1 skein James C. Brett Marble Chunky, in MC41, 200g/312m
small amount of beige, cream, or light coloured yarn. Red Heart’s Supersaver, Aran Fleck is used in this project.
9.0mm tunisian hook with a long cable
8.0mm tunisian hook (a regular hook can be substituted)
6.0mm tunisian hook (a regular hook can be substituted)
measuring tape
stitch markers
darning needle
Please note:
This project involves a tunisian crochet technique called “Magic Loop Tunisian” for working in the round. My tutorial is photographs and is left-handed. At the bottom of that tutorial I have linked to a video tutorial made available by Jennifer Hanson/Stitch Diva at YouTube, where she demonstrates her technique, right-handed. I suggest watching it first. Of course, by the time you are done the cowl portion of this pattern, you will be able to do it in your sleep.
This project assumes that you have some knowledge of Tunisian crochet. It uses entrelac base triangles to make the ears as well as the Tunisian Simple Stitch (Tss) and the Tunisian Purl Stitch (Tps). If you are unsure of what these things are, visit my Sunrise Mandala post, where I show step-by-step how to make base triangles in Tunisian entrelac.
The cowl/hood portion are worked in the Honeycomb Stitch pattern. I chose this stitch pattern because of the drape that it produces with the larger hook and chunky yarn. There is also almost zero curl. The yarn itself is very soft. The stripes are not harsh and the honeycomb patterning softens them up further so that the colour changes are more subtle than stripey.
The hood and cowl uses the 9.0mm hook throughout. The other hooks are used at the very end to make the ears and the round of single crochet trim on the hood opening.
This project will use almost ALL of the one skein of chunky yarn. I had a tiny handful left over.
Gauge: 2.75 sts/inch
Gauge is not terribly important with this project. It is supposed to be drapey and loose.
Cowl:
Foundation row: Using the 9.0mm hook, chain 70. Flip the chain. Working in the back bumps and starting in the second chain from the hook, draw up a loop in each chain. 70 loops on hook. Join as per magic loop instructions and work standard return pass.
All other rounds/rows: Work in Honeycomb Stitch:
Row 1: Tps, *Tss, Tps* across, making sure to work Tss in last stitch.
Row 2: *Tss, Tps* across, making sure to work Tss in last stitch.
Work these two pattern rows for 8″.
Hood:
Next: You will stop joining and working in the round. From now on, proceed back and forth, in rows. Continue Honeycomb Stitch pattern.
Work in rows until hood measures 13″ in height from from cowl. Total height of project will be 21″. Bind off your work in pattern. Draw up a large loop to prevent unraveling and turn your work inside out. Replace loop on hook and work a slip stitch across using the inside portions of each stitch head. Cut yarn, weave in ends. Turn right side out.
Trim:
Using 6.0mm hook and beige yarn, work one round of single crochet around hood opening. Slip stitch round together, cut yarn and weave in ends.
Ears:
Make liberal use of stitch markers – the last thing you want are crooked ears 🙂
Put the cowl on either a display head or have someone sit for you. Using a tape measure and stitch markers, place the ears. Get them just how you like them. Using the centre seam as a guide, mine are placed 4″ up the centre seam and begin 1″ away on either side. You put yours where you think they look best.
The ears have 8 and 10 stitches in the triangle base. Each ear is made up of two triangles: a beige “inner ear” that is crocheted first with a 6.0mm hook and is 8 stitches wide at the base and a brown “outer ear” that is crocheted second with an 8.0mm hook and is 10 stitches wide at the base. The ears are worked with the wrong sides facing each other so that when they are crocheted together, the right sides are visible. The brown triangle will be eased around the beige triangle when they are joined together because it is bigger. This helps the ears look more like husky ears.
Once you have decided where to place your ears, mark the placement of each stitch with stitch markers. This is helpful because you will have trouble seeing each stitch in this yarn – it is dark and the stripes are subtle, which is why I chose it, but it can be frustrating to work “blind” like that. As you work your entrelac base triangles, remove the marker and set it aside as you pick up each stitch at the end of the row. When you make the brown ears, mark them a little bit wider than the inner ears.
Beige Inner Ear:
With the hood opening facing you, remove the first marker and yarn over your hook, drawing up a loop in this first stitch. Remove the second marker and draw up a loop in this stitch. Yarn over hook, draw through one loop, yarn over hook, draw through two loops. Pick up a stitch in the vertical bar just created and in the next marked stitch, discarding that marker. Three loops on hook. Work standard return pass. Pick up stitches in the two vertical bars created and in the next marked stitch, discarding that marker. Four loops on hook. Work standard return pass. Continue until all marked stitches have been picked up and there are 8 loops on the hook. Bind off, working last slip stitch into next stitch on hood surface. Fasten off, weave in ends, and work second inner ear.
Brown Outer Ear:
Turn the hood so that the wrong side of the inner ear is facing you. If you need to mark your stitches for the outer ear, do so. Start your outer ear a bit wider than the inner ear and stay close to the inner ear. Work as before, using the 8.0mm hook, making an entrelac base triangle of 10 stitches. Work the bind off, do not cut yarn. Turn. With right side of inner ear facing you, work single crochet through both halves of the ear, making extra stitches at the point to ease both halves together. Fasten off, weave in ends, and work second outer ear.
Give the ears a little pinch between your thumb and two fingers, to shape them a bit like husky ears and POOF!! Done!!
Copyright 2015 Nicole Cormier.
You can make and sell items using my patterns but you may not sell the patterns. The patterns are free and traffic helps keep this site going, so please credit and link back to my patterns, do not post the pattern.
So nice