Malia Cowl

A few Sundays ago I shared the link to the Malia Cowl as I wanted to crochet more wearables this year. I've just finished my own version and I had to share it with you because I love it:

The free pattern is by Rebecca at Little Monkeys Crochet and its part of the Malia Crochet Along. The collection includes everything from the cowl to boot cuffs and I'm excited to try some of the other Malia patterns over winter. You can find all the links HERE.
I used Lionbrand Heartland yarn for my cowl and its beautiful to crochet with but it did make the cowl a little stiff, not the soft drape I was hoping for. Hopefully it will soften and shape better the more I wear it. Its a beautiful yarn though and the cowl is so snugly and warm :)

The cowl is Boho style with lots of gorgeous texture and its buttoned to secure and finished with a fringe. The thing I like the best is that is looks handmade but it doesn't scream "look I made this" if you know what I mean.
The pattern is very easy to follow and there's a video to walk you through each and every step of the process. She gives you a few options in the video so its beneficial to watch before you start crocheting.

I did make a few changes as I went along. Firstly, I made my cowl slightly longer than the pattern. As long as you chain an even number and then add 1 ch, your pattern will work. I don't like things to sit too high around my neck, so I added an extra 20 ch to make it just slightly longer. I also made the cowl one pattern repeat narrower for the same reason. It sits perfectly and I don't feel like I'm choking :)
I also added the optional edging to finish off the raw edges and I added four buttons instead of three. No other reason really except my buttons were smaller and I had four so I used them all. I did secure them by sewing through both pieces of the cowl, so my cowl is permanently secured. Rebecca suggests this as an option and I thought it would be better than stretching the holes each time you button and unbotton the cowl.

I'm so thrilled with how it finished up. It sits in the perfect spot around my neck and it looks great. I'm looking forward to some colder weather so I can use it to dress up my coat :) It was the perfect first wearable project to try for the year and I'm sure I'll be making more before winter's end (especially when Maddi sees this lol).
You can find the free pattern for the Malia Cowl HERE.