Codebreaker Cowl

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Hey there, maker!

It’s cozy season in the Northern Hemisphere, so I hope you’re ready for all the fall makes! I’ve got a fun one for you today! Beginner-friendly, tons of texture, and a meditative make!

About the Codebreaker Cowl

Last year, I read a book called The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay. It was a lovely historical fiction novel set amidst the fall of the Berlin wall. The main character works as a cryptographer in the CIA and while clearing out her late grandfather’s personal correspondence, she tumbles across letters from her father, whom she thought was dead. The letters are all in code and she sets out on a quest to secure her father from a Stasi jail. If you love historical fiction, you should certainly check it out!

I know. I know…right now you’re thinking, but what does this have to do with yarn? Well, inspiration comes from many places, and on the cover of this book was a beautiful knit cowl with lovely drape that I knew I had to have. The problem…I don’t knit. So, I set out to mimic it with crochet stitches instead. I sat on the design for a while. I loved making it and I loved wearing it even more for its versatility, so after I made cowl for a friend, I knew it was time to write up the pattern. Hence, the Codebreaker Cowl was born!

Note: This free version of this pattern and the linked video contain ads that earn money for my blog and channel which help me to keep this site up and running. If you’d like an ad-free viewing experience, you can find that supported in my Premium PDF for this pattern.

Special Stitches

The Foundation Single Crochet (Fsc) is really the only special stitch used in this pattern and you can opt out if you want (an alternative is given in the pattern instructions), but if you’re a beginner looking to improve your skills, this stitch is a good one to have in your stitch arsenal. I have a full photo + video tutorial for it here to help you better understand the stitch. If you need additional help seeing it worked in-pattern, a separate link will be provided in the row instructions to take you to the relevant place in the pattern’s supplemental video.

Yarn Suggestions

Because this pattern is written recipe-style, you can choose whatever yarn strikes your fancy! Below is a list of yarns my testers and I have used along with the approximate yardage used to make the same size as my sample: 15″ dia x 11″ H (38 cm dia x 28 cm H). Still, you will want to make sure to make a gauge swatch to ensure the proper hook pairing for the drape you want and to determine how much yarn you’ll need for the side you prefer.

• Pattern Sample: Lion Brand ZZ Twist (discontinued) – CYC 4, 5mm / H-8 hook, 450 yds (412 m)
• Lion Brand Coboo – CYC 3, 4mm / G-6 hook, 431 yds (395 m)
• Knitty Meowtain Yarns Superwash – CYC 1, 3.5mm / E-4 hook, 468 yds (428 m)
• Furls Wander – CYC 4, 6mm / J-10 hook, 263 yds (241 m)
• Red Heart Jumbo Speckle – CYC 4, 6mm / J-10 hook, 376 yds (344 m)
• Berroco Medina – CYC 3, 4.5mm / 7 hook, 447 yds (409 m)
• Caron Blossom Cakes – CYC 4, 5.5mm / I-9 hook, 416 yds (380 m)
• Caron Macchiato (discontinued) – CYC 5, 5.5mm / I-9 hook, 289 yds (264 m)
• Yarn Bee Soft Secret – CYC 4, 5.5mm / I-9 hook, 500 yds (457 m)

Other yarns I think would look great with this cowl:

• Lion Brand Truboo
• KnitPicks Shine yarns
• Caron Simply Soft

Materials + Tools

• 2-3 skeins of your preferred yarn – yardage will vary, see Notes below
• Crochet hook, size will vary, see Notes below
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Stitch marker (optional)

Stitches + Abbreviations

• Stitch(es) (sts(s))
• Chain (ch)
• Slip Stitch (sl st)
• Foundation Single Crochet (Fsc) – photo + video tutorial here
• Single Crochet (sc)
• Treble Crochet (tr)

Finished Size

Made to measure

Pattern Sample: 15” dia x 11” H (38 cm dia x 28 cm H)

Gauge

Will vary based on yarn and hook used

Pattern Sample: 4″ (10 cm) = 15 sc x 12 rows/rounds

Pattern for Gauge Swatch: Fsc 26 (alternatively ch 27, sc into 2nd ch from hook and each across), then alternate R2-3 as written, turning your work instead of joining until your swatch measures approximately 5″ (13 cm). Don’t worry if the swatch isn’t a perfect square.

NOTE: Because the gauge swatch is worked in turned rows for ease of measurement, the bumps will be stacked vertically instead of nested like they will in the actual pattern. That’s okay, you’re just practicing the stitches and measuring them for the swatch.

PRO TIP: While gauge isn’t terribly important in this pattern, making a gauge swatch ensures the yarn is a good match and that you’ll have enough of it, allows you to practice the pattern stitches, ensures your piece is the size you want, and also helps determine if the drape of the fabric is to your liking.

Calculate the Number of Fsc

You’ve worked your gauge swatch and have the density just right, now it’s time to do some crochet math to to calculate how many foundation single crochet stitches to work for your desired circumference. Grab a pencil and some scratch paper and let’s do it.

