All About Ami
a blog about my love of ami-gurumi & crochet
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Over the Christmas break, a friend came to visit us and she was wearing a gorgeous long cowl that she wrapped around her neck twice. It looked incredibly warm and comfy and it was quite the statement piece. Ryan and I thought it would be neat to adapt my “Chunky Double Crochet Cowl” pattern that I had just posted HERE to make one similar to hers! Rather than working in rounds and joining the ends at the completion of each round, I decided to crochet this long cowl row by row and then join the ends at the very end. Since I chose a neutral colour for my first cowl, I wanted a fun, bright colour for my next one. I used “Lion Brand’s Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Yarn” in a beautiful shade called ”Raspberrry” since pink is my favourite colour!
To begin, I chained 27…
Then in the third chain from the hook, I started double crocheting and skipping 1 until the end of the row.
Next I chained 2, turned, and then double crocheted in the spaces of the previous row with chain 1’s in between (for those relatively new to crochet, please refer to this video HERE that differentiates between crocheting in the chain space vs. the chain itself). The last double crochet was worked in the space between the initial chains and the first double crochet.
As pictured below, each row consists of 14 double crochets (initial chain 2 always counts as 1 dc) and 13 spaces. Thus, you can still get the look of the staggered double crochets as in my original cowl while working row-by-row (this is similar to the staggered look of my “Puff Stitch Scarf”).
I continued this pattern row after row until my desired length. Because I wanted this cowl to be very long so that I could wrap it twice, my finished cowl had 63 rows!
2.5 skeins later after I completed my last row, I whip stitched the ends together.
Here is the official pattern for my “Long Double Crochet Cowl”:
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Materials:
- 10 mm crochet hook
- Super bulky yarn (6)- I used 2.5 skeins for my cowl
Chain 27
Row 1: In third chain from hook, double crochet (initial chains count as 1 dc). *Sk 1, Ch 1, dc* until end (14 dc).
Row 2: Chain 2, turn (initial chain 2 counts as 1 dc). *Dc in each ch 1 space, ch 1* until end (14 dc). Last dc is worked in space between dc and chain 2 from previous row. [Refer to this video HERE to differentiate between crocheting in the chain space vs. the chain itself.]
Round 3-63 (or desired length): Repeat Row 2
Fasten off and leave long end for sewing. Whip stitch ends of cowl together. When folded in half, my cowl was 86 cm or 34” in length which allowed me to wear the cowl looped twice comfortably. For those interested, my cowl was also 28 cm or 11” wide.
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Here is my finished “Long Double Crochet Cowl”! As you can see, it is very long indeed!
You could always wear it long like this…
But I prefer to wear it looped twice! This cowl will definitely help keep you warm for the rest of the winter. It is so snuggly and comfy!
Look at these gorgeous folds, layers and texture! It really is quite the statement piece…I think it looks very high fashion :)
Here’s a photo from my Instagram (@AllAboutAmi).
If you like this cowl, be sure to check out the step-by-step tutorial and free pattern for my “Chunky Double Crochet Cowl” HERE. This cowl is worked in rounds and works up very quickly!
These cowls are fun crochet projects that make great gifts for friends, family, or of course for yourself! They are so simple to make, and are such great winter accessories. With so many beautiful yarn colours available, you could make cowls in every shade to match any outfit ;) Have you already crocheted any cowls this winter? Will you be trying this new pattern out? Once again, I would love to see pictures! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter (@AllAboutAmi), Instagram (@AllAboutAmi) and e-mail (all_about_ami@hotmail.com)! Let’s stay warm and cozy the rest of the winter with these cowls, everyone :)
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Sneak peek of upcoming blog post & free pattern: Long Double Crochet Cowl (an adaptation of my “Chunky Double Crochet Cowl”)
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Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! We had great family and friends time, delicious food and a chance to reflect upon what a wonderful year 2012 was! We watched some of our favourite holiday movies such as “Home Alone” and “Elf” and got addicted to BBC’s “Sherlock” as we watched both seasons within a couple days! Is anyone else a big fan? Can’t wait for Season 3!
Over the holidays I also had a chance to crochet more cowls as quick gifts for my friends and family! I made some variations to the base pattern for my “Chunky Double Crochet Cowl” which you can find HERE.
