Last Chance Cowl
by Susan Wike
Last Chance Cowl]
How many times have you been casually surfing yarny websites only to come across those dreaded words "Last Chance?” You scramble around picking up skeins of yarn that you've longed for without any plan or pattern in mind. Been there? Now, what to do with those single skeins? Maybe you sagged some pure wool and youjust need something light, warm, and bright around your neck. Last Chance Cowlis crocheted from just part of a skein of sock yarn. The first sample was crocheted from the long discontinued and much missed Knit Picks Memories in Redwood but also looks great in new Stroll Tonal. Sewing only part of the join makes the cowl fold down into a little collar over your coat if you'd like. On a chily day you can also tuck this cowl under a sweatshirt since its construction makes it stay put under your garment with a soft collar peeking out. Sl st—slip stitch Ch—chain Sc—single crochet Hdc—-half double crochei Dc—double crochet Rnd--round Yarn—any fingering weight yarn such as Stroll, Gloss, or Palette will work Hook-G hook Gauge is not essential for this nroiect
Stitch pattern: The Double Back stitch is worked over an even number of stitches, in the round, without joining. Rnd 1—skip one stitch, sc in next stitch. Yo (for dc), reach back from back to front and dc in skipped stitch. Reach over sc , skip one stitch, sc, dc in skipped stitch. Rnd2—when you come to the end of the round, skip first double crochet, sc in next stitch, dc in skipped dc. Work around in this manner to desired length. Pattern stitch: Shell—sc, dc in same stitch, skip next stitch. When counting rows, turn the work horizontally, you can see lines of stitches and count by two to find your row count.
Pattern:
Ch 33 Sc in $2^{n0}$ chain from hook. \*Skip one chain, shell in next stitch across to last ch. Sc in last chain Row 2 ch 1, dc in last sc. Skip dc, shell in sc across, ending with sc in the top of ch 1. Repeat row 2 for: 60 rows You like the snugness around your neck. You're sick of it! Fasten off. Use a blunt needle to weave in ends. The rectangle will measure about 17“ by $7~\%$
Form Collar Cowl:
Lay the rectangle flat. Fold the two ends in to the middle. Working flat, count down 3 shells, join yarn in one side. Holding edges together, slip stitch the two sides together for 7 shells. Fasten off, again using a blunt needle to weave in ends, leaving the final rows loose to drape over your neck. Try it on! Whew! Aren't you glad you grabbed that Last Chance skein?
