*More fun* with leftovers: cowl and pillow cover

In the ever-present spirit of “weeding things out,” I give you two more of my creations that use yarn leftovers and scraps – my “Hugs and Kisses” pillow cover, and a squishy net-stitch infinity cowl. I hope to share patterns at some point, but for now, here are some general ideas:

For the pillow cover, I chose 5 different coordinating colors of leftover yarn (wool and blends) that could make a cover to fit an insert measuring 45cm square (18 inches):

I crocheted a granny square, starting with a 16-spoke circular motif, and radiated out from there. At about the fourth round, I squared the circle, and kept going until I made two, sewed together on three sides, and was able to wrap the pillow cover easily around a 45cm pillow form.

I used a contrasting yarn to connect the flaps to the center of the pillow, which gave it a nice homespun look. There was an uneven join in the center of the ‘X’ so I made a heart motif and stitched it in the center to camouflage the funny spot. I also added a button, just because. This is a quick project and can be made with any style of granny square or colors of yarn – all you need to do is measure for your pillow form correctly.

For the infinity cowl, I had just enough alpaca-blend yarn (found in Korea) to make two – a cranberry and a purple. This cowl uses an offset filet-crochet net stitch, which is worked entirely in double crochets and chains.

If you’ve never tried that stitch, you can find some wonderful tutorials on YouTube. The stitch is fun because it’s simple, fast-moving, and it creates a pretty pattern that is good for any type of scarf or cowl.

I started by deciding what width and length I would like my cowl to be, and I went from there. If you want to try it, here’s a quick guide: When you’ve settled on the width of your cowl, crochet an even number of stitches, plus 3. Then you will begin the foundation row by double-crocheting in the 5th chain from your hook. Next, chain 1; skip a chain; and double crochet in the next, until the end of the row. Turn, chain 4; skip 1 DC; DC in ch1 space; chain1; skip 1 DC and continue to end. DC should be under – not through – the turning chain. Turn and repeat until your desired length.

In my case, I made the length just long enough to tuck the cowl behind the lapels of my coat. When I finished crocheting as long as I needed, I didn’t fasten off yet – I continued to slip-stitch the ends together, crocheting through all loops evenly, and then fastened off.

More stash-busting ideas to come! I’ll be hauling out the holiday decorations this weekend. Hope to share some photos of that mess with you soon… Have a wonderful day!