Olca Cowl Crochet Pattern

Olca Cowl in Berroco Mykonos

What Is Being Made

The Olca Cowl is a crocheted neck accessory designed by Alison Green. This cowl is worked in one piece in the round, creating a continuous tube that measures approximately 52 inches around and 6 inches high. The finished cowl provides comfortable coverage for the neck and shoulders, making it an ideal layering piece for transitional weather.

Craft and Technique

This project is created using the crochet technique, classified as intermediate difficulty level. The cowl is constructed by working continuously in the round rather than in flat rows, which creates a seamless, tubular garment. The pattern begins with a foundation chain that is joined into a circle, then worked upward in subsequent rounds to build the height and structure of the cowl.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Olca Cowl employs several fundamental crochet stitches to create its decorative pattern:

• Double crochet (dc) forms the primary structure throughout the pattern
• Chain stitches (ch) create openwork spaces and lacy elements within the design
• Slip stitch (sl st) joins rounds together seamlessly

The stitch pattern features repeating motifs that include chain spaces and grouped double crochets. The pattern uses a combination of single double crochets separated by chain-1 spaces, alternating with decorative clusters of stitches that include chain-2 spaces. This creates an open, airy fabric with visual interest and texture. The repeating pattern unit measures 2 repeats of the pattern across 8 rows, which should measure 4 inches to achieve proper gauge.

Materials and Tools

This cowl is worked in Berroco Mykonos yarn, a specialty yarn from Berroco, Inc. The project requires 3 hanks of Berroco Mykonos in colorway #8544 Aura, with each hank weighing 50 grams. A 3.75 mm (F) crochet hook is used to work the pattern, though the instructions note that the hook size may be adjusted to obtain proper gauge. Checking gauge before beginning is recommended to ensure the finished cowl meets the specified measurements of 52 inches around by 6 inches high.

Pattern Notes

The pattern instructions emphasize the importance of obtaining correct gauge before starting the project. The Olca Cowl is part of Berroco's pattern collection and is available as a downloadable PDF. The pattern was copyrighted in 2016 and is part of Berroco Booklet #387.