The “Victorian Cameo Cowl” draws inspiration from the delicate carvings and subtle coloring of vintage cameos. The geometric band at the center, made with a simple double crochet mesh followed by a few rounds of linen stitch, is reminiscent of a beaded gold bezel in which a cameo might sit. A floral pattern of shell stitches and chains repeats outward, showcasing the gorgeous color changes in the gradient yarn. Finish with either a round of picots or a round of beaded chain stitches to give the cowl a refined edging. This elegant yet cozy cowl can be worn multiple ways: in a long single loop, wrapped over the shoulders, drawn up with a shawl pin as a stylish wrap, wrapped double around the neck, or as a hood.

It’s the quintessential twist of a Moebius or infinity cowl that makes it so easy to style and wear. There are many methods out there to achieve this twist, but the method used in this cowl might be one of the easiest. Here, a setup row of double crochet mesh provides an easy start. The Moebius twist is created by lining up the first and last double crochet stitches as if to work in the round normally, but then the first double crochet stitch is flipped upside-down and the two ends are joined. If that’s a little hard to picture, no problem! A detailed photo tutorial will help you along. With the twist in place, each round that follows will take you around the top and bottom sides of the cowl. By working both sides in each round, you can easily modify the cowl’s width.

Skill Level
Intermediate

Skills Used
working in the round, crocheting shells into chain spaces, and working beaded stitches or picots

Finished Measurements
64 inches (162.5 cm) in circumference x 18 inches (46 cm) wide

Materials
• Scheepjes Whirl super fine (fingering) weight cotton/acrylic yarn (8 oz/1094 yds/215g per cake): 1 cake #757 Strawberries & Scream
• Size E/4/3.5mm crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge
• Locking stitch marker (optional)
• Miyuki Round Seed Beads 6/0 Matte Transparent Orange #6-9138FR: 216 (optional)
• Tapestry needle

Gauge
In Lace patt: (Sc, ch 2, shell, ch 2) 2 times and 10 rows = 3 inches (7.6 cm)

THIS PATTERN INCLUDES
• Photos of finished project and close-up photos of stitches.
• Detailed photo tutorial for steps to achieve Moebius twist.
• Instructions for two optional edgings: a picot edging and a simple beaded chain edging.
• List of abbreviations used.
• Crochet stitch chart.
• An additional text only version.

Stitches Used
Ch, sc, dc, tr, shell, picot (optional), beaded chain (optional)

Pattern written in US crochet terms.

This pattern was tested by Debbie Field, Lee Smith, Jane Dixon, and Stephanie House.

Technical editing by Randy Cavaliere