Free Granny Square Cowl Crochet Pattern
Carmen Granny Square Cowl crochet pattern
Carmen Granny Square Cowl is a crochet cowl made with 12 granny squares, joined together, and then edged with ribbing on top and bottom. It’s a cozy, trendy accessory that you’ll love making and wearing! Each square begins with three rounds in a single color, and then the last round is crocheted in a neutral color.
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Table of Contents
Features of this granny square cowl
This granny square crochet cowl is about 14 inches wide x 32 inches around. It uses 12 granny squares, each of which begins with three rounds in a single color, and then a fourth round in a neutral color. Having only one color change in each square means lots fewer ends to weave in as opposed to changing colors every round.
It uses worsted weight yarn in five colors, one of which is a neutral. I used about 245 yds of the neutral, and 45 yds each of the four colors used for the centers of the squares. The yarn I used was Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice, but admittedly, this yarn is not very soft.
We Crochet Brava is also a worsted weight acrylic, but it is much softer and has similar colors to those I used for my cowl.
This granny square cowl makes a great stash buster project! You could use a different color for the center of each square. Each square takes about 13 yds of the color in the center. Or you could do just two squares with each color.
I used a size 7 mm crochet hook for the squares and edging. In my Furl’s crochet hooks, that 7 mm hook is labeled as an L, but many L hooks are actually 8 mm, so there’s some disagreement on this. If you don’t have a 7 mm crochet hook, you can move up or down a hook size and your cowl size might be slightly smaller or larger than mine, but that should be fine.
I went up one hook size to join the squares, so this hook was 8 mm and labeled as an M hook, but some M hooks are also labeled as 9 mm, so again, disagreement on hook sizes. This is not uncommon in these larger hook sizes.
Granny Fest Blog Hop & CAL
This granny square cowl pattern is featured in Granny Fest 2025 blog hop and crochet along! This fun event features 18 granny stitch and granny square projects. One will be featured each day starting on January 15, 2025 and going through February 1.
The crochet along, or CAL continues through February 14 with participants gathering in the Granny Fest Facebook group to share their projects, meet friends, chat, and meet the designers.
If you would like to participate in Granny Fest, the first step is to visit the event roundup. Choose a granny stitch or granny square project from the 18 featured patterns.
Then, join the Granny Fest Facebook group and start chatting and sharing!
If you want to crochet this granny square cowl for your Granny Fest project, the free pattern is available below when you sign in with your email address. If you prefer ad-free, you can purchase the pdf in one of my shops. With the code GRANNYFEST you can get the pattern at 30% off through 2/14!
The Classic Granny Square Crochet Pattern Collection
This granny square crochet cowl pattern is part of the Classic Granny Square Crochet Pattern Collection, a group of six crochet patterns that all use traditional granny squares to make beautiful crochet projects that you and your family will love!
Each of the six crochet patterns in the Classic Granny Square Crochet Pattern Collection is, or will be, available free, ad-supported here on my website. You can also purchase each crochet pattern in the collection individually in my Etsy or Ravelry shop.
Or you can purchase the entire collection and get all six granny square crochet patterns at a great discount!
If you decide to use the free version, please bookmark this page and come back to it when you work on your project rather than trying to print or screenshot the page. Your time on this page helps me get paid for my work, so thank you!
If you prefer an ad-free option, you can purchase an inexpensive PDF of this pattern. It’s available both as an individual pattern, or as part of my Classic Granny Square Crochet Pattern Collection in both my Etsy and Ravelry shops.
Or find the free, ad-supported versions of the other crochet patterns in the Classic Granny Square Collection at the links below.
Kingfisher Granny Square Blanket
Carmen Granny Square Cowl, a granny square cowl crochet pattern
By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio
(C)2024 April Garwood. As with all my patterns, please do not make paper or digital copies for others. Instead, please direct them to my website to get their own. Thank you!
Difficulty Level: Easy
Finished Measurements: 14 inches wide x 32 inches around
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice (100% Acrylic; 170 yds; 100 g; yarn weight category 4/Medium/Worsted): #100 White (color A); #130 Honey (color B), #172 Kelly Green (color C), #146 Dusty Purple (color D), #109 Colonial Blue (color E).
Or We Crochet Brava (100% Premium Acrylic; 218 yds; 100 g; yarn weight category 4/Medium/Worsted): White (color A), (color B), Dublin (color C), Mulberry (color D), and Celestial (color E).
Yardage: You will need 245 yds of color A and 45 yds each of colors B, C, D, and E.
Crochet Hook: 7 mm crochet hook for granny squares and edging, L (8 mm) for joining. Adjust hook sizes if needed to match gauge.
Notions: Tapestry needle
Gauge: 3 rnds of Granny Square pattern = 4 inches square
Notes
This pattern uses standard US terms. For help with abbreviations, get my free, printable crochet abbreviations list here.
See this tutorial post for help with basic crochet stitches.
The following two links are helpful video tutorials for the granny squares and the joining method.