The top two cowls are “Loops & Threads Cozy Wool” in “Thunder” and “Golden Rod”. There was only one skein left of each of these colours so I adapted my pattern slightly. I chained 52 and managed to get about 10-11 rows at the end.
The bottom two cowls are “Lion Brand’s Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Yarn” in “Grey Marble” and “Loops & Threads Cozy Wool” in “Stone”. I purchased two skeins for each cowl. I chained 55 and crocheted 15 rows for each of these cowls (with yarn left over).
I’m currently working on another variation of this cowl which is not crocheted in the round but rather row by row for a different look. I’ll be sharing it with you soon!
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Winter officially begins on Friday, but it seems like winter has been in full swing for weeks on end where I live! Winter is always the perfect time for cozy scarves, hats and mittens, and after blogging about the puff stitch cowl that I made for my sister, I really wanted to make myself a big chunky cowl that would help keep me warm!
There are many cowls out there using solely double crochets, but instead of using double crochets all throughout, I decided to incorporate some chain 1’s! This helped the cowl work up more quickly and also give it a looser feel. I had just finished crocheting many baby hats where I crocheted in the spaces of the previous row, and I loved the look of the staggered rows as well as how quickly the projects went by!
Knowing that I would be extremely busy after having a baby, I completed this cowl about a week before giving birth. Interestingly enough, I edited and added the instructional text to the step-by-step photos and typed out the pattern the day before I started having contractions! I’m so glad I prepped this post ahead of time- all we then had to do was take final shots and write the story behind this cowl!
I wanted to look for a soft yarn in a neutral colour so that my cowl would be able to match most of my jackets. I found this beautiful yarn called “Loops & Threads Cozy Wool” in the colour “Mushroom”!
Using the biggest crochet hook I own (10 mm), I made a series of chain stitches, trying to judge how big I wanted my cowl to be. I love crocheting with chunky yarn and a big crochet hook! It’s such a different feel from crocheting my small amigurumi with a 2 mm hook ;)
I joined the ends together with a slip stitch to form a circle. I decided to crochet in rounds rather than rows so I wouldn’t need to stitch the ends together at completion. Working in rounds also gives this cowl a more continuous look with no clearly visible seam :)
To bring the round to the appropriate height, you chain 4 and then continue double crocheting and chaining 1 all around.
Once you’ve repeated this pattern all the way around, slip stitch to the 3rd chain from the Chain 4 that you started with.
Now you’ve completed the first round!
Next you slip stitch into the space…
This gets you into the correct positioning so you’re ready to start Round 2!
You chain 4 once again to build the appropriate height…
And then continue on as you did with Round 1, double crocheting in the spaces and chaining 1 in between. Working in the spaces makes the project go by incredibly quickly!
I was able to crochet 9 complete rounds using 1 ball of yarn! You could definitely stop here if you wanted to use only one ball :)
I wanted my cowl to be bigger, so I used another half ball of yarn to add 4 more rounds. In total, my cowl was 13 rounds in height!
This close-up view of the staggered rounds of double crochet shows the beautiful, chunky texture!
Here is the official pattern to my “Chunky Double Crochet Cowl”!
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Materials:
- 10 mm crochet hook
- Super bulky yarn (6)- I used 1.5 skeins for my cowl
Chain 60. Join with slip stitch to first chain, being careful not to twist the chain.
Round 1: Chain 4 (first 3 chains counts as double crochet), *Skip 1, Dc, Ch 1* around, slip stitch to 3rd chain of initial Chain 4 (30 dc).
Round 2: Slip stitch into Ch 1 space. Chain 4. *Dc into next Ch 1 space, Ch1* around, slip stitch to 3rd chain of initial Ch 4 (30 dc).
Round 3-13: Repeat Round 2
Fasten off and weave in ends.
[IMPORTANT NOTE & UPDATE: I used “Chain 4“ since theoretically the first 3 chains counted as a double crochet and the 4th chain accounted for the “Chain 1”. However, this leaves a slightly larger than normal space at the seam compared to the other chain 1 spaces. If you would like to make the gap smaller and more inconspicuous, “Chain 3” wherever it says to “Chain 4” in the above pattern and “Slip stitch to 3rd chain of initial Ch 3” to finish off each round. Thank you to Karen for pointing this out- you can read her blog post about this HERE.]
