This free crochet cowl pattern fills the cold gap between your coat and your chin, with no scarf tails to slip or get caught. It is one rectangle of half double crochet, sewn into a tube. You get two sizes: the Cowl, 26 in around, and the Infinity, 60 in around and wrapped twice.
It matches our crochet beanie: same worsted yarn, same I-9 hook, same 4 colors and same 6 stripes in the same order. Make the set as a gift, or keep it for yourself.
Pick by length: Cowl 26 in, one loop · Infinity 60 in, wrapped twice
Crochet Cowl at a Glance: One Rectangle, 6 Stripes, One Seam
Time
About 6-10 hours (Cowl) or 14-22 (Infinity), estimated, with the seam and the ends
Yarn
Worsted (#4), 4 colors: about 280 yd (Cowl) or 610 yd (Infinity) in all
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Gauge
Suggested only: 14 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in hdc with a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook and worsted (#4) yarn. Your stitches and rows may be fewer or more than we show: measure your swatch and adjust.
Sizes
Cowl (26 in around, one loop) or Infinity (60 in around, wrapped twice); both 9.6 in tall
Stitches
Chain and half double crochet only; one rectangle sewn into a tube, no edging
Matches
Our crochet beanie: same yarn, hook, colors and stripes
How this pattern was checked
Every row of both sizes and the swatch was replayed and counted by software: 65 of 65
Two independent readings of the rows agree
Not crocheted yet: sizes, yarn and hours are estimates. Make the swatch first.
The Infinity size, 60 in around, wrapped twice around the neck. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
Cowl or Crochet Infinity Scarf? Pick the Size You Want to Wear
Both sizes are 24 rows and 9.6 in tall (24 cm). Only the number of stitches changes. The Cowl is 91 hdc per row, starts with a chain of 93, and measures about 26 in around (66 cm). You wear it as one loop. The Infinity is 210 hdc per row, starts with a chain of 212, and measures about 60 in around (152 cm). You wear it wrapped twice around your neck. Pick the Cowl if you want a snug neck warmer under a coat. Pick the Infinity if you want a longer loop you can wrap. The stripes, the rows and the seam are the same for both.
Cowl: about 26 in around, 9.6 in tall
Yarn
Worsted weight (#4), 4 colors
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Yarn needed
About 280 yd in all (with a 15 % margin)
Finished size
26 in around (66 cm), 9.6 in tall (24 cm), worn one loop (approximate).
Counts
Foundation ch 93; 91 hdc per row; 24 rows (2184 hdc). About 6 to 10 hours in all.
Infinity: about 60 in around, 9.6 in tall
Yarn
Worsted weight (#4), 4 colors
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Yarn needed
About 610 yd in all (with a 15 % margin)
Finished size
60 in around (152 cm), 9.6 in tall (24 cm), worn wrapped twice (approximate).
Counts
Foundation ch 212; 210 hdc per row; 24 rows (5040 hdc). About 14 to 22 hours in all.
Size table
Measure
Cowl
Infinity
Around (in)
26
60
Tall (in)
9.6
9.6
Worn
one loop
wrapped twice
Hdc per row x rows
91 x 24
210 x 24
Foundation ch
93
212
Cranberry (yd)
90
210
Cream (yd)
90
200
Forest Green (yd)
50
100
Mustard (yd)
50
100
Yarn, all colors (yd)
280
610
Time (h)
6-10
14-22
Finished measurements and stitch counts for every size, in inches. Approximate, from our suggested gauge: check them against your swatch. Scroll sideways on a phone.
The Cowl worn as one loose loop over a coat, draped below the chin. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
The Cowl has no button and no opening: you pull it over your head. At the pattern gauge it is 26 in around, so it passes over a head up to 24 in with 2 in to spare. This is a calculation from the estimated gauge, not a fit tried on a head. Measure your head with a soft tape measure before you start. If you get more than 14 hdc in 4 in, the cowl will come out smaller and may be tight to pull on, so check the swatch.
tch = turning chain (ch 2 here: never counted, never worked into)
How Much Yarn Does a Crochet Cowl Need? Yardage by Color
Cranberry: 90 yd (Cowl) / 210 yd (Infinity)
Cream: 90 yd (Cowl) / 200 yd (Infinity)
Forest Green: 50 yd (Cowl) / 100 yd (Infinity)
Mustard: 50 yd (Cowl) / 100 yd (Infinity)
All yardage is estimated, with a 15 % margin. Each color is rounded up to the next 10 yd, and the total is the sum of the colors. Cowl: about 280 yd in all (Cranberry 90, Cream 90, Forest Green 50, Mustard 50). Infinity: about 610 yd in all (Cranberry 210, Cream 200, Forest Green 100, Mustard 100). Cranberry includes the foundation chain and the long seam tail. If you also make the beanie, you buy the same four colors, so check its page for the hat amounts and buy for both at once. Check the yarn label for yards, not grams.
Use one brand and one dye-lot family per color if you can.
Yarn needle, scissors.
12 ends to weave in.
Four colors of worsted yarn and a crochet hook, the same colors as the beanie. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
The numbers assume 14 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in hdc with worsted (#4) yarn and a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook. It is the same gauge as the matching beanie, so one swatch works for both. Nobody has swatched this yet. Crochet a swatch, wash it the way you will wash the cowl, and measure it. If you get more stitches in 4 in, your cowl will be smaller. If you get fewer, it will be bigger. Change your hook size, not the stitch counts. Ch 26 and work 14 rows of hdc (24 sts, about 6.9 x 5.6 in). Measure 14 sts and 10 rows in the middle. Fewer sts, go down a hook size; more sts, go up.
