Statement Puff Cowl
This is a fun, warm and easy cowl that will make a statement! Wear it to a party or out to run errands, it's greattoweareverywhere. Skill: Advanced Beginner Material: 9.00 mm (size N) hook, Yarn Needle, Three 100 yd skeins of a bulky weight yarn - I used LionBrand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Colors - 2 skeins of Oatmeal and 1 skein of Barley. Gauge: 4" by 4" in the pattern should equal 3.5 rows tall and 4.25 puffs across. Though guage is not overly important.
Special Stitches:
Puff Stitch: YO and insert hook into indicated stitch, YO and pull up a loop (make sure to pull it up even with chain 4), \*YO and insert hook into same stitch, YO and pull up a loop\* twice (7 loops on hook), YO and pull through all 7 loops on hook. Russian Join Technique: This will provide a much more seamless transition between colors and skeins when using this thick of yarn. For instructions on using the Russian Join Technique, here is a very helpful video (it's a knitted pattern, but the technique is the same either way):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YleZcTkWewU
The only addition I would add to that video is to first finish the row and take note of where you want the color to change. That spot is where you want the loop made in the Russian Join. I use a stitch marker to make sure that the loop is kept Out. Finished Size: 66" around Row 1: Using Main Color - Chain 18 (referred to as foundation chain in next row) Row 2: Puff Stitch into 4th chain from hook, chain 1, \*Skip next foundation chain, Puff Stitch, chain 1\* repeat from \* to end of the row. (8 puff stitches) Row 3: Chain 3, turn. \*Puff Stitch into the chain 1 of the previous row, chain 1\* repeat from \* to end of the row. (8 puff stitches) Row 4-8: Repeat Row 3. Use Russian Join Technique to switch colors after Row 8. Row 9-12: Repeat Row 3 using Secondary Color. Use Russian Join Technique to switch back to Main Color. Continue with Pattern and color changes - 8 rows of main color to 4 rows of secondary color for a total of 60 rows (5 color blocks of each color). Leave a long tail of Barley (or whichever secondary color you are using), thread the yarn with a yarn needle and connect the end to the beginning to make a cowl using the whip stitch (you could use a slip stitch or single crochet, but this will be a little bit more obvious where the join is). Other options would be to leave it as a long scarf, use buttons to connect the two sides (using large buttons that you can connect in between the puff stitches - this could be used to make lots of different configurations of the cowl!)
With this pattern you are free to make this cowl and you also have permission to sell the product, just please do not use my pictures to try to sell your cowl. Enjoy!
