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Today is Day 6 of the Spooktacular Halloween Crafting Event! The Halloween blog hop hosted by Yarn Crafts & Coffee has is almost done! Each day for the first seven days in October you will find a new free Halloween-themed crochet pattern on one of the participating blogs!
Hi, its me, Emily at Crochet Aweigh! My favorite holiday of the year is getting closer & closer! I’ve always loved Halloween. I love dressing up for costume parties, pumpkin carving, and apple spice scented candles! I also love how Halloween tends to bring out everyone’s creative sides!
October is also National Wool Month, so all designs for this month will be done from hand dyed wool yarn from our indie dyers! The Cassandra Collar features yarn from Olive & Two Ewe, who up until recently was a local FL dyer, and has now relocated to Maine.
Below you will find the free pattern for the Cassandra Collar!
The Cassandra Collar is inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “Cassandra” from her album “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology”. Taylor said in a voice memo: “In Greek mythology, Cassandra was brought on by Apollo to always warn people of impending doom, but she was cursed to never be listened to…so read into this what you will based on our current social and cultural climate”.
In this song you hear a lot of references to witches, prophecy, and overall dark vibes. It seemed to fit with Halloween and these colors from Olive and Two Ewe were perfect to capture the witchy feeling that I wanted this pattern to evoke.
This yarn is Plato DK from Olive and Two Ewe. The colors are Crush It (the purple), and In The Groove (the variegated).
If you would like to support my very lofty yarn dreams then you can purchase a PDF of this pattern from my site, Etsy, or Ravelry.
Pattern Notes:
- This pattern is considered intermediate to advanced level.
- Pattern is written as one size fits most.
- Collar begins at the neckline, works down for 18 rows, then the ties are added.
- Pattern is worked by using 1 color at a time. In most of the pattern you alternate rows with each color.
- Make sure that chain spaces are pushed to the wrong side of the work so they don’t show on the right side.
- It says “pull loop big” so that your stitches don’t pull out while you work on the next row, and then you can pick up that big loop for the following row. You can also place a stitch marker in the loop to make sure it doesn’t come unraveled.
Materials:
- DK weight (3) yarn: 186 yards of Color 1 and 92 yards of Color 2.
- Sample used Olive & Two Ewe Plato, a 75/25 Superwash Merino/Nylon blend. Limeade as Color 1, and In The Groove as Color 2
- Size G/4.00mm Crochet Hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Scissors
- The Cassandra Collar: either free on this page, or paid on my website, Etsy, or Ravelry.
Abbreviations:
- Ch – Chain
- Sl St – Slip Stitch
- Sc – Single Crochet
- Hdc – Half Double Crochet
- Dc – Double Crochet
- Dc2tog – Double Crochet 2 together/double crochet decrease
- YO – Yarn Over
- Puff st – Puff stitch
- Vpuff – V puff stitch: (puff, ch 1, puff) in indicated stitch or space.
Special Stitches:
Puff Stitch: (YO, insert hook into designated st, pull up a loop) 3 times. 7 loops on hook. YO, pull through all except last loop. YO, pull through last 2.
Measurements:
- This pattern is written for 1 size.
- Finished measurements as written are approximately 19″w at the neckline (not including the ties) x 5.5″long
Gauge:
I tend to crochet on the tight side, so you may want to go down a hook size or 2.
18dc x 10 rows = 4″ x 4″ unblocked
To make swatch:
Ch 20, dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each across.
Row 2-10: Ch 2, dc in each across.
Pattern Instructions:
Starting at the neck.
With C1, ch 71.
Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each
across. Turn. 70 sc.
Row 2: Ch 2 (doesn’t count as a st here or
throughout), Puff st in 1st, (ch 2, sk 2, puff st in
next) across. Pull up your C1 loop big as to not
drop it. Turn. 24 puff sts.
Row 3: with C2, attach to 1st skipped sc on row 1,
ch 2, 2dc in same, 2dc in next, (ch 1, sk puff, 2dc
in next 2 sc) across. Slst in last puff. Pull loop big.
92 dc.
