Is it a collar? Is it a cowl? Or maybe a capelet?

Gosh! summer is over... They say time goes faster with age... they might be right about that! But the good news is, we'll start spending more time inside again, which means for me: more time to crochet. So I have come up with this new design which combines both, the lush colours and flowers of summer as well as the warmth we need when days turn colder again.

This is a really versatile design. You can make it short and tight in which case it serves as a collar or cowl. You could also decide to give it a bit more length and width to turn it into a capelet. And if you feel really adventurous, adding even more rows to the pattern could turn it into a full blown poncho as well!It is entirely up to you and can be any of the above. The pattern helps you make it to your own liking in terms of neck circumference, width and length.

I used 3ply/light fingering variegated yarn of Made by ME in double strands, a 3.5/E hook for the flowers and a 5.5/I hook for the cowl. You will need in total between 800 and 1000 meters / 875 to 1100 yards if you use double strands as I have done. Since you need relatively little of every colour this is a great way to use up the scraps you might have laying around.

Because some people find it difficult to choose and line up colours, I spent some time in the pattern explaining how to combine the colours for this design and added a colour wheel to help you align them once chosen. Variegated yarns will give you the blur effect as seen in the example here, while solid coloured yarns will give you a little more pronounced horizontal lines along the cowl.

Each body is different and standard sizes are sometimes just not fitting as we'd like. I therefore decided to help you figuring out your own size so you can customize it to your own liking. Because you will be starting with the neck, you will discover quickly whether you have put on enough stitches to fit your size. The width and height of the turtleneck is a matter of taste and you can make it fit just the way you prefer. The pattern gives you all possible options. Once you have the neck the way you want, the rest will follow naturally. I also provide explanations for child sizes and for women who are wide chested and usually have problems of fit in the bust zone.

The flowers are made separately, you might recognize them from my Ladies Ruffles Necklace design. They are simple to make and a photo tutorial explains how to attach the flowers to each other and to the cowl in a way that keeps your last row of stitches visible and the sewing invisible.

I really loved making this design and my testers made some really nice exemplars in different colours which you can all admire through their project pages on Ravelry. I hope you love making it too. Please do show me what you've made once finished, it's the best part of designing crochet! ;-) And if you need help while making it, you are welcome to ask for it below in the comments, contact me personally or come and find me on Ravelry or Facebook. These are places where we, crochet enthusiasts, help each other out.

There is a Pdf of the full pattern available on Etsy,  Ravelry, Love Crochet and Craftsy. I hope you will enjoy it!

Happy crochet,
Lili