Muriel Cowl in Rowan Big Wool - RTP003-0012-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Muriel Cowl in Rowan Big Wool by Emma Wright – Crochet Pattern Summary

The Muriel Cowl is a beautifully textured, oversized crocheted cowl designed by Emma Wright and published by Rowan as pattern reference RTP003-0012-DEP. This cosy accessory is worked in the round using Rowan Big Wool, a super-chunky yarn that delivers impressive warmth and visual impact with relatively few stitches. The finished cowl measures 36 cm in height and 110 cm in circumference, making it a generously proportioned piece that can be worn looped around the neck or pulled up over the chin for extra warmth.

What Is Being Made

The Muriel Cowl is a seamless, circular cowl worked entirely in the round. Its tube-like construction means there are no seams to sew up at the end, making finishing straightforward. The generous circumference allows the cowl to drape elegantly around the shoulders and neck, while the substantial height ensures excellent coverage. The sample shown in the pattern photography is crocheted in Golden Olive 088, one of Rowan Big Wool's rich, earthy colourways, which beautifully highlights the three-dimensional texture of the stitch pattern.

Techniques Used

• Crocheting in the round: The cowl is constructed as a continuous tube, with each round joined at the end before beginning the next. This in-the-round method eliminates seams and creates a smooth, even fabric.
• Basket stitch pattern: The main body of the cowl features a Körbchenmuster (basket stitch pattern), worked over a repeat of six rounds. This technique alternates groups of front post and back post stitches to create a woven, three-dimensional basket-weave effect on the surface of the fabric.
• Shaping with decreases: The pattern includes decrease rounds using front post double crochet two together and back post double crochet two together to reduce the stitch count from a wider body down to a narrower upper edge, giving the cowl a subtly shaped silhouette. The stitch count reduces to 66 stitches at the upper section.
• Foundation chain and joining: The cowl begins with a foundation chain that is joined into a ring, establishing the circular base from which all subsequent rounds are worked.
• Border and edging: An upper border is worked to finish the top edge neatly, maintaining the structural integrity and tidy appearance of the finished piece.

Stitches Used

• Front post double crochet (vRStb / FPdc): Worked by inserting the hook around the post of the stitch below from front to back, this stitch creates raised ridges on the right side of the fabric and is a key component of the basket stitch pattern.
• Back post double crochet (hRStb / BPdc): The counterpart to the front post stitch, worked by inserting the hook around the post from back to front. Alternating these two stitches in groups of four creates the characteristic woven basket texture.
• Front post double crochet two together (vRStb2zus / FPdc2tog): A decrease stitch that combines two front post double crochets into one, used in the shaping rounds.
• Back post double crochet two together (hRStb2zus / BPdc2tog): The equivalent decrease worked over back post stitches, paired with the FPdc2tog in the same shaping rounds.
• Half treble crochet (hStb): Referenced in the upper border section, adding a neat and slightly shorter stitch to the finishing rows.
• Chain stitch (Lfm): Used to form the foundation chain at the start of the pattern.

Materials

• Yarn: Rowan Big Wool, a super-chunky weight yarn sold in 100 g balls. The pattern sample is worked in Golden Olive 088. Big Wool is known for its thick, lofty construction that works up quickly and produces a sumptuously warm fabric ideal for accessories like cowls and scarves.