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I love wearing my super soft Chunky Double Crochet Cowl! It’s always so special wearing items that you made yourself :)
[Gold oak leaf wrap ring by CoutuKitsch, Double Wrap Bracelet in Mint Green by Mikaylove]
You can adjust the look of this chunky cowl by altering the number of initial chains and rounds. If you want the cowl more fitted around your neck for extra warmth, chain less than 60 stitches. If you want the cowl to have a fuller look with more folds, add more rounds. Try adding big buttons for some beautiful detailing too! Another option is to crochet this cowl row by row (not going around in a circle) and use big buttons for closure- the chain 1 gaps between the double crochets would be perfect button holes!
I love wearing cowls with my hair up as I feel it helps accentuate the look of the cowl…that plus my hair tends to get “staticky” when it’s down as it rubs against the yarn ;)
Here’s a photo from my Instagram (@AllAboutAmi)!
We took some outdoor shots to show this cowl worn with a winter coat! It’s such a chic, warm winter accessory :)
One of the best parts about wearing scarves and cowls is being able to burrow your face for warmth- gotta prevent your nose from falling off when the temperature drops >.<
[Pink Dip-Back Striped Knit Top: Yesstyle, Jeggings: American Eagle, Green Parka: Aritzia]
Check out my other crocheted projects that will also help keep you warm this winter! From left to right there is the Puff Stitch Cowl, Urban Jungle Slouchy Beanie and the Knotted Headband.
I want to give a big thank you to baby Myla’s Uncle Corey for taking care of her while we took these photos :) This “Chunky Double Crochet Cowl” is a very quick and easy project, and it would make a great last-minute gift if you’re scrambling to find or make one! Cowls and infinity scarves are always so popular, and they instantly glam up any winter outfit! Let me know if you will be making this cowl this winter and send me pictures of your finished products through e-mail (all_about_ami@hotmail.com), Facebook, Twitter (@AllAboutAmi) or Instagram (@AllAboutAmi)! I would love to compile a blog post showcasing how you all style your cowls! Stay warm this winter, everyone :) Thanks for reading!
[UPDATE #1: Check out this blog post HERE to see these cowls I made in different colours!]
[UPDATE #2: My “Long Double Crochet Cowl” is a row-by-row adaptation. See the step-by-step tutorial and free pattern HERE.]
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Sneak peek of upcoming blog post & free pattern: Chunky Double Crochet Cowl
If you would like to work on this project right away and make it in time for Christmas, get your 10 mm crochet hook and 1-1.5 balls of super bulky yarn (category 6) ready!
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Yesterday Myla wore the “Crochet Baby Button Boots” that I made for her when I was pregnant! It was so sweet putting them on her and seeing her wear them for the first time :) I remember wondering what Myla would look like and what being a mama would feel like as I was crocheting them! It still feels surreal sometimes that she’s out now and growing so quickly! The boots fit perfectly- don’t her feet look so adorable in them? You can check out my step-by-step blog post HERE to see how I made them and access the free pattern HERE!
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As you all know, I LOVE going through Ravelry and seeing all the beautiful projects that people have designed or are working on. While I was searching for crocheted baby items, I absolutely fell in love with these “Crochet wrap around button infant boots” designed by Ashlee of I’m Topsy Turvy, and I was ecstatic that she was offering the baby and infant patterns for free! I really liked the gold yarn she used in her baby boots pattern, and it just so happened that I had plenty of gold yarn left over from the amigurumi Scarecrow that I designed last year for Halloween. And so, I began working on these adorable boots immediately! I decided to start with the infant pattern (0-3 months) because I wanted to make the smaller versions first :)
I started off by crocheting the sole of the boots. This reminded me of the Crochet Slippers I made a couple months ago, except of course these soles were much tinier!
Next I worked on the shoe part: the boots were starting to get some height!
After some decreases in the front, the result was a beautiful little shoe/slipper! I think I just might make some more of these in different colours and maybe add some flowers or straps!
