second and third dc. YO and draw the yarn around the post of the stitch. You now have three loops on the hook. YO and draw the yarn through two loops on the hook, twice. One Fpdc is complete.

To know more about Post stitches check out this detailed post HERE.

Round 11 and 12 are worked in the front and back loops respectively, see THIS POST for different ways to work into a stitch.

Instructions:

The Sheldon beanie is worked top-down, so we start at the top of the crown.

• Round 1: Using colour A, Ch 4, join with sl st to form ring.

• Round 2: Ch 3, 11 dc into ring, join with slip stitch in 3^rd chain of beg ch 3. (12 dc)

• Round 3: Ch 3, dc in same st * 2 dc in next st,  rep from * till the end, join with slip st in 3^rd chain of beg ch 3. (24 dc)

• Round 4: Ch 3, 2dc in nxt st, * dc in nxt st, 2 dc in nxt st,  rep from* till the end, join with slip st in 3^rd chain of beg ch 3. (36 dc)

• Round 5: Ch 3, dc in next st, 2dc in nxt st, * dc in nxt 2 sts, 2dc in nxt st, rep from * till end, join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch 3.  (48 dc)

• Round 6: Ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, 2dc in nxt st, * dc in nxt 3 sts, 2dc in nxt st, rep from * till end, join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch 3.   (60 dc)

• Round 7: Ch 3, dc in next 3 sts, 2dc in nxt st, * dc in nxt 4 sts, 2dc in nxt st, rep from * till end, join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch 3.   (72 dc)

• Round 8: Ch 3, dc in next 4 sts, 2dc in nxt st, * dc in nxt 5 sts, 2dc in nxt st, rep from * till end, join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch 3.   (84 dc)

  At the end of Round 8, your circle, also known as the Crown of the hat, should measure around 6.5 – 7 inches and this is where we stop increasing.

• Round 9: Ch 3, dc in next st and each st around, join with sl.st. in 3rd ch of beg ch 3.  (84 dc)
• Round 10: Repeat round 9.

To start the Alpine stitch panel:

Note: Change to Colour B if using two colours or just continue with colour A.




• Round 11: This round is worked in the front loops only (FLO) of the DCs in Round 10.

  Ch 1 (does not count as st), sc in same st, sc in flo of each st around, ending with sl st in first sc of round. (84 sc)




• Round 12: This round is worked in the unused back loops only (BLO) of the DCs in Round 10.

  Ch 3, dc in blo of nxt st, dc in blo of each st around ending with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch 3. (84 dc)

• Round 13: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in same st as ch 1, sc in each st around, ending with sl.st. in 1^st sc of round. (84 sc)
• Round 14: Ch 3, sk next st, fpdc around the dc below in Round 12, *dc in next st, sk next st, fpdc around the dc below, rep from * around ending with sl.st. in 3^rd ch of beg ch 3. (84 sts)

  Note: Pull up the fpdc to the height of the dc, this will prevent this round from folding over.

• Round 15: Repeat Round 13.
• Round 16: Ch 2 (does not count as st), fpdc around the ch 3 below the ch 2 in Round 14, dc in next st in Round 15, *sk next st, fpdc around the dc below, dc in next st, rep from * around ending with sl.st in the 1^st fpdc of the round. (84 sts)

  Note: Ensure that the fpdc made in this round is above the dc of Round 14 and not above the fpdc.

• Round 17: Repeat Round 13.
• Round 18: Repeat Round 14.
• Round 19: Repeat Round 13.
• Round 20: Repeat Round 16.

  The height of the hat will now be around 6.75 inches approximately.

• Round 21: Repeat Round 11. (84 sc)
• Round 22: Working in the unused back loops of Round 20, repeat Round 13. (84 sc)
• Round 23 - 27: Repeat Round 13. Fasten off. Weave ends in using a yarn needle.

  The height for an adult hat is usually around 8.5 inches so feel free to increase or reduce the number of these single crochet rounds to get the height you desire. 

In the Blue and white Sheldon beanie above, I have omitted Rounds 11 and 21 which give a textured edge to the Alpine stitch section. This also means that Rounds 12 and 22 will be worked in both loops of the previous round.

If anything above does not make sense feel free to contact me 😀.

You may have noticed a bunch of advertisements popping up and I know they can be irritating. This is something new for me and I am just learning and getting the hang of it, so until then please bear with me (and the ads 😀).

* This post contains affiliate links which if you use for any purchase, may yield me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.           

Hope you enjoy making the Sheldon beanie. 

Thank you for your time.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop.

Wear a mask, get vaccinated, stay safe, stay healthy.