Thank you to Lion Brand Yarn for providing the yarn for this sample!

It’s coming near to the end of August, which means we’ll soon enter into the month that brings my favorite season of all — Autumn! That means it’s time for cowls, scarves, hats, boot cuffs… do you know how happy this makes me? As much as I’ve had fun coming up with home decor patterns for the last few months, fall/winter accessories are my happy place.

To kick off the season of apple crisp and hayrides, I’ve designed the first accessory in the Little Monkeys Crochet Fall ’16 lineup, the Herringbone Buttoned Cowl. This is a snug little piece of neckwear that is perfect for layering. On a cool day, it looks great worn with a shirt and jeans. On a colder evening, tuck it under your winterwear and let the ribbed collar peek out – the bottom of the cowl is nice and flat, so it won’t add bulk under your coat!

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The Yarn

For this pattern, I used the gorgeous, relatively-new Vanna’s Style (from Lion Brand), which is a DK (that’s a #3 weight) yarn. (Don’t confuse this with Vanna’s Choice, which is a #4 worsted yarn!) This yarn is stunning. It has the most beautiful stitch definition, which shows off the rows of the Herringbone stitch really nicely. It isn’t too shiny, but has just enough sheen to give it an elegant look. I haven’t found Vanna’s Style in any of my local stores yet, but you can always purchase it direct from Lion Brand.

And if you love matching sets, check out the Herringbone Slouch:

 

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HERRINGBONE BUTTONED COWL

Difficulty: Easyish

Finished Size: 29″ wide x 12″ tall (when laid flat)

Hook: G (4.25mm)

Yarn: About 390-400 yards of Vanna’s Style DK Yarn by Lion Brand (that’s less than 2 skeins). The sample is shown in “Silver”.

Gauge: 16 rows of 17 HHDC = 4″ (see “Special Stitch” below for explanation of HHDC)

You’ll also need: Yarn needle, 2 buttons (3/4″ or 1″), sewing needle, and thread to match yarn color.

Abbreviations Used:
ST/STS (stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SK (skip)
CH (chain)
SC (single crochet)
HHDC (herringbone half double crochet; see “special stitch” below)
BLO (back loops only)

Special Stitch:
HHDC – Herringbone Half Double Crochet. Here’s how you do it:

HHDC: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch. Yarn over, pull loop through stitch AND through first loop on hook (this is similar to a slip stitch motion). Two loops remain on hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops.

(If you need additional help, Moogly has an excellent video tutorial here. Please note that while her video considers the CH2 at the beginning of rows as a stitch, the pattern below does not.)

Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) CH2 at the beginning of rows does not count as a stitch.
(3) The pattern is divided into 3 parts: the Top Band, the Body, and the Side Band. The pattern as a whole is worked in one piece (there is no sewing at the end).

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THE PATTERN

Part 1: Top Band

To begin: CH9.

Top Band, Row 1: SC in 2nd CH from hook and in each remaining CH. (8)

Rows 2-120: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 6 STS. SC in last ST. (8)

Row 121 (buttonhole): CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 2 STS. CH2, SK 2 STS. SC in BLO of each of the next 2 STS. SC in last ST. (6 + CH2)

Row 122: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 2 STS. 2SC in CH2 space. SC in BLO of each of the next 2 STS. SC in last ST. (8)

Rows 123-124: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 6 STS. SC in last ST. (8)

Part 2: Body

(Note that for ease of row counting, we are referring to the next row as “Row 1” instead of “Row 125”.)

Body, Row 1: CH1, do not turn. SC evenly down the long edge of the piece, putting 1SC in each row. (124)

Row 2: CH1, turn. HHDC in each of the first 115 STS. 9 STS remain unworked (and will remain so for the remainder of Part 2). (115)

Rows 3-42: CH1, turn. HHDC in each ST across. (115)

Note: At this point, you should be on the same side of the cowl as the buttonhole we made back in Row 121 of the Top Band. If you’re on the opposite side you probably miscounted something, but it’s no big deal; just do one more row of HHDC to get yourself to where you need to be.

Row 43: CH1, do not turn. SC evenly up the side of the cowl, working toward the buttonhole, putting 1SC in each row until you reach the inner corner where the top band and the body meet. (41 SC)

Part 3: Side Band

(Remember back in Row 2 of the body, when we left 9 stitches unworked? We’re going to be working in those now.)

Side Band, Row 1 (highlighted in yellow in the photo below): SL ST to the closest unworked ST from Row 2 of the body section. CH1. SC in BLO of each of the next 7 unworked STS. SC in both loops of the final unworked ST. (8 SC)

 

Row 2: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 7 STS. SL ST in each of the next 2 STS along Row 43 of the body. (8, + the 2 SL STS along Row 43)

Row 3: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS, SC in BLO of each of the next 7 STS. SC in both loops of the last ST. (8)

Rows 4-23: Repeat rows 2-3. (8)

Row 24 (buttonhole): CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 2 STS. CH2, SK 2 STS. SC in BLO of each of the remaining 3 STS. SL ST in each of the next 2 STS along Row 43 of the body. (6SC + CH2 buttonhole, + the 2 SL STS along Row 43)

Row 25: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS, SC in BLO of each of the next 3 STS. 2SC in CH2 space. SC in BLO of each of the next 2 STS. SC in last ST. (8)

Rows 26-41: Repeat rows 2-3. (8)

Row 42: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 7 STS. SL ST in the final ST of Row 43 of the body. (8, + 1 SL ST along Row 43)

Depending on your placement of the first SCs from Row 43 of the body, your piece may look like it still needs one more row of ribbing to bring it even with the edge of the cowl. If so, go ahead and add that last row of ribbing by putting a SL ST into the CH1 space you created at the beginning of Row 43 of the body. CH1 and turn, and complete another row.

Edging: CH1, turn. SC evenly around the entire piece, putting 3SC in each corner. Join with a SL ST to the first SC.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Buttons: Lay your scarf flat, with the corner buttonhole at the top left corner. Your first button should be sewn 1 inch (both sides) from the bottom right corner; your second button should be sewn 6 inches from the right edge, 1 inch from the bottom edge (in line with the first button).

To Wear:

It can feel a bit tricky at first! Start by putting it around your neck with the buttonhole on your left, and the Top Band at the top. The button that is NOT in the corner is the button that will go through the top buttonhole. Once you’ve joined those together, you can slip the corner button through the second buttonhole, then tuck the extra fabric under the cowl. If you need a little extra help, watch this video of the Sparkly Buttoned Cowl (it’s the same style of cowl):