But of course these gold ones were going to be boots! Next I crocheted the boot cuffs that would wrap around the other side…
For this pair I decided to go with the scalloped edging. This makes the boots look very lady-like, don’t they?
Since the boot cuffs need to wrap around opposite sides (i.e. you can’t crochet the right and left boots the same otherwise the boot cuffs would wrap around the same side), you’ll notice that one scalloped edge is the “right side” and one scalloped edge is the “wrong side”. When you start working on the boot cuff, the pattern states where to slip stitch to join the yarn back, but it does not explicitly state which direction you should crochet. To clarify, for the right boot you need to ”sl st in the 7th stitch from the seam” and crochet counter-clockwise while for the left boot you need to “sl st in the 11th stitch from the seam” and crochet clockwise.
And to finish off the boots I sewed on these little wooden buttons! I love picking buttons for crochet projects :) Buttons add such beautiful embellishment!
Ta-da! The finished product: my gold infant button boots with scalloped edging!
Since I loved the look of my finished infant boots so much, I wanted to try making a bigger version without the scalloped edge, so I used Ashlee’s baby boots pattern (closer to size 4 as stated in the pattern). However, I made some modifications to this pattern, including:
- adding three extra rows to the boot cuff to give the boots more height (1 row of sc, 1 row of dc and then 1 row of sc)
- I used very large buttons (don’t they remind you of Tory Burch?) so I had to make the button hole much larger. This involved leaving a gap that was 1 stitch wide and 2 rows in height. I had to cut off the yarn and rejoin at different locations in order to crochet around the hole. This also allowed me to have the “right side” of the last row facing outwards as I was crocheting around the edge.
The grey baby boot compared to the gold infant boot! These grey baby boots turned out larger than I expected, probably because the grey yarn I used was thicker than the gold yarn…
I thought it would be really cute to compare MY button Ugg boots with these baby ones I just crocheted! I really love my warm, comfy Uggs and I get a lot of wear out of them since it is very snowy and cold where we live in the winter! Now our baby can match me with these stylish crocheted button boots :) It looks like I have giant feet when you see these delicate little booties balancing carefully atop my boot!
If you are expecting or if you have friends who are expecting, give these beautiful boots a try! They are absolutely adorable, and I can’t wait to see our little one wearing these! Don’t forget to follow me on facebook, twitter and instagram (@AllAboutAmi) to get updates on my latest projects ^-^ Happy crocheting!
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Who can resist Snuggles the Penguin with his sweet face all bundled up in his removable scarf? Crochet your very own and he’ll make a great friend every season of the year!
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Let me give you the background story of how Snuggles the Penguin came to be! Back when we were researching cute images of dragons for Chinese New Year, we immediately fell in love with this adorable drawing:
I couldn’t find the source of this image, but I went ahead and crocheted my amigurumi Dragon based on it.
Luckily for me, an astute tumblr follower recognized the artist of the drawing and directed me to Kim Rountree of Oborocharms. I immediately tried to contact her, letting her know that I had made an amigurumi dragon based on the baby dragon she had drawn six years ago. Kim was very quick to get back to me, and she was incredibly gracious, stating that she absolutely loved him and my blog! We developed a friendship from there as we checked out each other’s work: Kim is a very talented artist who makes kawaii stuffies and beautiful charms! Check out her store here!
As we continued communicating with one another, we thought it’d be a great idea to do an art trade, particularly since both of us love everything cute and our mediums of art are so different. I had never participated in an art trade before, but I’m so thankful that my very first one was with Kim! And so, we sent each other some suggestions of items we wanted the other person to make. Kim sent me three images of charms she had designed, allowing me to choose which one I wanted to make into an amigurumi. After carefully examining and thinking about the logistics of making each one, we went with this cute penguin wrapped in a scarf:
It’s always a fun challenge turning an image/drawing into a 3-D amigurumi! I already had white and yellow yarn at home, but we went out to find the perfect blue colour for his body and reddish-pink yarn for his scarf. Then, we delved right into crocheting his head/body! I crocheted around a series of chain stitches to begin with an oval shape and expanded outwards. He kind of looks egg-shaped as he is more narrow at the top and wider at the bottom.
