Thank you Lion Brand Yarn for providing the yarn for this pattern!
I had the opportunity to try the new Mandala yarn from Lion Brand and I am sooooo excited about it! If you aren’t familiar with it yet, it’s Lion Brand’s take on the trendy yarn cakes that have taken the crochet world by storm recently. I knew I was going to love Mandala as soon as I heard that it was a #3 light yarn – that immediately set it apart in my mind from all the other versions. And the colors!
Not only are there 16 beautiful color schemes to choose from, but the gradient effect they give is the best I’ve seen in these popular cakes. While not a true gradient, the creators of Mandala yarn were very intentional about their color changes. Instead of 3 or 4 abrupt color jumps, Mandala utilizes light and dark shades of the same color to gradually change from one color to the next. For example, in “Genie” (the sample with the green/white/gray colorway), the yarn started as a dark gray, then switched to medium gray, to grayish-green, to green, to light green, to even lighter green, to white, to lightest gray, to medium gray, and finally on back to the dark gray it began with. What a difference that makes in the overall look!
I decided that a nice simple textured project would be perfect for showing off the pretty colors of this yarn. I’ve been playing with the bean stitch lately, so that’s what I used. I don’t know exactly why this stitch got its name, but I think it looks like an espresso bean, and coffee-related things always make me happy.
I also worked this cowl up in two other fun colors – Sphinx (left) and Chamera (right). Mandala yarn definitely has something for everyone!
What’s really great about this pattern is that it uses all of your Mandala cake without leaving any wasted yarn. That’s always a win for me (and for my overflowing yarn shelf)!
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SPRING BEAN COWL
Difficulty: Easy
Finished Size: 29″ around x 16″ tall
Hook: H (5.0mm)
Yarn: 1 full cake of Lion Brand Mandala (or about 590 yards of your favorite #3 light yarn from Lion Brand). Sample is shown in “Genie”.
Gauge: 14 rows of 7 bean stitches = 4″ square. Or, your starting chain should measure about 27-28″.
You’ll also need: Yarn needle
Abbreviations Used:
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SK (skip)
CH (chain)
SC (single crochet)
Special Stitch:
Bean Stitch – Completed, this stitch actually covers the ground of two stitches. Here’s how you do it:
Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through (2 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull through (4 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull through (6 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops. Chain 1 to close the stitch, and skip the next stitch. (You will skip the next stitch every time you do a bean stitch.)
Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) CH1 at the beginning of round does not count as a stitch.
(3) Pattern is worked in a continuous, seamless round (spiral). Do notjoin, turn or chain except where instructed.
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THE PATTERN
Fringe (optional)
Before we make a single stitch, we’re going to cut our fringe. This enables us to have enough yarn for the fringe while still using up every yard of the Mandala cake for the pattern. Since we want our fringe to blend right into the gradient of the pattern, carefully remove the label and find the end of the yarn. (We’ll be pulling from the center while we crochet, so the bottom of the cowl will be the end you find along the outside wall of the cake). Handle your cake with care so that you can slip that label back on it when you’re done.
Find something in your home that is approximately 9″ wide – I used a 9″ cutting board. Wrap the yarn all the way around the object 55 times, keeping it taught, but not pulling super tight (Figure 1). Cut once at the halfway point (Figure 2). Carefully gather the strands in your hand and fold them in half, then cut again at the halfway point (figure 3). You should now have about 110 pieces of fringe. (We only need 100, but usually a few of them end up too short.) Carefully replace the label on your yarn cake, and proceed to the pattern.
For the pattern, use the beginning of the yarn from the center of the yarn cake.
To begin: CH100. Join to first CH with a SL ST, being careful to not twist the chain. (Briana K has an awesome video tutorial here for how to do this perfect every time.) (100)
Round 1: CH1. SC in same ST and in each ST around. Do not join. (100)
Round 2: Do not chain. Complete a bean stitch in the first SC from the previous round (see “Special Stitch” for instructions). Bean stitch around. (100, or 50 bean stitches)
Rounds 3-52 (or until you almost run out of yarn): Bean Stitch around. (100, or 50 bean stitches)
To finish: After your last completed bean stitch, SC in next ST and SL ST in next ST. Fasten off and weave in ends. In groups of 4 strands, attach fringe every 4 stitches (every other bean).
Thanks for the pattern. I had trouble starting out.. I twisted the yarn twice. Frogged twice. Started the bean stitch but I couldn’t get it to work out. I couldn’t hold the tension and it looked crappy. Soooo, I frogged that and started again with DC’s in the rows 1-3. I was able to start the bean stitch and continued until I was out of yarn. It looks beautiful! Thank you for the tip on making the fringe from the spool in the middle of the cake! It blended in perfectly with the last row of bean stitch. You can’t tell the inside edge is a different stitch because it’s hidden under all the other layers.
For my first cowl, I used a #4 size worsted weight cake in the color “Groot”. It turned out beautifully even with changing the pattern for the first 3 rows. See above comment. This time I am working on my second bean stitch cowl and I was successful in doing the bean stitch from the beginning. Of the two, I’m kinda liking my modified version as it gives it more stretch. Using the bean stitch from the beginning results in a tighter, no stretch foundation row. Both lovely, but if the recipient has a large head or neck, they might appreciate the “give” of the modified version (double crochet version for the first 3 rows).
Is there a video for how to make this? I can’t seem to find one and I don’t do well following g a written pattern. Thank you!
Sorry but I put the wrong email address lol
Hi everyone, can’t seem to get the tension right, I am using the 5mm hook but finding that the holes are huge, and struggling to get the 6 yarns through can I go down to a 4 or 4.5 and maybe add more chains? I am used to tightness.
Hi Mary, you’re welcome to use whatever hook size gets you the fabric you like (as long as you adjust your chains accordingly). However, this stitch pattern does naturally have some space between stitches, so if you’re looking for a tight fabric, it might not be the best pattern for you.
I’m not sure if you’re still checking the comments on this pattern but…
I’m working on this pattern but like others I have increased the stitches for a looser fit. But I’m finding that my rows are curing in on each either 🙁 Is this typical and will it flatten out as I add rows? Or am I doing it incorrectly?
Thank you for all your lovely patterns. You’re amazing!!
I accidentally twisted the chain one time, and I super don’t want to take it all out again. Is there an easy way to fix it?
Not really, not without it showing 🙂
Love to crochet. Looking forward to making for my self. Thanks for the pattern. Patricia Bowling
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