I love mini sets, and I love yarn from The Frosted Stitch. When she took some of her most iconic colors and created minis to go with the main color, I was so inspired! These “Deconstructed” sets are gorgeous, and I knew I had to design something in them to showcase their beauty.
The nice thing is that even if you don’t have one of these sets, you can use minis or leftover scraps with make this! It barely uses any yarn and is a quick make! If you like the sets, Christa will have some available here on her website for a limited time here!
I designed this cowl in two ways – the first is a fade, and the second is a striped version. The pattern below describes the fade version, but there is table at the end of the page that takes you through the striped version.
This cowl uses the Tunisian Top Bar Stitch, which creates the most fantastic drape. As always, there is a video tutorial to help guide you through the tricky parts and to show you exactly what this stitch is:
I used lovely and lightweight buttons from Tinker’s Hollow. You can check out their website here – these buttons were gorgeous and so easy to apply! And even though they are oversized, they are so incredibly light that they don’t make the cowl heavy at all! Check out their website here!
And if buttons worry you, watch this quick reel on Instagram on how to attach them:
The testers for this pattern were amazing – check out my IG page for more and to see thier versions. One of the testers also made a fade and striped version with Coastal from the Frosted Stitch. Here’s Sara’s lovely photo:
Here’s the pattern and I hope you enjoy!
What you’ll need:
- 6 different colors of fingering weight yarn.
- Main Color (C1): 280 yards
- C2 – C6: 40 yards each
- 6.5 mm (K-10.5) Tunisian Crochet Hook with 16 to 22” cable and stopper
- Buttons – see below “Button notes”
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch Markers (optional)
Yarn Notes: I used two of the deconstructed sets from The Frosted Stitch. The set with solid stripes is Ice Cream Sundae Deconstructed, and the fade version is Renaissance Deconstructed. These sets came with one main color and 5 minis, all in her Snowflake Sock Base (75% SW Merino and 25% Nylon) and measured at 463 yards/100 grams. The full skein was 100g and the minis were 20g each.
Button notes: I recommend using 4- 1.5” buttons. I used 4 from Tinker’s Hollow. If you use other sizes, you will need to adjust the last row both in terms of the repeats and the chain length for the button hole.
Final Measurements:
11” tall by 21.5” wide laying flat
Abbreviations:
BLO – Back loop only
C1-C6 – Colors 1 through 6
Ch – Chain
Dc – Double crochet
Lts – Last Tunisian stitch
Ltr – Last Tunisian Treble stitch
RetP – standard Tunisian return pass
RS – Right side
St(s) – Stitch(es)
Tbs – Tunisian top bar stitch
TbsBO – Tunisian top bar Bind Off
Tks – Tunisian knit stitch
TksBO – Tunisian knit stitch Bind Off
WS – Wrong side
YO – Yarn over
Stitch Dictionary:
- Last Tunisian Stitch (Lts) – Insert hook under both of the vertical bars of the last stitch instead of the front bar, then Tbs or Tks as normal.
- Return Pass (RetP) – YO and pull through first loop. *YO and pull through next two loops*. Repeat * to * until 1 loop remains on hook.
- Tunisian Top Bar Stitch (Tbs): Insert hook into top horizontal bar of next stitch. YO and pull through. Leave loop on hook and move on to next st.
- Tunisian Top Bar Stitch Bind off (TbsBO) – Insert hook into the horizontal bar of the next st. *YO, and pull through, then pull through previous loop on hook*. Repeat * to * across the row until the last st. At the last st, insert hook under both of the vertical bars of the last stitch, YO and pull through both loops. Fasten off.
- Tunisian Knit Stitch (Tks): Insert hook between front vertical bar and back vertical bar of next st. YO and pull though. Leave loop on hook and move on to next st.
- Tks BO: Insert hook as for Tks. *YO, and pull through, then pull second st through first st on hook*. Repeat * to * across the row until the last st. At the last st, insert hook under both of the vertical bars of the last stitch, YO and pull through both loops. Fasten off.
Gauge:
4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm) Square = 17 sts x 13 rows
Gauge is measured after blocking
To make a gauge square:
Holding two strands of C1 together:
Row 1: Ch 20. Working in the back bumps, pick up a st in the 2nd ch from the hook. Pick up a st in the remaining sts. RetP. (20 sts)
Row 2: Tbs in each st across until the last st. Lts in the last st. RetP. (20 sts)
Rows 3 to 14: Repeat Row 2. (20 sts)
Row 15: TbsBO. Fasten off, block, and measure gauge.
Pattern notes:
- This pattern is made using 2 strands of fingering weight held together.
- You will always be holding C1 as one of the strands throughout the pattern.
- You can either separate C1 into two balls/cakes or you can use the center pull and outside pull on the same cake.
- Color changes always occur on the left side, at the RetP.
