601 O'Quinn Cowl - Crochet Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Southwic

601 O'Quinn Cowl – Crochet Pattern by Sara Delaney Using Valley Yarns Southwick

The 601 O'Quinn Cowl is a beautifully designed crochet cowl pattern by Sara Delaney, published by Valley Yarns. This pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as a beginner-friendly project, making it an excellent choice for those who are new to colorwork crochet or looking for a satisfying, quick accessory to make. The finished cowl measures 30 inches in circumference and 9 inches deep, creating a comfortable, wearable accessory that sits beautifully around the neck.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a seamless, worked-in-the-round cowl for women. The O'Quinn Cowl is a short, structured cowl featuring a striking striped colorwork design worked in three colors. One of the most appealing qualities of this cowl is that its stitch pattern creates equal visual interest on both the right and wrong sides of the fabric, meaning it can be worn flipped either way. A crab stitch border is applied to both the top and bottom edges, giving the cowl a polished, structured finish that helps it hold its shape.

Construction Technique

The O'Quinn Cowl is worked bottom-up and in the round, beginning with a foundation chain that is joined seamlessly into a large round on the first row. This approach eliminates any seaming and results in a clean, professional finish. The construction uses locking ring stitch markers to track the beginning of each round, which is especially helpful when working a continuous spiral-style construction.

The stripe sequence is worked by alternating three colors every round in a repeating order throughout the body of the cowl. This simple but effective colorwork technique requires no complicated intarsia or stranding — each color is simply picked up at the start of its designated round, making it very accessible for beginners. The alternating stitch pattern creates a fabric that looks equally attractive from both sides, adding versatility to the finished piece.

Stitches Used

• Single crochet (sc) – used to establish the foundation round and to work the top edge
• Half double crochet (hdc) – used throughout the body of the cowl as part of the two-stitch repeating pattern
• Slip stitch (sl st) – alternated with the half double crochet in the main body pattern to create the distinctive textured fabric
• Reverse single crochet (rsc), also known as crab stitch – worked along both the top and bottom edges as a decorative and structural border; this stitch is worked by inserting the hook into the next stitch to the right rather than the left, creating a twisted, rope-like edging
• Chain (ch) – used in the foundation and at the start of edge rounds

The main body stitch pattern is a simple two-stitch repeat alternating half double crochet and slip stitch, which produces a dense, attractive fabric with a subtle texture. Because this pattern is so straightforward, it works up quickly and is easy to memorize after just a few rounds — ideal for beginner crocheters building their confidence with colorwork and in-the-round construction.

Yarn and Materials

The O'Quinn Cowl is designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Southwick, a worsted weight yarn with a luxurious fiber blend of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo, coming in 50g skeins with approximately 105 yards each. The pattern calls for one skein each of three colors:

• MC (Main Color) – color 22 Teal
• CC1 (Contrast Color 1) – color 03 Lake
• CC2 (Contrast Color 2) – color 24 Yellow

The cotton-bamboo blend of Valley Yarns Southwick gives the finished cowl a lovely drape and a subtle sheen, while also making it breathable and comfortable to wear against the skin. The combination of Pima Cotton and Bamboo produces a yarn that is soft, lightweight, and