• Stitch Gauge: the number of stitches in 4” (10 cm) of your swatch
• Desired Circumference: use a flexible measuring tape to determine how close to your neck you like it, keep units of measurement same as stitch gauge (in or cm)
• # Gauge Multiples: equal to the desired circumference divided by 4” (10 cm)
• Fsc Needed: # of gauge multiples multiplied by the stitch gauge; round to the nearest whole, even number.
• Pattern Sample: Stitch gauge is 15 sts in 4”, desired circumference is 30”, so # gauge multiples = 30”/4” = 7.5; Fsc needed = 7.5 x 15 sts = 112.5, round down to 112 Fsc

Notes

• This pattern is written in US Terms and set for Beginner skill level.
• Before You Begin:
  • Read the pattern or watch the video before beginning to familiarize yourself with the pattern
  • Swatch! Size matters and making a gauge swatch is a must. It helps you practice the stitches, tests if the yarn is a good fit, and ensures your project is the right size
  • Measure as you go! It’s helpful to measure your work periodically to ensure your gauge stays consistent
• Size/Tension Adjustments: To change width, work R1 in a multiple of 6+1. To change the length, add/subtract full pattern repeats and ensure the first round of the border is a multiple of 6+1 on each side of the blanket.
  • If you need help meeting gauge, see my gauge tutorial here!
• Supplemental Video: I’ve created a detailed tutorial for this pattern on my YouTube channel, which you can find below or by clicking here. Note, this video contains ads. For an ad-free experience, consider purchasing the Premium PDF of this pattern.
• Premium PDF: You can find a premium PDF of this pattern in my Etsy and Ravelry shops, which includes:
  • additional supplemental photos
  • ad-free video support
  • stitch chart
  • See above for more details.

Written Pattern

This pattern is made to measure, so it is written recipe-style so you can make it your own. It is worked in joined rounds, however, there are two points at which you will turn your work to switch from working on the right side to the wrong side and back again.

NOTES:

• Chain stitches at beginning of Rounds do not count as a stitch
• Stitch counts should be an even number and will remain the same for all rounds

R1: Fsc an even number of stitches to a length equal to your desired circumference. Being careful not to twist your work, sl st to the top of the first Fsc to join.

NOTES:

• To see a tutorial for the Fsc, click here, or click here for the relevant part of the pattern video.
• Alternatively, if you wish to use the traditional chain method, ch an odd number of stitches then sc into the 2nd ch from hook and each across.
• Leave a long enough yarn tail to join the bottoms of your first and last Fsc sts before weaving in your end.
• If you need help determining the number of Fsc needed, see the Calculate the Number of Fsc section above.

TURN your work so that the wrong side (inside) of your cowl is facing you.

Begin pattern repeat.

PRO TIP: The words “pattern repeat” refer to the block of rounds that are repeated a specified number of times to complete the bulk of a pattern. It’s the pattern within the pattern, so to speak. In this pattern, R2-3 make up the first pattern repeat. It’s still referred to as a pattern repeat even though we haven’t repeated anything yet.

R2: Ch 1, *sc, tr; repeat from * across, sl st to the top of the first st to join.

NOTES:

• The right side is the bumpy side and the wrong side is the flat side. The wrong side (inside) of your cowl should be facing you as you work this round and all bumpy rounds leading up to the final round. The nature of this stitch pattern tends to push the bumps to the back of the rounds as they’re worked, so turning ensures that the bumpy texture is on the right side (outside) of your cowl.
• You will NOT turn your work again until just before your final round.
• To see this round worked live, click here for the relevant part of the pattern video.

PRO TIP: Asterisks (*) indicate the series of stitches to repeat in succession as you work the round.

PRO TIP: You may find it helpful to place a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round so you know where to join to at the end of the round and where to begin the next round.

R3: Ch 1, *tr, sc; repeat from * across, sl st to the top of the first st to join.

NOTES:

• To see this round worked live, click here for the relevant part of the pattern video.
• Tr sts are worked into sc sts and sc sts into tr sts in this round and throughout.

That’s the first pattern repeat done! Pause for a second and take a look at the lovely bumpy texture forming on the right side of your cowl. Some bumps may not stay on the right side, but just run your finger over them when finished to push them to the right side.

R4-??: Continue repeating R2-3 until desired height.

TURN your work to begin the final round.

NOTE: After turning, the right side (bumpy side) of your cowl should be facing you.

Final Round: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to the top of the first st to join. Tie off and weave in ends.

NOTE: Don’t forget to connect the bottoms of your first and last Fsc from R1 before weaving.

This pattern is featured in Itchin’ for Some Stitchin’s Fall Into Crochet Blog Hop. Sadly, its feature day has passed, but be sure to check out the round up for daily patterns all September long.

And if you missed out on some days or don’t feel like following up every day of the blog hop, grab all the patterns in the collection at over 90% off of their value by purchasing the pattern bundle at the button below. Hurry, because this bundle doesn’t last forever—it’s only around until October 2, 2026.

You did it! Woohoo! Don’t you just love running your hands over that texture? Sigh. It’s so good!

Thank you so much for making one of my patterns! I would LOVE to see your cowls! Be sure to use the tag #CodebreakerCowl and / or #LaBelleVieForMe to share with me @HooksBooksWanderlust on Instagram and / or Facebook!

I hope you enjoyed this pattern! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Comment below or email me at HooksBooksAndWanderlust@gmail.com.

Until next time!

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