Hooded scarves have become a huge trend this year. You could see them literally everywhere: on the shelves in the stores, on the pages of the fashion bloggers, and of course among the new releases from indie designers. Hooded scarves have become popular mostly in the knitting world, and I thought it would be nice to design something similar in crochet, too.
Browsing Pinterest, I have seen many different shapes and styles of the hooded scarves, but I especially liked the Sophie Hood from Petiteknit (a modern knit designer based in Denmark).
I loved the simplicity of the shape and decided to take it as a template. With a totally different construction, though. And my Como Hooded Scarf is fully adjustable for the length and depth as-you-go.
You can find the pattern for the Como Hooded Scarf on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE.
And if you are curious about the name, it was inspired by the short walk along the Como Lake in Italy. We took a train there from Milano, where we spent a few days together with my girlfriends.
I honestly think the idea of the hooded scarf is ingenious. As the same accessory works as a scarf and as a hood/hat at the same time. To me, this is a must-have in any wardrobe.
The pattern was designed with DK weight yarn in mind and with a specific gauge. However, if you have finer yarn in stash, you can still use it for the scarf, with small adjustments in the very beginning.
The Como scarf is worked from tip to tip starting at the center back, and the tips are shaped with every new row. By working more or fewer rows, you can adjust easily adjust the length and the depth of the hood, customizing it according to your needs.
And if you are not happy with making your own adjustments, you can keep on with the pattern instructions, which come in 3 sizes.
It would be safe to say that this pattern is completely beginner-friendly, and with a video tutorial support everyone with basic knowledge of crochet will be able to follow the instructions. The best result is guaranteed!
For my two samples in sizes 1 and 2, I used freshly released Woolwise yarn by Scheepjes, which is 100% recycled super wash merino wool and comes in 100g balls with 200 meters.
To achieve the gauge needed, I opted for a slightly bigger hook that was recommended by the producer, with the aim of a more relaxed drape.
The crochet fabric becomes even softer after the blocking.
Esther Schippers helped me with testing and made the largest version of the Como Hooded Scarf, also with Woolwise yarn. Look at how snuggly it is.
Grab your own copy of the Como Hooded Scarf on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE.
Hope you enjoy!
Welcome to the first blog post of the year 2025. Do you make resolutions at the end of the year? I used to promise myself to start or quit doing something on January 1st, but well… We do not change overnight and in fact, we stay the same person in the morning, after the New Year's champagne is finished, and fireworks are silent. So no, I have not made any resolutions for this year. Except for a wish to crochet a lot.
And I crocheted a lot in January. So much, that I have two new designs to show you!
First, I would like to thank everyone who joined me for the Gift Mystery make-a-long last December. I was happy to see your cute small projects, and I was also happy to hear you learned some new crochet techniques.
One of them was the short rows. In the past, I already created a few designs with the short rows (check out Astrid Shawl, Hygge Neck Warmer, Ebba Neck Warmer, City Neck Warmer, For Them Sweater, Early Waves Cowl and Seeds Collection).
I knew that some of you were a little overwhelmed with the intricacy of these stitch patterns.
To help you overcome the fear of the short rows, I designed a Gift Coaster, which has become a huge success. The pattern for the Gift Coaster included a heavy support with photo and video tutorials, and I know that it helped you to feel more confident with the technique.
After the make-a-long, I have received a lot of requests for more patterns with short rows, and I heard you! Please, let me introduce a brand-new Shelly collection!
The Shelly Scarf (find it on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE) and Shelly Square (find it on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE) are available as stand-alone patterns and can be also purchased together as a collection at a reduced price.
It all started with an idea of creating seamless design with textured shells. You can probably find shell patterns out there, but most of them are cut-and-join, while I was trying to come up with an infinity stitch which does not require cutting yarn after every motif. And well, it was possible!
First, I created a Shelly Scarf – a long, textured beauty which is at the same time fully adjustable for length and width. The gauge is not important here, and you can choose any yarn you like (Sport/DK weight is recommended).
The scarf was designed as a parallelogram, but you can easily turn it into a triangular shawl, if you wish.
The construction of the Shelly Scarf is a unique one, and it probably differs from what you have seen before. The pattern is written in macro-rows, each consisting of several motifs (full shells and half-shells).
That might sound scary, but do not worry. The pattern includes full support with video and photo-tutorials. And once you memorize instructions for separate motifs, the crochet will be almost mindless. And hopefully you can continue crocheting the scarf watching your favourite TV series.
My first sample was done with Scheepjes Whirlette and Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm yarns held together. I opted for a larger hook, and I just love the warmth, fluffiness and the drape.
If you cannot wear wool, you can choose cotton-blend yarns. Another sample was crocheted with Scheepjes Stone Washed yarn, which is a blend of cotton and acrylic.
If you follow the gauge in the pattern, your scarf will become softer and even more drapey after the blocking.
Esther Schippers, who helped me with the testing, made Shelly Scarf with Scheepjes Whirl and Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm held together. Her gauge was a little bit tighter, and the scarf turned out a little smaller than mine, but still with a generous length.
For one Whirl cake you will need 5 balls of the Scheepjes Mohair Rhythm yarn. Find Scheepjes yarns in your local Scheepjes shop or buy via online retailers: Caro’s Atelier (NL and Europe), Wool Warehouse (UK with worldwide shipping), Taemombo (US and Canada).
The Shelly Scarf works in rows, and I was wondering if it was possible to use the same stitch pattern but working in the rounds. And this is how my Shelly Square was brought to life.
This is a continuous infinity stitch pattern which can be grown to any size at all. You just need to continue with the same macro-rounds until you are happy with the measurements. And create either a cushion, or a blanket. Or maybe a bag?
