I was in Manchester, New Hampshire for the CGOA ChainLink Conference July 9 – 14th and have been playing catch-up since then. ChainLink was great fun, and once again I was a blur as I was running the Design Competition. I’ll share more about the conference and my goodies next month. For now let’s continue with Christmas in July.

At the beginning of the month I talked about hats for a quick gift item. What do you do if your gift recipient isn’t really into hats? How about making them a cowl or neck cozy? These are projects that can take a little bit more time than a hat, but they can have the advantage of needing no shaping and usually have an easy to memorize stitch pattern.

I have published over 13 cowl/neck cozy patterns over the years.

My Springtime Cowl design is currently only available as text instructions here on the blog. It is what I call an “afterthought moebius”, this is when you make a long strip of crochet, then twist it and sew the ends. As you will see in the instructions, you don’t have to make it into a moebius. The yarn I used in the sample is no longer available, but this is a good project for colorful light worsted weight yarns. Maybe you have 300 yards of a hand-dyed yarn you have been trying to find a project for?

“True” Moebius Cowls

I love creating Moebius designs, being that I am a geek. The moebius shape in geometry has only 1 edge and 1 side. If you are confused about how a moebius works check out my explanation in the blog post “The Twists and Turns of a Moebius”. The next 4 designs are all “true” moebius cowls, meaning they start with the twist.

Twisted V Cowl – This fun project was designed to be quick to make using a bulky yarn. The original sample was made using a hand-dyed bulky yarn. The open work mesh of the stitches is neutral enough that this cowl makes a good gift for any gender on your list. The pattern is available in my Ravelry Shop and includes a photo illustration of the moebius single edge.

Anna Moebius Cowl, this design was named after a good friend’s granddaughter. Worked in a chunky yarn this is another quick project. It can be ever quicker if you make the foundation a little shorter, then the finished cowl will be snug enough to wear as an earwarmer. Pattern is available in my Ravelry shop and includes stitch diagrams as well as text instructions.

Twisted Garden Cowl – This is one of my favorite more complex moebius designs. The stitch pattern is a 4 row repeat and you are only turning your work every other round. I really love this worked up in medium long color changing yarns, the changing colors in the stitches give the effect of flower petals scattered on a path. The pattern is available in my Ravelry shop and includes both text and stitch charts.

Infinite Grande Cowl – This cowl uses a longer foundation and simple stitch pattern to show off a luxurious bulky alpaca yarn. The cushy and snuggly yarn make a warm cowl that can be doubled at the neck for those really cold winter days. Again a neutral design that can be a great gift for any gender. The pattern includes both written and stitch chart instructions. It is available in my Ravely shop.

Tube style Cowls

Tube style cowls are worked in rounds off a beginning foundation. I like to start most of these with my “stacked-rows” foundation to create a pretty decorative edging. The finishing edge is sometimes worked to echo the start, or I do something completely different.

My 2 by 2 Cowl is a simple tube style cowl with a quick to memorize stitch patten. The instructions are available here on the blog. If you prefer working from stitch charts you can also purchase a charted and text version in my Ravelry Shop.

Whispering Winds Cowl – This cowl has starting and finishing edges that are very similar. It is worked in a light fingering weight yarn with a simple stitch pattern for the body. This is a project that you definitely want to get a head start on as it will take a little longer with the smaller stitches. Worked in the same yarn as my sample, the finished fabric is luxurious with lots of drape and warmth. Pattern is available in my Raverly shop and includes both text and stitch charts.

The Mountain Springtime Cowl was designed for the Yarniverse March 2019 yarn box. Even if you aren’t part of that Box subscription you can purchase the individual pattern in my Ravelry shop. This long lacy cowl is light enough to be worn in the warmer weather months, but doubled up makes a great cold weather neck covering. Though this pattern doesn’t contain a stitch chart, the clear photography and simple stitch pattern make for a quick and easy gift project that gives you a lot of fabric from 1 hank of fingering weight yarn.

The Half Shell Summer Cowl was designed for King Cole’s “Vogue” yarn, a lovely garment quality cotton yarn. It can be worked in a cold weather yarn and give you a great cowl for wearing when the temperatures drop. The pattern includes detailed stitch charts along with text instructions. You can purchase it in my Ravelry Shop.

My Rhythm of Shells Cowl is a little more advanced with a 4 row lace stitch pattern repeat. Designed in a fingering weight alpaca blend yarn from LGF Suris, this is lacy warmth at it’s best. This is a gift for that special crochet-worthy person on your list. The pattern includes a detailed stitch chart along with clear text instructions and is available in my Ravelry shop.

The Cliffhouse Cowl is one of my most advanced patterns so far. It is worked with color changes and varying stitch heights. The pattern is available in my Ravelry shop. I will be teaching a class at Longmont Yarn Shoppe – Wednesday September 25 10:30a – 1:30p on this project if you are in the area and want to join me.

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Neck Cozy and Shaped Cowls

I created this button up neck cozy by making a small “Playing With Triangles Shawl” in a fingering weight yarn and adding a bunch of beads. You can find out how I worked this version in my blog post: It’s Finished! There is information on how I added all the beads as well as links within the post to the pattern I used. If you prefer, you can purchase my “Vivianne Shawl” pattern which has a tutorial on adding beads and stitch charts to help with bead placement.

The Kellie Cowl design is a little more challenging with an increase point about one third of the way into the project. Pretty changing stitch patterns make for a lacy and interesting project that you’ll have fun crocheting and will be proud to give. The pattern includes detailed stitch charts and instructions on adding beads to your project. The pattern is available in my Ravelry Shop.

The Granny Fans Redux pattern is a great value. Not only does it contain instructions for making the button closure neck cozy seen above, but it also has detailed instructions for making a longer scarf, a moebius style cowl, or an infinity scarf. The pattern has detailed stitch charts for helping you with the Join-As-You-Go Fan motifs. This design really shows off yarns with medium long gradient color changes. Pattern is available in my Ravelry Shop.

Remember if you are doing a lot of crocheting to take breaks at least every 30 minutes to stretch your hands and body. It is easy to over do it when you get into crazy gift making mode, so try to pace yourself. If you don’t already use a hook with an ergonomic handle, now might be the time to gift yourself with at least one in your favorite size.

My favorite ergonomic handled hooks are still the Clover Amour hooks. I have them in all the available sizes and some extras in the sizes I use most frequently. If you can’t find them locally click on the photo above to find them on Amazon.