Gwenevere is a super easy crochet cowl for beginners. It is a pretty and ethereal design, especially beautiful made with cotton or a light yarn for Spring and Summer.
Now is the time to bring out your precious skeins of hand dyed yarn for this beautiful and easy free crochet cowl pattern.
The easy cowl pattern is made using 4ply/fingering weight yarn or dk double knit yarn. It is an simple to remember, addictive 2 row repeat suitable for beginner crocheters.
Choose a hook that gives wonderful drape and off you go!
About the Easy Crochet Cowl
Gwenevere is a quick and easy crochet cowl great for beginners and more experienced makers. I used 100g of 4ply or fingering weight cotton yarn for my cowl. I also have a dk version again with 100g hand dyed double knit yarn. There are instructions for the easy crochet cowl in dk yarn at the end.
The free crochet pattern below is written in both UK and US terms.
The pattern is versatile so you can make it bigger, smaller, or even make a scarf instead of a cowl.
The free pattern is written for both beginner crocheters and those with more experience to enjoy.
Construction
The super easy crochet cowl is made in back and forth rows and joined to make an infinity cowl. To make a scarf instead of a cowl you make two identical pieces and join them together along the foundation rows.
Materials
Yarn
4ply fingering yarn
(100g/465yards/425m approximately)
Hook
G/6/4mm depending on your tension. Choose a bigger hook size if you usually have tighter tension.
Gauge
Blocked: 2 patt reps from Row 2 and 8 rows = 10cm
Size
Blocked: 9.5 inches/ 25 cm across, 75 inches/ 190cm long before joining.
Notes
Instructions are provided at the end of the pattern for making a crochet cowl with dk dbouble knit yarn.
If you use different yarn weight, quantity or hook size you will need different quantities of yarn than stated.
Block your project to help open up the lace stitches and improve the drape.
Pattern is written in both UK terms and US terms. Check you are following the pattern for the crochet terms you usually use.
[ ] indicates a sequence of stitches to repeat
( ) indicates a group of stitches to be worked in same st or sp
Pattern is worked in multiples of 12 stitches plus 1, plus another chain for the foundation row.
US Abbreviations
Chain ch
Double crochet dc
Pull up a loop pul
Repeat rep
Right side RS
Single crochet sc
Stitch st
Stitches sts
Yarn over yo
US Special Stitches
2 double crochet cluster stitch 2dcCl
Worked in one st:
[Yo, insert hook in st, yo, pul, yo, draw through 2 loops] twice, yo, draw through 3 remaining loops
Start Crocheting
Row 1: Chain 62 stitches, leave a long tail for joining at the end, then work 1 sc into 2nd ch from hook (skipped ch does not count as st), [4 ch, skip 3 ch, 1 sc in next ch ] across until the end, turn.
Row 2 (RS): Ch 2, dc in same st (counts as 2dcCl), ch 2, sc in 4 ch-sp, [(3dc, 3 ch, 3dc) in next 4 ch-sp, sc in next 4 ch-sp**, ch 4, sc in next ch4-sp] across ending last rep at **, ch 2, 2dcCl in last dc, turn.
Row 3: Ch 2, dc in same st (counts as 2dcCl), skip 2 ch-sp, [ch 4, (sc, ch 4, sc) in ch3-sp, ch 4**, sc in next ch4-sp] across ending last rep at **, skip ch2-sp, 2dcCl in last st, turn.
For Cowl
Rep Rows 2-3 approx 84 more times or as yarn allows, finishing on a Row 2. Fasten off leaving a long tail to seam ends together. Line up the two ends by laying them flat, wrong side facing.
Ensure you do not twist the scarf when lining up the starting row and last row.
Thread a darning needle with the yarn tail. Take the yarn through the inside of the foundation row chains and join with the last row chain spaces.
Scarf Instructions
Divide yarn in half, using 2 x 50g balls. With each ball of yarn, follow pattern, repeating Rows 2-3 approx 42 times or as yarn allows, finishing with a Row 2.
Break yarn.
Sew in the ends apart from one long tail from the foundation chain row. Use this tail to join the foundation chain rows by holding the two pieces right side together and whip stitch together.
Weave in all ends and block your work to open up the lace stitches.
UK Terms Instructions
Abbreviations
Chain ch
Double crochet dc
Double treble dtr
Pull up a loop pul
Repeat rep
Right side RS
Treble crochet tr
Stitch st
Stitches sts
Yarn over yo
Special Stitches
2 treble crochet cluster stitch 2trCl
Worked in one st: [Yo, insert hook in st, yo, pul, yo, draw through 2 loops] twice, yo, draw through 3 remaining loops
Start Crocheting
Row 1: Chain 62 sts, work 1 dc into 2nd ch from hook (skipped ch does not count as st), [4 ch, skip 3 ch, 1 dc in next ch ] across until the end, turn.
Row 2 (RS): Ch 2, tr in same st (counts as 2trCl), ch 2, dc in 4 ch-sp, [(3tr, 3 ch, 3tr) in next 4 ch-sp, dc in next 4 ch-sp**, ch 4, dc in next ch4-sp] across ending last rep at **, ch 2, 2trCl in last dc, turn.
Row 3: Ch 2, tr in same st (counts as 2trCl), skip 2 ch-sp, [ch 4, (dc, ch 4, dc) in ch3-sp, ch 4**, dc in next ch4-sp] across ending last rep at **, skip ch2-sp, 2trCl in last st, turn.
For Cowl
Rep Rows 2-3 approx 84 more times or as yarn allows, finishing on a Row 2. Fasten off leaving a long tail to seam ends together. Line up the two ends by laying them flat, wrong side facing.
Ensure you do not twist the scarf when lining up the starting row and last row.
Thread a darning needle with the yarn tail. Take the yarn through the inside of the foundation row chains and join with the last row chain spaces.
To make a scarf instead of a cowl, see the above instructions.

Crochet Cowl Pattern using dk yarn
To make the cowl with dk yarn, you will need a bigger hook, at least H/8/ 5mm. Start your foundation chain with 38 stitches and follow the pattern as above. This will make a cowl approximately 8 inches/ 20cm wide. If you want it wider, add 12 stitches to the foundation chain.