A beginners mind… The “Absolute Beginner” cowl. FREE PATTERN INSIDE.

A short story about the start of a crochet journey:

My friend Johann, Crossfit Level ll coach and Krav Maga instructor was here in Sweden for a visit and as he has a CrossFit mindset which means that he has an open attitude towards learning new skills and is always up for a new challenge. I was kind of surprised as I did not think he would be interested in testing fiber crafts, but he wanted to learn how to crochet

I have to admit that I was flattered too because he taught me a lot about training, workouts and CrossFit but now we changed roles and I should become his teacher.

I thought that it would be nearly impossible to learn how to crochet and get the neatness, tension and accuracy right during his 2 weeks long stay, we still decided to give it a go and start this journey.

He was extremely focused and he seems to be a natural talent and, believe it or not, his first try turned out to have top quality. I have never seen such accuracy before from an absolute beginner.

Even more fun was, that he really enjoyed the process and wanted to start a bigger project, and not only crochet a few lines.

So we took out the good stuff. Scheepjes Stone Washed Xl in colors Enstatite and Deep Amethyst and started to decide what to do with it…. Beginner friendly with a twist.

Buy your Scheepjes yarn at your local yarn shop: Scheepjes Dealers . If you do not have the possibility to buy local, you can order your Scheepjes yarn at Wool Warehouse or Jimmy Beans Wool

Johann wanted to crochet a usable, wearable item as a present for his wife Claudia. The project should not be too big, as we all know that fast rewards are the key to progress. So we designed a cowl that, on one hand is matching his skills but on the other hand is a little challenge and creates some good structure.

We liked the result so much, that we decided to quickly write down the pattern and make it available for other beginners too.

All this was not really planned or sceduled, it was really unexpected but maybe that’s why I liked so much to work on this project.

Here is the very beginner friendly and absolute beginner approved, highly adaptable cowl.

It is also available on Ravelry HERE as a paid ready to print PDF if you want to support our work. If you are a more experienced crocheter this pattern might not have any news for you.

We decided that 100% of sales profit from this pattern will be donated to the CrossFit Foundation.

“The CrossFit Foundation serves as the charitable arm of CrossFit, LLC. We support the work of CrossFit affiliates and charitable organizations that use CrossFit to serve the needs of their diverse communities. Our work includes support for kids programs in K-12 school districts and underserved communities around the world, veterans organizations, cancer survivors, communities in recovery from substance abuse and addiction, and many others. We also participate in education, advocacy, and development efforts in specific areas related to combating chronic disease.“

The “Absolute Beginner” cowl

Materials

Crochet hook 5,5 mm

Scheepjes Stone Washed XL 70% Cotton x 30% Acrylic, 50 grams =75 meters

Yarn A: 2 balls Estatite /872

Yarn B: 2 balls Deep Amethyst/851

Gauge:

in pattern: 10 rows x 15 st = 10cm x 10 cm

Size:

height 26cm

circumference: 64cm

Abbreviations (US terms)

ss slip stitch

sc single crochet

dc double crochet

blo back loop only

ch chain

ws wrong side

rs right side

Pattern notes:

• The pattern is very beginner friendly using only sc, dc, dc in blo and ch.
• The patterns is worked in rows until you reach the desired length
• You join the short sides of the pattern with ss on the ws so the ss join is not visible.
• The pattern is adaptable in width by simply add or reduce the number of stitches. (chain stitches in the beginning)
• The border of the cowl is worked in rounds.
• Yarn is not cut through the whole pattern. First when the border is finished you need to cut the yarn.
• Ch1 or ch2 at the end of every row does not count as a stitch.

Pattern:

With yarn A

Ch 36

Row 1 1sc in second ch from hook, 1sc in every loop to end, ch2, turn. [35 sc]

Row 2 1dc in first sc, 33dc in blo, 1 dc in last sc, change to color B with 2 loops on hook in last dc, ch1, turn. [ 33 dc in blo, 2 dc]

With yarn B

Row 3 35sc, ch1, turn. [35sc]

Row 4 1dc in first sc, 33dc in blo, 1 dc in last sc, change to color A with 2 loops on hook in last dc, ch1, turn. [ 33 dc in blo, 2 dc]

Rep row 3 and 4, 34 times. Change color every second row.

Join and border

After row 72. With yarn B on ws. Fold work so you can crochet through last row and the backside of the beginning ch row.

Joining row 35ss through dcs and ch of beginning ch, ch1. [35 ss]

Turn work to rs. Crochet along the side. 1sc in every row. Crochet around the whole sc and dc.

Round 1 72sc, join round in first sc with ss, ch1. [72 sc]

Round 2 72 sc, join round in first sc with ss, ch1, fasten off. [72 sc]

Turn work. Pick up yarn A. On rs. 1sc in every row. Crochet around the whole sc and dc on other side.

Round 1 72sc, join round in first sc with ss, ch1. [72 sc]

Round 2 72 sc, join round in first sc with ss, ch1, fasten off. [72 sc]

Weave in ends. Wear your cowl with pride!

Johan knows how to crochet now but he still knows how to make me sweat.

Please use the hashtags #martinupnorth #restlesshandsclub #scheepjesstonewashedXL when sharing your projects on social media or simply tag @martin_up_north on your social media.