Perfectly Puzzled Cowl – Chinese Puzzle Stitch
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Here’s how it works.
Perfectly Puzzled Cowl
Stashbuster Project!! I am slowly working through my stashed yarn! I had 2 balls of James C Brett Marble DK Yarn stashed away – I loved the colors and couldn’t pass it by at the store. It sat there all lonely-like (with all my other stashed yarn lol) in my large bin… just waiting for me to remember how lovely it was! It really is a lovely yarn but if you don’t have any in your stash – no need to worry because you can substitute another DK weight or Light weight yarn and make this very same cowl. If you want to use medium weight – go for it but be sure to go up to the hook size recommended for the yarn you are using!
If you substitute yarn/hook you may need to recalculate the starting chain if you want to have the same sized cowl – so crochet a chain that is approximately 28 inches long then check to see the number of chain stitches you have can be divided by 7. Once you have the magic number (something you can divide by 7) and are close to the length you want (i.e. 28 inches) chain 4 extra chains and begin the instructions for the cowl. Easy peasy right? Have fun! ♥ Rhondda
Supplies
- Yarn: James C Brett Marble DK (100g; 240m/262yds) 100% Acrylic Yarn (I used 114 g; 299 y)
- Hook: 5 mm (H) Furls Blackwood Crochet Hook
- Scissors, Yarn Needle, Stitch Marker (optional)
Difficulty Level
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Size
28 inches long by 8 inches wide
Gauge
(5 dc in the next ch, skip the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1) 3 times; 5 dc in the next ch = 6 inches
10 rows = 4 inches
Abbreviations
US Terminology used
ch – chain
dc – double crochet
dc5tog – double crochet 5 together
FPdc2tog – Front Post double crochet 2 together
FPdc5tog – Front Post double crochet 5 together
R – row/round
rem – remaining
rep – repeat
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st/sts – stitch/stitches
* – Repeat the instructions between the asterisks the number of times indicated. This repeat will contain of multiple instructions.
() – Repeat the instructions between the parentheses the number of times indicated.
[] – at the end of the row – the total number of stitches
Helpful Photo Tutorials
Chinese Puzzle Stitch Afghan Square Tutorial
Video Tutorial
Stitch Multiple: Chain a multiple of 7 +4
Special Stitches:
dc5tog – double crochet five stitches together – this stitch is worked over 5 sts – * yarn over the hook, insert your hook into the next st; yarn over the hoook and pull up 1 loop; yarn over the hook and pull the hook through 2 of the loops on the hook* repeat from * to * 4 more times; yarn over the hook and draw through all 6 loops on the hook
FPdc2tog – front post double crochet 2 together – this stitch is worked over 2 sts – * yarn over the hook, insert the hook from front to back, to front, around the post of the next dc, yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop, yarn over the hook and draw through 2 of the loops on the hook * repeat from * to * 1 more time; yarn over the hook and draw through all 3 remaining loops on the hook
FPdc5tog – front post double crochet 5 together – this stitch is worked over 5 sts – * yarn over the hook, insert the hook from front to back, to front, around the post of the next dc, yarn over the hook and pull up 1 loop, yarn over the hook and draw through 2 of the loops on the hook * repeat from * to * 4 more times; yarn over the hook and draw through all 6 remaining loops on the hook
Notes
This pretty cowl is worked in rows and then seamed along the side edges of the project to form the finished shape.
Pattern Instructions
R1 (RS): Ch 109; 2 dc in the 4th ch from the hook (the skipped 3 chs count as 1 dc st), dc5tog, ch 1, * skip the next ch, 5 dc in the next ch , dc5tog, ch 1 *. Repeat from * to * to the last 2 chs; skip the next ch, 3 dc in the last ch. [15 dc5tog; 14 sets of 5 dc; 2 sets of 3 dc; 15 ch1sp]
R2: Ch 3 (the ch 3 counts as 1 dc st), turn; FPdc2tog, ch 1, work 5 dc in the next ch, * skip the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1, work 5 dc in the next ch*. Repeat from * to * across to the last 4 sts. Skip the next decrease, FPdc2tog then work 1 dc in the last dc of the row. [2 FPdc2tog, 14 FPdc5tog, 15 sets of 5 dc, 15 ch1sp]
R3: Ch 3 (the ch 3 counts as 1 dc st), turn; 2 dc in the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1, *5 dc in the next ch, skip the next decrease, work FPdc5tog, ch 1 *. Repeat from * to * across to the last 2 sts. Work 2 dc in the next decrease and 1 dc in the last dc. [15 FPdc5tog, 14 sets of 5 dc; 2 sets of 3 dc, 15 ch1sp]
Repeat R2 and R3: 8 more times, finish off leaving a 12 inch tail of yarn for seaming purposes.
Finishing
Bring the side edges of your project together to form a circular shape. Using a yarn needle, weave the yarn end through the side edges using a whip stitch seaming technique to seam your project together. Weave in any remaining ends.
