Night Garden Tapestry Cowl — 3-Color (Pink, Purple, Black)

Design brief: tapestry crochet cowl that uses all three colors together for repeating skull, butterfly and flower motifs (dark background, colorful motifs). Worked in the round with carried floats so you can work two or three colors per stitch row as needed.

Materials

Yarn: Worst ed / US 4 "Medium" acrylic yarn (your 3 colors). Typical skein: ~100g / 200 yd (183 m). Suggested yardage for this cowl: Black (background) — 150 yd / 137 m; Pink — 75 yd / 69 m; Purple — 75 yd / 69 m. Total ~300 yd / 275 m. If you have less, reduce circumference or vertical repeats.
Crochet hook (recommended): US I/9 (5.5 mm) — UK (old) 5.5 — Metric 5.5 mm. Alternate tighter: US H/8 (5.0 mm) — UK (old) 6 — Metric 5.0 mm. Alternate looser: US J/10 (6.0 mm) — UK (old) 4 — Metric 6.0 mm.
Knitting needles equivalent (if converting to stranded knitting): US 7–9 (4.5–5.5 mm) — UK 7–6 — Metric 4.5–5.5 mm.
Notions: tapestry needle for weaving ends, stitch marker to mark round start, scissors.

Gauge

14 sc = 4” (10 cm) across, 16 rounds = 4” (10 cm) using worsted yarn and 5.5 mm hook in single crochet (sc) worked in the round. Your tension when carrying floats may be tighter; consider stepping up one hook size if stitches look cramped.

Finished size

Suggested circumference (unstretched): ~22–24” (56–61 cm).
Suggested height: adjustable by vertical repeats — see "Pattern notes" below (one motif band = 12 rounds; repeat band 3 times for ~9” height, 4 times for ~12”).

Abbreviations

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)
rnd = round
sl st = slip stitch
MC = main color (Black for background in instructions)
CC1 = Color 1 (Pink)
CC2 = Color 2 (Purple)

Important tapestry crochet notes (read before you begin)

We work single crochet in continuous rounds (no joining rounds with sl st) for a smooth fabric. Place a stitch marker at first stitch of each round and move it up as you work.
Color change technique: change color on the last yarn-over of the stitch before the stitch that should be in the new color. That is, insert hook, yarn over with old color and pull up a loop, then yarn over with new color and pull through both loops so the next stitch is in the new color. This gives clean vertical color edges.
Carry unused colors as floats behind stitches. Do not let a float run more than 5 stitches without catching it (wrap the float around your working yarn behind the stitch) to avoid overly long floats and snagging.
Keep floats carried at the same tension as stitches. Periodically spread the floats out with your fingers so they don’t shorten and pucker the fabric.
If you will use three colors in the same row: carry MC + CC1 + CC2; when not used, each color will float. Twist colors when switching frequently to lock them: when you pick up a new color, lay it over the old color and pick it back up to create a twist and avoid holes.

Chart legend

Chart symbols used in graphs: P = Pink (CC1), V = Purple (CC2), . = Black (MC / background). Each character = 1 sc. Charts are 12 rows high x 12 stitches wide for each motif. Combined band width = 38 stitches (12 + 1 separator column + 12 + 1 separator + 12), so pattern multiple = 38. For circumference, choose a multiple of 38 (76 gives two bands around).

Motif charts (12 x 12 each). Read right-to-left for each round; repeat band across.

P=Pink, V=Purple, .=Black

Skull (12 cols x 12 rows)
................
....VVVV....
...VVVVVV...
..VVVPPVVV..
.VVPPPPPPVV.
.VPPPPPPPPV.
.VPPPPVVVPPV.
.VPPPPPPPPV.
.VVPPPPPPVV.
..VVVPPVVV..
...VVVVVV...
....VVVV....

Butterfly (12x12)
................
..VV....VV..
.VVPV..VPVV.
.VVPPVVPPVV.
VVPPPPPPPPVV
VPPPPPPPPPPV
VPPPPPPPPPPV
VVPPPPPPPPVV
.VVPPPPPPVV.
.VVPVPPPVV.
..VVPVVVPV..
....VVVV....

Flower (12x12)
................
....PPPP....
...PVVVVP...
..PVVVVVVP..
.PVVVVVVVVP.
.VPPPPPPPPV.
.VPPPPPPPPV.
.PVVVVVVVVP.
..PVVVVVVP..
...PVVVVP...
....PPPP....
................

Combined band (one horizontal repeat = Skull + sep + Butterfly + sep + Flower = 38 sts wide)

To make the cowl circumference: chain a multiple of 38. Recommended: chain 76 (2 bands around) for ~22–24” circumference. If you want a wider cowl, chain 114 (3 bands) etc. Make sure chain is not twisted when you join.

Pattern (worked in continuous rounds)

Foundation: ch 76, join to first ch with a sl st to form a ring, being careful not to twist. Place marker at first ch; this is the first st of rnd 1.

Rnd 1: Work 76 sc around in MC (Black). Move marker up to last st worked. This establishes base round and evens out the chain edge. (If your chains are tight, you can work 76 sc into the back bump of the chain for a neater join.)
Rnd 2–Rnd 13: Begin motif band repeats. Follow the combined 38-st chart across the round twice (chart columns 1–38, then 1–38 again) to cover 76 sts. Read each chart row right-to-left and work sc in the color indicated. Change colors following "Important tapestry crochet notes". - Work Rnd 2 as chart Row 1, Rnd 3 as chart Row 2, ... Rnd 13 as chart Row 12 (one vertical motif). If you’d like taller cowl, repeat Rnds 2–13 additional times vertically: each band = 12 rounds in height. Repeat bands 3 times for ~9” high, 4 times for ~12” high.
Continue until you have completed the desired number of vertical bands. For example, for a 9” cowl: complete 3 vertical bands (3 x 12 = 36 rounds of pattern after initial set-up).
Finish: After final pattern round, work 1 round sc in MC (Black) around to even the top edge. Optional: work 1 round sc in BLO (back loop only) in MC around both top and bottom edges if you prefer a slightly ribbed look.
Fasten off and weave in all ends on the wrong side using a tapestry needle. Weave floats down a few stitches and secure any long float ends with a few small stitches if needed.

Notes on carrying three colors

Because each motif column may use any of the three colors, you will often be carrying two unused colors across a stitch sequence. Always carry them behind the stitches and keep tension even.
If a particular float would cross more than 5 sts, twist the floating color around the working color (wrap) to trap and secure it temporarily. Alternatively, catch the float by crocheting over it if you prefer no visible floats on the inside.

Adjusting size

To adjust circumference, change number of bands around (38-st multiple). Use gauge to calculate needed sts: desired circumference (in) x (14 sts / 4 in) = required stitches. Round to nearest multiple of 38 or change motif spacing as desired.
To adjust height, change vertical repeats (12-round band = one motif height). Add or remove vertical bands until you reach the desired height.

Finishing & care

Weave in ends to the inside of the cowl. Acrylic yarn is forgiving, so weave well and trim excess.
Care: machine wash gentle warm, tumble low or lay flat to dry. Block lightly with steam if desired.

Troubleshooting & tips

If motifs look squashed vertically: your row gauge is off. Use smaller hook to tighten gauge or add vertical repeats for height.
If fabric is too stiff because of carried floats: loosen tension or use a larger hook.
To avoid gaps at color joins, always change color on the last yarn-over as described above (not between yarn overs).

If you want this exact pattern converted to a printable PDF with full color charts, or to change motif arrangement (random scatter instead of bands), email support: team@verde.uk. Pattern hosted at https://purljam.verde.uk. Share your makes with #purljam on socials.

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