Striped Crochet Cowl: The Same 6 Stripes as the Matching Beanie
Each cowl has 6 stripes of 4 rows. The color order is the same as the beanie (its stripes are 4 or 5 rows): Cranberry rows 1-4, Cream rows 5-8, Forest Green rows 9-12, Mustard rows 13-16, Cranberry rows 17-20 and Cream rows 21-24. Two stripes that touch are never the same color. Both sizes use the same stripe plan. Change color with the last pull-through of the last hdc of the row before, and cut the old color. Each change leaves 2 ends of 6 in to weave in.
Get the free printable PDF (Letter + A4)Every size and stitch count on paper, ready to print.Get the free PDF
The cowl laid flat next to the matching beanie: same 4 colors, same 6 stripes in the same order. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
We estimate about 6-10 hours for the Cowl and 14-22 hours for the Infinity. That includes the seam, about 20 minutes, and weaving in the 12 ends. The estimate counts between 4 and 6 hdc a minute, plus the color changes. The Cowl has 2184 hdc and the Infinity has 5040. Nobody has timed it, so this is not a one-hour cowl. Plan for more time if you crochet slowly.
Cowl rows
Work the rows in order. The first hdc of a row goes in the last hdc of the row before (the st at the base of the ch 2); the last hdc goes in the first hdc of the row before, next to its turning ch, never in the turning ch. The color of each stripe is in the stripe plan below.
FoundationCh 93 (212). Use Cranberry and leave a 65 in tail for the seam.Stitch count: 93 (212) ch
Row 1 (WS)Skip the first 2 ch from the hook (they are the turning ch and do not count as a st). Work a hdc in the back bump of the next ch and of each ch across.Stitch count: 91 (210) hdc
Row 2 (RS)Ch 2 (does not count as a st), turn. Hdc in each st across. The last hdc of every row goes in the first hdc of the row before, next to the turning ch, never in it.Stitch count: 91 (210) hdc
Rows 3 to 24Repeat Row 2, changing color at the start of each stripe (see the stripe plan). Odd rows are WS, even rows RS.Stitch count: 24 rows in all
Stripe Plan and Size Table
Stripe plan: 4 rows per stripe, the same for both sizes. Tap to enlarge: Open it full size
Sew the seam as shown in the assembly plan, then weave in the 12 ends on the wrong side. Wash and dry as the yarn label says.
No Buttons, No Fringe, No Edging: What This Cowl Does Not Have
This cowl has no buttons, no fringe, no ribbing and no edging round. The bottom edge is the plain edge of Row 1, and the top edge is the plain edge of Row 24. The yarn amounts do not include any trim, and we give no counts for one. It is hdc from the first row to the last, with one seam.
Sewing the Seam So the Stripes Become Rings
Fold the rectangle with right sides together so the 2 short edges meet and the bottom (Row 1) edges line up. Thread the 65 in Cranberry tail you left at the foundation onto a yarn needle. Whip stitch the 2 edges together, 1 row end to 1 row end. There are 24 row ends on each edge. Turn the tube right side out: the stripes now go around in rings. Weave in all the ends on the wrong side.
The seam: 24 row ends to 24 row ends, and the rectangle becomes a tube. Tap to enlarge: Open it full size
Check the stitch count at the end of each row: every row has 91 (210) hdc.
Tie a scrap of yarn in the first stitch of Row 1 (the bottom edge) so you find it again when you sew the seam.
Cut the old color at every change and weave in the ends on the wrong side.
Common mistakes
Working into the turning ch: the row gets 1 hdc too many.
Sewing the seam with the bottom edges off by a row: line up the Row 1 edges first, or the stripes will not meet.
Skipping the swatch: more or fewer stitches in 4 in change the size, and the Cowl may not pass over the head.
Make it your own
Other colors: any four colors of worsted (#4) yarn work with the same rows. Keep two stripes that touch in different colors.
Care
Follow the washing and drying instructions on the label of your yarn.
Crochet Cowl Pattern FAQ
What is the difference between a cowl and an infinity scarf?
In this pattern, only the length. The Cowl is about 26 in around and you wear it as one loop. The Infinity is about 60 in around and you wear it wrapped twice. Both are 24 rows and 9.6 in tall, with the same stripes.
How much yarn do I need for a crochet cowl?
About 280 yd for the Cowl or 610 yd for the Infinity, in worsted (#4) yarn in all four colors. These are estimates with a 15 % margin, and each color is rounded up to the next 10 yd.
How long does it take to crochet a cowl?
We estimate about 6-10 hours for the Cowl and 14-22 hours for the Infinity, with the seam and the ends. Nobody has timed it, so do not plan on one hour.
Is this crochet cowl worked flat or in the round?
Flat. You crochet one rectangle back and forth, then sew the 2 short edges together into a tube. Every row has the same number of hdc, so there are no rounds and no increases.
Will the cowl fit over my head?
At the pattern gauge, the Cowl is 26 in around, so it passes over a head up to 24 in with 2 in to spare. That is a calculation, not a fit tried on a head, so make the swatch first.
Does this cowl match the crochet beanie?
Yes. It uses the same worsted yarn, the same US I-9 hook, the same 4 colors and the same 6 stripes in the same order as our crochet beanie pattern.
Can I use a different yarn?
You can, but the size and the yardage change. The counts here are for worsted (#4) yarn and a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook at the gauge in the pattern. We have no counts for another weight.
Can I sell cowls I make from this pattern?
You may sell what you crochet. Please don't copy or repost this pattern; link to it instead.
Matching Beanie and More Crochet Patterns for Cold Days
The AMG Royal pattern teamPatterns on AMG Royal are designed by calculation: every row is simulated and the full pattern is independently re-checked before publishing. They are not hand-crocheted samples — times and yardage are estimates.How we make our patternsFound a mistake? Tell us
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