I made two samples of Shelly Square and turned both into pillows by stitching the crochet pieces onto the ready-fabric pillowcase by hand.
You can either go for a chic minimalist look with the chunky yarn in one color (I used Scheepjes Chunky Monkey yarn).
Or move off-the-grid with the variegated yarn. Here is my sample with the Stone Washed Minerals yarn. Is anyone in need of some unicorns?
Find Shelly Scarf of Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE.
Find Shelly Square on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE.
Welcome to the next clue of the Gift Mystery make-a-long. If this is the first time you hear about the MAL, please read all the information in the previous blog post (and yes, it is still possible to join). In the past two weeks we were making the Gift Coaster and Gift Bauble, and I hope you had fun with these small, cute patterns. And today I am excited about the next mystery pattern – a Gift Mandala.
If you joined our MALs in the past years, you probably recognize the style, as we are always making round motifs in the overlay crochet technique.
This year, I could not help myself and designed another mandala, and you can use it either as a coaster (to make a company to a Gift Coaster) or make more motifs and assembly them into a garland. And I really hope you will take the challenge and will make a full garland!
Overlay crochet technique is amazing in so many ways. It literally allows you to draw with the yarn. And what is the most fascinating about this way of crochet is that the mandala changes with every new round added.
And whatever round you stop with, the motif will look beautiful!
I’ve made a bunch of the Gift Mandalas in three sizes (with 8, 11 and 13 rounds). I plan to use the biggest as a set of coasters for the holiday table setting, and the rest of the motifs were joined in one long and festive garland.
It may take a little time to get a full dive into the technique, as some methods might be new to you (for example, an invisible needle join or beginning the round with a chain instead of a stitch). But once you master it and feel confident, you will open the door to a whole new world of the overlay crochet mandalas.
And who knows, maybe you will dare to design one yourself in the future. And if not, there are still lots of beautiful patterns to try our hand on.
For one mandala, you will need tiny amounts of yarn in three colors, and you can also mix the brands and yarn composition. For example, for my mandalas I used Scheepjes Catona, Bamboo Soft and Organicon yarns.
Some of them are finer, some are thicker. The mandalas turned out to be in slightly different sizes. But anyway, the garland worked just beautifully in the end. So… You can either dive into your stash and use up all the loose yarn tails you have there. Or you can purchase yarn in three colors and change the order of the colors for every new mandala.
And here is the magic! Even if you use the same colors with the same pattern, with a different color placement the mandalas will not look the same!
I hope you got as excited about the Gift Mandala pattern as I am! So please, go to your Ravelry library and refresh it to get instructions (you will receive two pdf files).
And if you do not own the Gift mystery make-a-long ebook yet, you can grab it HERE.
See you next week for the last clue.
Can’t wait!
Hello and welcome to the second week of the Gift Mystery make-a-long. I can’t thank you enough for the warm welcome to the Gift Coaster revealed last week. I love seeing all the cute little coasters popping up in my social feeds. And I love how creative you are with picking the colors and yarns for this pattern.
This week we are making a Gift Bauble. Because what a winter holiday make-a-long can be without a bauble, right?
I chose an overlay crochet technique for this pattern, and you will have a chance to practice picots a lot! First, I used this textured stitch pattern for the cuffs of my Lola Cardigan, and since then I had this strong feeling to create something else fully covered with the picots.
The Gift Bauble pattern comes with complete written instructions with step-by-step pictures to show the placement of all the stitches, and I have also recorded a video tutorial where I explain the basics of the overlay crochet.
Good news is that you do not have to cut yarn after every round, but you will bring it up to the next rounds on the wrong side. And even if you use more colors and cut the yarn, all ends will be hidden inside the bauble, and you will not have to weave in tails.
I used 4 colors for my baubles, each in a tiny amount. But you can pick more colors, if you like, or even crochet the Gift Bauble in one color only.
This is on my to-do list as well. I am going to join you in this make-a-long and crochet a bauble or two in just one color.
As I have already mentioned, the Gift Bauble crochet pattern is a part of a Gift Mystery make-a-long. If you have not joined it yet, you can grab an ebook from Ravelry HERE.
The make-a-long is a mystery, it means new patterns will be revealed one by one and will be added to your Ravelry library on a weekly basis (always on Wednesdays). Altogether there will be 4 patterns. And the first pattern, Gift Coaster, was published last week.
And if you own a copy of the ebook already, please refresh your Ravelry library and get the pattern.
Hope you enjoy! And see you next week.
Today we begin with the Gift Mystery make-along! The first pattern we will be making together is a Gift Coaster – a small textured mandala which will work perfectly as a coaster.
While preparing the first pattern for publishing, I suddenly realized that the year 2024 is the 10th anniversary year of being a crochet designer for me. And this year’s mystery make-a-long is the 5th in a row already! Feels like a double reason to celebrate.
The Gift Coaster is a very simple pattern to follow. It uses only basic crochet stitches and with short rows it creates fabulous texture.
The pattern comes in one size, but you can make it larger by choosing thicker yarn and bigger hook. With worsted or Aran weight of yarn, the Gift Coaster will become a wonderfully sized trivet or potholder.
The pattern comes with full written instructions (in English language with US terms), a photo-tutorial and a video explaining the technique and all tricky stitches. I am safe to say you are fully equipped to create a beautiful Gift Coaster of your own.
If you have not joined the Gift Mystery make-a-long yet, you can grab an ebook from Ravelry HERE. The make-a-long is a mystery, it means new patterns will be revealed one by one, and will be added to your Ravelry library on a weekly basis (always on Wednesdays).
Altogether there will be 4 patterns.
And if you own a copy of the ebook already, please refresh your Ravelry library and get the pattern.
Hope you enjoy!
And see you next week.