- On the color changing rows, you will always be holding C1 with the new color.
- The live loop on the hook acts as the first Tbs or Tks – always begin with the second loop except on the borders. It also counts as a stitch.
- The last st always ends with a Lts, and counts as a st. The Lts is done through the two vertical bars at the very end of the row.
- The 2nd to last st of the row is after the vertical bar of the stitch.
- The Main body has 80 sts in each row.
- The Edges have 39 sts in each row.
- For the second edge, you will work in the BLO. This ensures there is no gap along the edge.
- The pattern will follow the fade. For the striped version, refer to the table on the last page.
- For the buttons, a ch 7 works for 1.5” buttons. For other sizes, you will need to adjust the chain length to match.
- With larger buttons, the cowl may separate a bit when wearing.
- If you prefer not to use buttons, I recommend repeating the instructions for Border 1 on the other side, then seam the two ends together.
- The pattern is worked bottom up, as a flat piece. Therefore C6 will be at the top of the cowl.
- I recommend waiting until after blocking to weave in your ends.
Pattern:
Main Body
Begin by holding 2 strands of C1.
Row 1: Ch 80. Working in the back bumps, pick up a st in the 2nd ch from the hook. Pick up a st in the remaining sts. RetP.
Row 2: Tbs in each st across until the last st. Lts in the last st. RetP.
Row 3: Repeat Row 2.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2, dropping one strand of C1, and changing to C2. Fasten off the dropped strand of C1 only.
Rows 5 – 9: Repeat Row 2.
Row 10: Repeat Row 2, dropping C2, and changing to C3. Fasten off C2.
Rows 11 – 15: Repeat Row 2.
Row 16: Repeat Row 2, dropping C3, and changing to C4. Fasten off C3.
Rows 17 – 21: Repeat Row 2.
Row 22: Repeat Row 2, dropping C4, and changing to C5. Fasten off C4.
Rows 23 – 27: Repeat Row 2.
Row 28: Repeat Row 2, dropping C5, and changing to C6. Fasten off C5.
Rows 29 – 33: Repeat Row 2.
Row 34: Repeat Row 2, dropping C6, and changing to C1. Fasten off C6.
Rows 35 – 37: Repeat Row 2.
Row 38: TbsBO. Do not bind off.
Border 1:
Turn your work 90 degrees to the left. You will continue to work with 2 strands of C1.
Row 1: Working into the edge and into both loops of the edge st, pick up a stitch with the first st, then pick up a stitch in each Lts down the edge, RetP. (39 sts)
Row 2: Tks in each st across. RetP. (39 sts)
Rows 3 – 6: Repeat Row 2.
Row 7: TksBO. Fasten off.
Border 2:
Turn your work 180 degrees, keeping the RS up. You are now working on the opposite edge. You will continue to work with 2 strands of C1.
Row 1: Attach yarn at right corner. Pick up a stitch in the BLO of each edge st. RetP. (39 sts)
Row 2: Tks in each st across. RetP. (39 sts)
Row 3: Repeat Row 2.
Row 4: Special bind off for button loops:
At this point, plan your bind off depending on your button size and amount. To create evenly spaced buttons, we will calculate as follows: The border is 39 stitches long and we will place the first button 3 stitches in from the edge. To calculate your button spacing, take the remaining stitches (36 sts) and divide it by the number of buttons you have to get the number of sts between each button loop. In the instructions below, the pattern assumes 4 buttons, which results in 9 sts between button loops. For the chains, I recommend testing the chs as you go to make sure you have the correct height for your button size.
TksBO in the first 3 sts, then ch 7. *Sk the next st, TksBO in the next 9 sts, ch 7.* Repeat * to * 2 more times. Sk the next st, TksBO the remaining sts.
Fasten off and Block!
I recommend adding your buttons after blocking. For a quick video on how to attach buttons, check out out this video on YouTube or this one on Instagram!
You are done with the Layer Cake Cowl!
Final Notes:
It is very important to block this piece. This will open up the pattern and really showcase the texture. I recommend soaking the cowl in cool water for 20 minutes in a non-wash rinse such as Eucalan or Soak. Do not wring or twist the cowl, but instead roll it in a towel to get rid of any excess water. I also strongly recommend using a blocking board and pins. If you wait to weave in your ends until after blocking, you will have less pucker or pull in the cowl.
I hope you enjoyed making the Layer Cake Cowl. Please tag me @thecraftycrochetier and #layercakecowl on Instagram – I’d love to see your finished work!
You are welcome to use the results of this pattern in social media, but please give credit to The Crafty Crochetier. You may sell the results of this pattern, but please give credit to The Crafty Crochetier. You may not copy this pattern for your own website or sell the pattern itself.
Table key: Forward Pass/Return Pass
Fade Version Striped Version
