Cowl with matching hat

My beautiful twin sister, Elisa, wearing her cowl.

I love working with thicker yarn. I love big funky buttons. I love neutral colors that go with EVERYTHING. I’m a sucker for a cute crocheted cowl pattern. Because of all of those reasons, I fell in love with this FREE cowl pattern.

I found the pattern here: http://www.fiberfluxblog.com/2014/09/free-crochet-patternmargaret-button-cowl.html

Elisa wearing the cowl in Oatmeal.

I used Lion brand Wool Ease Quick and Thick in Oatmeal (I’ve also done one in a light grey color). This yarn comes in some super fun colors, but I decided on a more neutral color so that it would go with pretty much any outfit. Because of the nature of this pattern, it is very flexible and self-adjusting. It basically is a big rectangle with a large decorative (yet functional) button sewed on in one corner.

I used a 9mm crochet hook and around 1 ½ skeins of yarn. The pattern consists entirely of single crochet, double crochet, and chaining. Super easy and is a nice looking chunky pattern. The holes in the cowl mean it is versatile when putting in on because the large button will fit in any of those holes. It took me a couple of hours to crochet the cowl (did I mention I love working with thick yarn?!)

I made this as a gift for my twin sister and when I brought it into work to show my co-workers, my friend Mari loved it so much she asked me to make one for her daughter.

The matching cowl and hat set made with Grey Marble.

Because it works up so fast, I decided to make a cowl and hat set to donate to a silent auction for United Way. I used a simple hat pattern that I found on Ravelry. Here is the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hubbys-chunky-hat


I wanted a hat pattern that also used a 9mm crochet hook so that I could use the exact same yarn as the cowl to make it a complete set.

Because of the design of the cowl, the button can be
pulled through any of the many holes.

After completing the cowl, determine the best placement for your button by trying it on first. I put my button at least 3 rows in and 3 rows up from the corner. 

To wear the cowl, you simply fold over the top by a couple of inches and then secure with the button wherever it looks and feels the best.  

Crocheted craft basket

Have you ever needed a basket to hold all of those random things lying around the house. Diapers? Pacifiers? Stuffed animals? Lotion? Socks? Remote control? Bills? For me, it's a place to put my every growing stash of crochet stuff. If you are an avid crocheter/knitter, you know exactly what I mean. 

I went on the hunt for a cute crocheted basket that would hold some of my crochet hooks, yarn, thread, and buttons. I found this super cute pattern from one of my favorite blogs: All About Ami. Here is the link to her blog post about this pattern: http://www.allaboutami.com/post/29055442853/chunkybasket


If you aren’t subscribed to her blog (or mine!), you should get on those mailing lists. Good stuff. :) 

I started off with Lion brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick yarn in Oatmeal. The pattern calls for using 2 strands of yarn at one time. You can do that either by using both ends of your skein at the same time or using 2 different skeins. I recommend using 2 skeins because you’ll need 2 to get through the pattern anyway. 

I used an 8mm size hook, which seems a little small for this chunky yarn (especially since it’s doubled up!) But, that is important because you want the stitches to be nice and tight. It was actually a little hard on my hands and wrists crocheting this basket because of the thicker yarn and smaller hook. 

To get the bottom of the basket to lay flat, the pattern calls for working in the back loops only. This creates a seam where the base ends and the body of the basket begins.

I like that the stitches vary from single crochets to half double crochets, creating an interesting look between the different rows. 

The handles are easy to make because it just involves skipping stitches and chaining.

This pattern is pretty easy to follow and works up pretty fast. And, it was filled with various crocheting tools and yarn within no time. As you can see, it’s already overflowing. I might need to crochet a few more of these if it is going to hold ALL my yarn. ;)