Crochet the quick and easy crochet cowl that can be worn in a variety of ways. This pattern works up quickly and makes a great gift.

Design Story and Inspiration for this Crochet Cowl Pattern

When I designed this cowl, it had still been unseasonably cold here in Tennessee. We missed the big southern snow that came that week, but we did not miss the single digit temperatures that accompanied it. I wanted something to keep my neck warm but didn’t want to take the time to whip up an entire scarf. Hence the Simple Versatile Cowl was born.

One day when it was not too cold out my family and I went out for a walk at a local park and I took all kinds of pictures of myself wearing this cowl. I love it! This is exactly what I was looking for in a neck warmer – simple to make, fun to wear, and looks great.

As you will see I took lots of pictures while my husband and sons were busy at the park. It was a fun day!

Yarn Options for this Free Crochet Pattern

I wanted to use yarn that I already had in my stash, so I chose a huge skein of Caron One Pound. While this is the yarn I used, it will not take anywhere near the entire skein or even half.

Any worsted weight yarn will work for this pattern, and you will likely only need one skein if you have around 250 yards give or take. This is a super easy pattern and since it’s so small it doesn’t use much yarn. It really does keep your neck warm, though!

You could also use bulky yarn or even super bulky yarn for a larger cowl. They would also work! It would just be longer and wider, more of a crochet infinity scarf than this small cowl, but still very nice.

Before we begin… Let’s get Social!

I would love for you to come follow me on
Instagram (get sneak peeks of what’s coming up!)
My Facebook Page (come join the fun!)
Follow me on Pinterest (I pin tons of free patterns to my boards!)
Join my Facebook group (lots of awesome crochet talk there – knitters welcome, too!)
Also, you can find me on Ravelry or join more than 19K subscribers on YouTube.

Easy Crochet Pattern Details

This easy crochet cowl pattern is worked in the round for no seaming. It is worked in an easy v-stitch pattern made of double crochet stitches.

You place the button by trying it on and seeing where you think it looks best. There really is no right or wrong to this and since the v-stitches have spaces due to the double crochet, you can easily slip the button through anywhere you want for many different looks.

That’s what I love about this so much – it’s super versatile!

How to Customize This Free Crochet Cowl Pattern

You can easily make this cowl pattern as long as you want by changing the stitch count. The pattern is a multiple of six, so don’t feel like you have to stick to the starting chain of 96 stitches. As long as it divides evenly by 6, you can make the chain as long or as short as you want.

You could even make this an infinity scarf crochet pattern by working a much longer starting chain and not working as many rows. A crochet infinity scarf is often long enough to loop around the neck more than once, and isn’t as thick as a cowl.

More Free Crochet Scarf Patterns (and cowls!)

Get the Ad-Free PDF

This pattern is completely free and can be viewed in its entirety below, including a complete video tutorial. However, many readers have requested ad-free PDF’s of my patterns so I provide an inexpensive option for these.

If you like to crochet on the go or just prefer paper, you can print this PDF and take it with you anywhere.

To purchase a large print, ad-free pdf of this pattern click HERE

Simple Versatile Crochet Cowl

What You’ll Need

Yarn: Worsted weight, 1 skein (Weight #4)

Crochet Hook: Size I (5.5mm) crochet hook

Notions: Yarn Needle, one 3/4 inch button, scissors

Skill Level: Easy

Finished Measurements: Approx. Circumference: 26 inches, Length: 6 inches

Gauge: Not crucial for this project

Stitch Descriptions and Abbreviations
Chain (ch)
Slip Stitch (sl st)
Single Crochet Stitch (sc)
Double Crochet Stitch (dc)
V-Stitch (V-St) – [Dc, ch 1, dc] in same space

Crochet Cowl Video Tutorial

How to Crochet: Simple Versatile Cowl

Simple Versatile Crochet Cowl Pattern

Ch 96. Join to first ch with sl st, being careful not to twist.

Round 1: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, ch 1, *sk 2 ch, V-St in next ch, ch 1, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch, repeat from * to last 5 ch, sk 2 ch, V-St in next ch, ch 1, join with sl st to first sc.

Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch-1), dc in same st, *ch 1, sc in center ch-1 sp of next V-St, ch 1, V-St in next sc; repeat from * to last V-St, ch 1, sc in center ch-1 of last V-St, ch 1, join with sl st to 3 rd ch of first dc.

Round 3: Ch 1. Sc in ch-1 sp of first V-St, *ch 1, V-St in next sc, ch 1, sc in center ch-1 sp of next V-st; repeat from * to last sc, ch 1, V-St in last sc, ch 1, join with sl st to first st.

Repeat rounds 2 and 3 until piece measures 6 inches. Fasten off.

Weave in all ends. Try on cowl and decide upon button placement. Sew on button.

Crochet Cowl Chart

I hope you’ve enjoyed this free crochet pattern for the Simple Versatile Cowl. I had a blast designing it and I love wearing it.

Happy crocheting!
Amanda