How to Crochet a Braided Cowl
A cowl is a handy fashion accessory to have during the chilly winter months, because it keeps you warm without getting tangled up in your coat. Tuck a cowl into your pocket or purse and you'll be ready to warm up any time you feel a chill. Make your crocheted cowl pop with texture when you create a braided cowl using basic crochet stitches and techniques.
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Instructions
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1
Make 31 chain stitches using your worsted weight yarn and size US I crochet hook.
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2
Make a single crochet in the second chain from the hook and each chain across the line.
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3
Make one chain and turn; make a single crochet in every single crochet across the row.
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4
Repeat step three until the piece measures 3 inches tall.
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5
Make one chain and turn. Make a single crochet in the first 10 stitches of the row. Make one chain and turn; make a single crochet in every stitch across. Continue to work single crochet rows back and forth across these 10 stitches until this strip of the cowl measures 12 inches long.
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6
Cut the working yarn, leaving a 4-inch tail. Yarn over and pull this tail through the loop on the hook to fasten off.
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7
Insert your hook into the first single crochet stitch from the original section after the 10 stitches you have already worked. Yarn over and pull through the stitch, then yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook to attach the yarn here.
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8
Make one chain then make a single crochet in the stitch where you attached your yarn and the next nine single crochet stitches. Make one chain and turn; single crochet in each of these 10 stitches. Work back and forth across these 10 stitches until this strip is the same length as the first one. Fasten off as in step six.
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9
Attach your yarn in the next available stitch from the original section of the cowl. Crochet back and forth across the 10 stitches in this section until the third strip is as long as the first two. Do not fasten off this time.
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10
Make one chain and turn your work. Pull on this chain to make it larger so the yarn does not unravel. Remove the hook and set it aside.
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11
Braid the three strips of the cowl the way you would braid your hair. Finish the braid so that the last chain stitch you made is on the far right side as you look at the braid. Try to keep the strips flat as you braid instead of letting them curl up.
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12
Insert the hook back into the chain stitch and pull the yarn to tighten the loop. Make a single crochet in every stitch across the first strip, middle strip and then the opposite strip. This will connect the braided strips together.
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13
Make one chain and turn. Make a single crochet stitch in every stitch across the row. Repeat this step until the last section of the cowl measures 3 inches.
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14
Bring the two short ends (the beginning and ending edges) of the cowl together, with the right side (outside) of the cowl facing inside the fold. Make a row of single crochet stitches that goes through both edges of the cowl; this will attach them together to form a loop or circle.
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15
Cut the working yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail. Yarn over with this tail and pull it all the way through the last loop on the hook. Thread the tail onto an embroidery needle and weave it in and out of the stitches near the neck seam to hide it. Turn the cowl right side out to wear it.
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Tips & Warnings
Make the cowl longer or shorter by lengthening or shortening the strips you crochet.
To make a chain stitch, bring the yarn up and over the crochet hook from back to front (yarn over). Catch the yarn in the hook and draw it through the loop on the hook.
To make a single crochet stitch, insert your hook into the stitch indicated. Yarn over and draw up a loop, then yarn over and draw through both loops on the hook.
References
- Photo Credit Michael Buckner/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