Row 4: pick up C1, ch 2, puff st in 1st, (ch 4, sk 4 dc, puff st in next puff and ch1sp of row 3) across. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 5 (WS): pick up C2, ch 2, dc in 1st dc from row 3, 2dc in next, 1 dc in next 2, (ch 1, sk puff, dc in next, 2dc in next, dc in next 2) across. Sl st to last puff. Pull loop big. 115 dc.
Row 6 (WS): pick up C1, ch 2, puff st in 1st, (ch 5, sk 5 dc, puff st in next puff and next ch1 sp of row 5) across. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 7 (RS): pick up C2, ch 2, dc in 1st 5 dc from row 5, (ch 1, sk puff, dc in next 5 dc) across. Pull loop big. 115 dc
Row 8 (RS): pick up C1, ch 2, puff st in 1st, (ch 5, sk 5 dc, puff st in next puff and next ch1 sp) across. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 9 (WS): pick up C2, ch 2, dc in 1 5, (ch 1, sk puff, dc in next 5) across. Sl st to last puff. 115 dc.
Row 10 (WS): pick up C1, ch 2, puff V st in 1st (ch 5, sk 5 dc, puff V st in next puff and ch1 sp) across. Puff V st in last puff. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 11 (RS): Pick up C2, ch 2, dc in 1 , dc2tog over next 2, dc in next 2, (ch 2, sk puff Vst, dc in next, dc2tog over next 2, dc in next 2) across. Sl st to 1 puff of last puff Vst. Pull loop big. 92 dc.
Row 12 (RS): pick up C1, ch 2, [puff, ch 1, puff, ch 1, puff] in 1 puff Vst, (ch 4, sk 4 dc, [puff, ch 1, puff, ch 1, puff] into next puff Vst) across. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 13 (WS): pick up C2, Ch 2, dc2tog over next 2 sts twice, (ch 4, sk puffs, dc2tog twice) across. Sl st to next puff. Pull loop big.
Row 14 (WS): NOTE: pull the ch4sp from row 13 to the back side as you work across. Pick up C1, ch 2, puff Vst in 1 ch1sp, ch 2, puff Vst in next ch1sp, ch 2, (sk ch4sp, [puff Vst in next ch1sp, ch 2]
twice). Repeat () across. After last repeat, puff Vst in next ch1sp, ch 2, puff Vst in last ch1sp. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 15 (RS): pick up C2, dc2tog over 1 2 sts, (ch 6, sk all puffs, dc2tog over next 2 dc of row 13) across. Sl st to next puff to secure. Pull loop big.
Row 16 (RS): pick up C1, ch 2, (puff Vst in puff Vst, ch 1, dc in ch2sp, ch 1, puff Vst in next puff Vst) across. Pull loop big and turn.
Row 17 (WS): pick up C2, Ch 2, dc in same, (ch 7, sk all of row 16, dc in next dc from row 15) across. Sl st to next puff of row 16 to secure. Fasten off C2.
Row 18 (WS): NOTE: work your puff stitches over the chains of row 17 to tack them down. See photo. Pick up C1, ch 2, puff st in 1st puff Vst, (ch 2, sc in next dc, ch 7, sl st to sc you just made, ch 2, puff st in next Vst, puff st in next Vst) across, ending with (puff st in next Vst) only once. Fasten off.
Border/Ties:
Lay work down right side up.
- Attach to the side of the puff st from the last row on the right. See photo. Sc in the row end of that puff.
- (ch 3, sc in the next row end) up to the corner.
- At the corner, ch 51.
- Sc in 2 ch from the hook and in each ch across.
- Sc in each foundation chain across.
- At the other corner, ch 51.
- Sc in 2 ch and in each across.
- When you get back to the corner, turn your work 90 degrees. Sc in 1 puff st row end, (ch 3, sc in next row end) to the bottom corner. Fasten off.
Weave in all ends & wet block. Your collar is done!
I hope you love your new Cassandra Collar! Comment below if you have any questions, and if you make this cape please post it on social media and tag me so I can see! I love seeing your creations, especially when they are spooky ;)
