Merry Berry Collar Cowl- Free Crochet Pattern with Cake Yarn

The Merry Berry Collar Cowl is such a snazzy, lively piece of yarn craft. This is my first time of working with a cake yarn, and I gotta say, I loved the experience.

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One very good thing about cake yarns is how you can ‘rearrange’ the colours to make a cohesive blend or just mix and match colours as you please. And that’s exactly what I did with the Merry Berry Collar Cowl. I’ll talk about that below.

 

 

This cowl is so cozy, you feel the warmth as soo as you wear it. Probably because of the fibers used in making it. The triangle style of this cowl is quite fitting and flattering as it rests easily on the shoulders without having to always adjust.

You could even make more rows of the neck if you’d rather have more coverage to your ears. With the use of post stitches, the cowl comes out with a beautiful, ‘bumpy’ texture which also makes the cowl great to wear on the ‘wrong side’.

 

I decided to name this cowl after the substitute yarn I found called Mixed Berry.

The Yarn

I always like to find a closely matched substitute for every yarn I use; so that others can try the pattern as well even if they do not have the same yarn originally used. In this pattern, I use Kartopu Jersey, a Turkish yarn brand. After studying the characteristics, I went and searched, and would you believe it? I saw a perfect substitute- Caron Cakes. Not only that, I saw the same shade I used for this cowl- called Mixed Berry. However, it is arranged somewhat differently from the Kartopu Jersey yarn. Both are 80% acrylic and 20% wool and have a soft, fuzzy feel to them. Here’s a shot showing both yarns:

    

Rearranging the colours

So, as I mentioned up there, even though the colours are quite similar, they do not follow the same self striping sequence. Whatever shade you decide to use, once the colour you started with starts fading, snip it, take out the corresponding colour from whereever it is positioned in the ball and tie it to the tail of your work and continue. You may have to seperate the colours and roll them up seperately for easier access.

Also note, the changing of colour may vary as the length of yarn should be factored in as well. In the photo below, since my yarn started with pink, and I’m about to start the back flap, I took out the yarn from the middle, snipped and rolled it up so I could access the pink colour.

Now, let’s make something snazzy.

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Finished size: 

This is a one size fits most design

15″ tall (without tassels) / 13″ wide (across the widest part)

Gauge: 17 DCs across x 11 DC rows= 4×4

You’ll need:

• 1 ball, Worsted/Aran yarn (In this pattern, Kartopu Jersey; 200g/360 mtrs). Substitute yarn- Caron cakes, find it here.
• 5mm hook
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch markers

Stitches/Abbreviation

• SC- single crochet
• DC- double crochet
• TC- treble crochet
• FPDC- front post double crochet
• DC2tog- double crochet decrease
• SC2tog- single crochet decrease
• RS- right side (the front facing post stitches)
• WS- wrong side
• CH- chain
• SL ST- slip stitch

Special stitch:

Reverse Single Crochet- make single crochet by going backward in each stitch

Notes:

• Pattern written in U.S terms
• Ch 1 does not count as a stitch, unless otherwise stated
• Chain 2 stands a 1 DC
• May need to wet block your pieces before joining

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Merry Berry Collar Cowl- Free Crochet Pattern with Cake Yarn

Front Flap with shoulders

Form magic circle

Row 1: Ch 2, DC in magic circle. Ch 2, turn

Row 2: DC in same st, DC in next. Ch 2, turn – (3)

Row 3: DC in same st, FPDC around next, DC in last st. Ch 2, turn- (4)

Row 4: DC in same st, DC in next 3 sts. Ch 2, turn- (5)

Row 5: DC in same st, (FPDC around next, DC in next) repeat 2 times. Ch 2, turn- (6)

Row 6: DC in same st, DC in next 5 sts. Ch 2, turn- (7)

Row 7: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 3 times. Ch 2, turn- (8)

Row 8: DC in same st, DC aross. Ch 2, turn- (9)

Row 9: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 4 times. Ch 2, turn- (10)

Row 10: DC in same st, DC across. Ch 2, turn- (11)

Row 11: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 5 times. Ch 2, turn- (12)

Tip: for the next even rows we’ll be working 3 st increases into the last st. To avoid gaping spaces, make 1 DC in ch 2 space and 2 DCs into the top of the Ch 2 itself.

Row 12: 2DC in same st, DC in 10, DC in Ch 2 space, 2 DC in ch 2. Ch 2, turn- (16)

Row 13: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 7 times, 2 DC in last st. Ch 2, turn- (18)

Row 14: 2DC in same st, DC in 16, DC in Ch 2 space, 2 DC in ch 2. Ch 2, turn- (22)

Row 15: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 10 times, 2DC in last st. Ch 2, turn- (24)

Row 16: 2DC in same st, DC in 22, DC in Ch 2 space, 2 DC in ch 2. Ch 2, turn- (28)

Row 17: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 13 times, 2DC in last st. Ch 2, turn- (30)

Row 18: 2DC in same st, DC in 28, DC in Ch 2 space, 2 DC in ch 2. Ch 2, turn- (34)

Row 19: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 16 times, 2DC in last st. Ch 2, turn- (36)

Row 20: 2DC in same st, DC in 34, DC in Ch 2 space, 2 DC in ch 2. Ch 2, turn- (40)

Row 21: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 19 times, 2DC in last st. Ch 2, turn- (42)

Row 22: 2DC in same st, DC in 40, DC in Ch 2 space, 2 DC in ch 2. Ch 2, turn- (46)

Tip– Take note to chain 1 at the end of row 23. This also applies to the back flap.