Before closing up his body, I crocheted this round white piece for his belly. We attached this white part onto his body and then attached his safety eyes as we wanted them to be halfway on the blue and halfway on the white (as in the picture). Attaching the white belly was tricky as it ruffled up along the bottom. We ended up attaching the majority of the white belly (along sides and top), attaching the eyes, stuffing the body, closing up the body, adding some stuffing between the body and the white belly, and then attaching the rest of the bottom of the belly.
Next I crocheted a small yellow beak and attached it halfway on the blue and halfway on the white belly (just like the safety eyes).
Then we cut out two circular pieces of pink felt and added them for the cheeks! What a sweet face :)
I loved the luxurious scarf that Kim had placed around her penguin charm, and it looked somewhat tube-like. Thus, I decided to crochet around a ring to give a thick, sturdy scarf: it also made changing colours easier as I could hide the ends in the tube and make sure the colour changes were on the side of the scarf not showing. I switched between red and white yarn every five rows.
We actually wrapped the scarf around Snuggles and sewed the overlapping parts together.
Then I crocheted some little wings for Snuggles the Penguin. Rather than stuffing the wings, I flattened the pieces and sewed the open ends together. We attached them onto the sides of his body under the striped scarf.
Here is how our Snuggles the Penguin turned out! Do you think he looks like the charm that Oborocharms made?
Here is a side view…
Ryan got creative with the fiberfill stuffing as he photographed Snuggles in the “snow”! As we mentioned in the sneak peek, don’t pick a snowball fight with a penguin, because you’ll lose from cuteness overload! Haha, whenever I think of snowball fights, the scenes from “Elf” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” always bring a smile to my face :D
It’s nice that Snuggles’ scarf is removable as he might get too hot with Spring around the corner. And the solid scarf still holds its shape when removed!
Next up are some close-up shots of Snuggles. I looove this next photo of Snuggles’ sweet face!
Here you can see Snuggles’ wing and how it is concave, curving upwards and out!
Snuggles’ beak is attached halfway on the blue and halfway on the white belly!
I don’t think Snuggles appreciates having his bottom photographed like this, but we had to do it… As mentioned above, attaching the white belly was a challenge as it curves downwards along his body. We had to attach a flat white piece to a round body, so it definitely was not perfect.
As you can see, there is some bunching at the bottom. Ryan ended up inserting some stuffing between the belly and the body to decrease the ruffled appearance.
Ryan also had some fun posing Snuggles creatively with his scarf! Doesn’t he look like a sushi chef here?
And with his scarf rotated, Snuggles looks like a little rebel with his bandana…
And those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that Snuggles is not the first penguin I’ve made! Back in May 2011 (almost a year ago!) I made this little penguin (free pattern linked to in blog post) that required switching between black and white yarn for the face that posed an interesting challenge. Snuggles is much bigger!
And just to give you more of an idea of Snuggles’ relative size, here’s a pic of me holding him!
It’s always a little sad parting with an amigurumi you’ve worked hard on, but I’m so happy that he’s joining Kim’s family of kawaii stuffies!
Since I had extra red yarn left, I thought it’d be special to make Kim a Knotted Headband so she could match with Snuggles! I know it doesn’t get very cold in California, but hopefully you’ll find some occasion to wear it, Kim!
Ryan and I had a lot of fun turning Kim’s penguin charm into an amigurumi! What do you think of Snuggles? ***The FREE pattern for Snuggles can be found HERE.*** I’m so excited that I got to participate in this art trade with Kim of Oborocharms, and I can’t wait to show you what she made for me! If you follow me on facebook and twitter, you probably already know, but I will be doing a full blog post on it too. Be sure to check out her shop as she has oodles of cute items (if you end up crocheting Snuggles, it’d be cute ordering a matching Penguin charm!). Thanks for everything, Kim, and I hope you like your amigurumi Snuggles :)
[UPDATE: Read about what Kim made for me for our art trade HERE!]
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Sneak peek of surprise amigurumi for art trade with Oborocharms: Snuggles the Penguin!
**Warning**: Never pick a snowball fight with a penguin….you’ll lose from cuteness overload ;)
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