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Hello friends! I’m so glad to see you back for the second pattern in the Winter Sparkle series - the Winter Sparkle Cowl!
Towards the end of November, when the days started to get real short and dark, I was sitting in my craft room one gloomy afternoon. I felt bleh, you know, lots I should be doing, no motivation to do anything. Yeah, that was me. Up on my shelf, I caught a glimpse of some Winter Nights yarn and thought, heck yes, gimme some sparkle!
The Winter Sparkle patterns are really fun, because they use two yarns held double to create a unique texture and colour look. The Winter Sparkle Cowl works up quickly and uses about two skeins of yarn, making it a great way to use up those beautiful single skeins from your stash! It also pairs well with other free patterns from the series, like the Winter Sparkle Ear Warmer.
I used Lion Brand Winter Nights for the sparkly yarn, and paired it with Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca. This gives the cowl warmth and comfort.
The pattern uses the Tunisian Simple Stitch, which is the basic Tunisian crochet stitch. It is the perfect stitch to introduce yourself to the fabulous world of Tunisian crochet!
Hook - US 10mm, or size needed to meet gauge, and a long cord. I love these interchangeable hooks and cords from WeCrochet.
Yarn - Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca (I used the colour Oxford Grey) and Lion Brand Winter Nights (I used the colour Chinchilly). You will need approx. 160 yds of each yarn. You may also combine any two worsted (4) weight yarns, or use a bulky (5) yarn on its own, as long as you can meet gauge.
Notions - scissors, tape measure, yarn needle.
Gauge - 4” = 8.5 sts x 8 rows in tss unblocked.
Finished measurements - approximately 8.5" tall x 15” wide (laid flat, before blocking and seaming).
This pattern uses standard US terms as detailed by the Craft Yarn Council:
Ch - chain
St(s) - stitch(es)
Sl st - slip stitch
Tss - Tunisian Simple Stitch (see HERE for an excellent tutorial!)
Lts - Last Tunisian Stitch (insert hook under both bars)
RetP - Return Pass (Ch 1, *yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * until 1 loop remains on your hook)
Curling at the edges of Tunisian crochet is common. See the Finishing section below for blocking instructions to help tame the curl.
Row 1. Ch 73. Working in the back bumps, pull up a loop in the second ch from hook (see Picture 1, below), and each ch across. Work a RetP.
Row 2. Tss in each st across, Lts, RetP. (73 sts)
Rows 3-15. Repeat Row 2.
Bind off row: Ch 1, *sl st next st (see Picture 2, below). Repeat from * until last st. Insert your hook as for Lts and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through both loops. Fasten off, leaving a 14” tail for seaming.
Blocking: You may wish to steam block or wet block your work prior to seaming. This will help control the curl at the top and bottom of the cowl. I opted for steam blocking, and left a bit of the curl as a design feature.
To steam block, pin your work down to mats or another flat surface. Use an iron or steaming tool, gently pass over the whole piece, applying steam to help relax the fibres. Leave pinned until dry.
To wet block, soak your work in cool water for 15-20 mins. Gently squeeze out excess water (do not wring!) by laying it flat on a towel and rolling it up tight. Lay the wet piece down on mats or a towel, and secure the edges with pins. Take care not to stretch your work; you can use the finished measurements as a guide. Leave pinned until dry.
Seaming: Fold your work so that the two short ends are matched up. Seam the short ends together using your preferred seaming method (I like to use the Mattress Stitch technique). Weave in all ends.
You can adjust the height of the cowl by working fewer or more rows.
You can adjust how closely it fits to your face by starting with fewer ch sts for a closer fit, or more ch sts for a looser fit.
Congratulations on finishing your Winter Sparkle Cowl! I hope you have enjoyed this simple, beginner-friendly Tunisian crochet pattern. Share your pics on social media and tag me @capital.crochet and use the hashtag #WinterSparkleCowl.
You may sell finished items made from this pattern, but please credit me as the designer by linking back to this blog post.
Thank you so much for your support! Watch for the next pattern in the Winter Sparkle series, coming Monday, 21 December!
If you enjoyed this pattern, I thought you might be interested in a few other easy Tunisian crochet patterns, too! Shown below are the Juliet Ear Warmer and the Stashdown Pillow, both available in my pattern shop, or on Etsy and Ravelry.
Hi friend! I’m Janine, the maker behind Capital Crochet. Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the fibre arts community!
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