I’ve noticed some industrious crafters in the Facebook crochet groups I follow have begun their holiday gift crocheting already – props to you guys because I usually don’t think about that until about November, and consequently never finish things in time!

Fortunately I picked up some super bulky yarn on clearance recently, which is great for whipping up a project at lightning speed, especially when you are working with a big booty hook and a simple design. Working with these parameters, I designed the Big Dumb Cowl as a free crochet pattern made with gifters in mind – and here it is!

It’s not actually dumb, I promise. It’s also not really that big. Maybe I should rename it.

Big Dumb Cowl

A simple chunky cowl worked short or tall and topped at both ends with picot stitches. Features sc, hdc, and dc worked in the round to eliminate icky row join seams. Instructions for the tall version appear in italics where differing.

Short version, finished

Materials:

Bernat Wool-Up Bulky (#6 Super Bulky, 170 g, 121 yds) – 1,2 skeins

OR

120-240 yds any Super Bulky yarn

11.5 hook

Stitch markers

Tapestry Needle

2-Ch-Picot Foundation Chain: (Ch 4, sl st in the back of the 3^rd ch from the hook) 20 times. – 40 ch sts with 20 picots. Join with a sl st to make a ring, making sure not to twist your chain. You will work the next round into the back of the chain stitches.

Rnd 1: Sc in the same st as sl st join. 1 sc in ea of the next 4 sts. 1 hdc in ea of the next 40 sts. Insert stitch marker in the last hdc made – this marked stitch is now considered the end of your round. Make sure to move it every time you finish a round so you don’t lose your place! The first 5 sc sts are there so that you can start working in continuous rounds without an abrupt height change.

After the completion of Rnd 1 (shown here without picots for clarity)

Rnd 2: 1 dc in ea of the next 40 sts.

Short Cowl: Rnds 3-7: Rpt Rnd 2.

Tall Cowl: Rnds 3-12: Rpt Rnd 2.

Rnd 8/13: 1 hdc in ea of the next 35 sts. 1 sc in ea of the next 5 (10) sts. Place marker in last sc made.

Rnd 9/14: (1 sc in the next st, 1 sc with 2-ch picot in the next st) 20 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc of the rnd.

Above is an illustration of my ch-2 picot method, which finishes the picot by inserting hook into the FLO and the side loop of the sc st, and then working a sl stitch. I think it looks neater than the traditional picot technique.

Cut yarn and tie off, weave in ends.

Here’s what the tall version looks like (scrunched down of course).

Ahhhh! Somebody stop me!

I made all of those yesterday! Speaking of working up quickly, I have more bulky & super bulky patterns for the lover of all things cozy:

Boho Fringe Poncho 

Gnome Toboggan

Woodsman’s Wife Ruana

What with all these great-looking fall patterns, perhaps you’d like to follow me on Facebook to stay up-to-date on new designs and deals? There might even be a sale going on right now, you know…

-MF