Row 23: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 22 times, 2DC in last st. Ch 1, turn- (48)

Row 24: DC across. Ch 1, turn

Row 25: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 24 times, end with FPDC. Ch 1, turn- (48)

Row 26: DC across. Ch 1, turn

1^st shoulder

Row 27: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 6 times. Ch 1, turn

Row 28: DC across. Ch 1, turn

Row 29: repeat row 27

Row 30: DC2tog, DC in 11. Ch 1, turn

Row 31: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 5 times, DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 32: DC2tog, DC in 10. Ch 1, turn

Row 33: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next), repeat 5 times. Ch 1, turn

Row 34: 2DC in 1^st st, DC in 10. Ch 1, turn

Row 35: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 5 times, DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 36: 2DC in 1^st st, DC in 11. Ch 1, turn

Row 37: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 6 times. Break yarn, proceed to 2^nd shoulder

2^nd Shoulder

Start in the 23^rd stitch on row 26

Row 1: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 6 times. Ch 1, turn

Row 2: DC across. Ch 1, turn

Row 3: repeat row 1

Row 4: DC in 11, DC2tog. Ch 1, turn

Row 5: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 5 times, DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 6: DC in 10, DC2tog. Ch 1, turn

Row 7: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 5 times, DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 8: DC in 10, 2DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 9: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 5 times, DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 10: DC in 11, 2DC in last st. Ch 1, turn

Row 11: DC in 1^st st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 6 times. Ch 1, turn. Break yarn.

 

Back Flap

Repeat rows 1-26 as for the front flap. Continue on the following rows

Row 27: DC in same st, (FPDC in next, DC in next) repeat 24 times, end with FPDC. Ch 1, turn- (48)

Row 28: DC across. Ch 1, turn

Rows 29-36: repeat rows 27 and 28 four times. Break yarn, weave in tails.

 

Joining / Cowl Neck

Lay flaps with WS facing up, match shoulder to stitch on back flap and sew. You’ll sew in 13 stitches.

 

the rounds for the neck are worked back and forth

Tip: when working on the shoulder row, make 2 stitches into each row. Remember not to make a stitch in the last row at the corner. You will be making a decrease in that and the the next stitch. ( just like at the beginning of the round)

Round 1: see photo above, join yarn in corner, Ch 2, *TC2tog, (DC in next, FPDC in next) repeat 11 times, TC2tog, DC 18. Repeat from * around. Join to 1^st st (TC2tog). Ch 1, turn- (84)

Round 2: *DC in 18, 2DC in next (in TC2tog), DC in 22, 2DC in next. Repeat from * around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1 turn- (88)

Round 3: DC in 1^st st, FPDC in next, (DC in next, FPDC in next) repeat around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn

Round 4: DC around. Ch 1, turn

Round 5: FPDC in 1^st st, DC in next, (FPDC, DC in next) repeat around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn

Round 6: (DC in 20, DC2tog) repeat 4 times. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn- (84)

Round 7: DC in 1^st st, FPDC in next, (DC in next, FPDC in next) repeat around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn

Round 8: (DC in 19, DC2tog) repeat 4 times. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn- (80)

Round 9: FPDC in 1^st st, DC in next, (FPDC, DC in next) repeat around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn

Round 10: (DC in 18, DC2tog) repeat 4 times. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn- (76)

Round 11: DC in 1^st st, FPDC in next, (DC in next, FPDC in next) repeat around. Join to 1^st st. Ch 1, turn. break yarn, weave in tails

You can stop here or continue to lengthen the neck as you please. No further decrease necessary, UNLESS you’d rather have the cowl neck more snug.

Edging- with RS facing up

Tip: make 2 SCs in each stitch row

Round 1: Join yarn in the bottom of cowl, Ch 1, 3 SC in stitch, *SC in each stitch row across, SC2tog at joining in shoulder, SC across*, 5 SC in bottom. repeat from **, end with 2 SC in botton, join to 1st st. Ch 1

Round 2: Reverse Single Crochet across, at bottom, Ch 2, reverse SC across, at bottom, Ch 2, Join in Ch 1. Break yarn, weave in and trim all tails.

Tassels

Cut 32 strings of yarn to measure 10 inches each (15 strings for each flap, 2 for tying). Pass strings through Ch 2 at the bottom, trim, weave in all ends.