How to crochet a granny square
Crochet flat slip stitch joining method
Special Stitches
Front post double crochet: Yo, insert hook around post of designated st from front to back to front, yo, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] 2 times.
Back post double crochet: Yo, insert hook around post of designated st from back to front to back, yo, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] 2 times.
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Granny Square
Make 12 total, divided evenly by the number of colors you want to use.
With B, C, D, or E and smaller hook, make a Magic Ring by wrapping the yarn around the first two fingers of your right hand one full time. With your left hand, carefully grab both strands where they meet and pull the ring off your right fingers, place your hook through this ring, yarn over, pull up a loop, and you are ready to begin Rnd 1.
Rnd 1: Ch 2 (does not count as a st), [3 dc in ring, ch 2] 3 times, 3 dc in ring, hdc in first st to join (hdc counts as corner ch-sp) – 12 dc.
Rnd 2: Ch 2, 3 dc in corner ch-sp, *skip next 3 sts, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-sp, repeat from * 2 more times, skip next 3 sts, 3 dc in next corner ch-sp, hdc in first st to join – 24 dc.
Rnd 3: Ch 2, 3 dc in corner ch-sp, *3 dc in each sp between 3-dc groups to next corner ch-sp, skipping sts between the sps, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-sp, repeat from * 2 more times, 3 dc in each sp between 3-dc groups to next corner ch-sp, skipping sts between the sps, 3 dc in next corner ch-sp, hdc in first st to join – 36 dc. Fasten off current color.
Rnd 4: With A, (sl st, ch 2, 3 dc) in first corner ch-sp, *3 dc in each sp between 3-dc groups to next corner ch-sp, skipping sts between the sps, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner ch-sp, repeat from * 2 more times, 3 dc in each sp between 3-dc groups to next corner ch-sp, skipping sts between the sps, 3 dc in next corner ch-sp, hdc in first st to join – 48 dc. Fasten off.
Block squares.
Layout
You will put your squares together into 2 rows by 6 columns. First you will join the 2 rows together. Then you will join each of the columns together, including the first and last columns to form a complete circle.
Lay your squares out as in the above diagram, arranging colors as desired. I mostly arranged mine randomly, but made sure that I never had two squares of the same color right next to each other vertically or horizontally.
I suggest using the flat slip stitch joining method, but you can use a different method if you prefer.
Flat Slip Stitch Join
While joining, all squares should be RS facing up. Always insert hook through chains and stitches from front to back. First you will join the two rows together. Then you will join each of the columns together, including the first and last columns to form a complete circle.
The chains of corner ch sps will be joined along with the side to which they are closest. Each side has 12 stitches, but the joining for each side will include 14 slip stitches because you will include one chain at each end from the corner chain spaces.
Place first square of first row on a flat surface in front of you with RS up. Place first square of second row also RS up in front of you above the first square so that the line between them runs horizontally across your flat surface. Make a slip knot in yarn and place it on hook.
Insert hook through back loop of first ch of first corner ch-sp of top square, insert hook through back loop of second ch of first corner ch-sp of bottom square, yo, pull through both chs and loop on hook. As you continue, keep working yarn below squares and hook so that as you work, you are pulling the working yarn from underneath your join.
With A and larger hook, *insert hook through back loop of next st of bottom square, insert hook through back loop of next st of top square, yo, pull through both sts and loop on hook, insert hook through back loop of next st of top square, insert hook through back loop of next st of bottom square, yo, pull through both sts and loop on hook, repeat from * across in every st and corner ch, working each corner ch with the side to which it is closest.
After you join one set of squares, ch 1, and continue to join the next set of squares in order in the two rows until all the squares have been joined, then sl st in the first sl st of the join to make a complete circle. Fasten off.
Then, turn the piece 90 degrees and join the columns of squares in the same manner, working each column of joining in the same direction as all other columns.
Each time you come to a corner, you will ch 1 and continue to the next set of squares, letting the ch and working yarn travel over the perpendicular join.
Edging
Note: Work the edging instructions twice, once around the top edge of the cowl, and once along the bottom edge.
Rnd 1 (RS): With A and smaller hook, join with sc in one corner ch-sp just to the right of a join between squares (for left-handed crocheters, the ch-sp should be just left of a join between squares), 2 sc in next corner ch-sp, *sc in each st to next corner ch-sp**, [2 sc in next corner ch-sp] 2 times, repeat from * around, ending last repat at **, sl st in first st to join, turn – 95 sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 2 (does not count as a st throughout), dc in each st around, sl st in first st to join, turn.
Rnd 3: Ch 2, fpdc in first st, *hdc in next st, fpdc in next st, repeat from * around, sl st in first st to join, turn.
Rnd 4: Ch 2, bpdc in first st, *hdc in next st, bpdc in next st, repeat from * around, sl st in first st to join, turn. Fasten off.
Finishing
Weave in ends. Block to measurements.
That finishes this granny square cowl crochet pattern. I hope you loved crocheting your cowl! I’d love to see your in-process or finished projects. You can share them on Instagram and tag me or you can join my Facebook group and share them there.
Happy crocheting!
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