Saturday ReView: Hearty Goulash and Knit or Crochet Barbie Cowls-Free Patterns

What I love about this Barbie Fringed Cowl the most is, it's a great starting point... Want it longer and to drape more? Add more stitches and rows. Want the fringe thicker? Add two strands of yarn to each bottom hole. Want to add beads or knot the yarn in the fringe? Yep, that would be fun too! This is a great project to help a girl learn to knit or crochet, and I'm sure she'll want a few in different colors for her doll!

What I did:

Size 10 knitting needles and baby or sport weight yarn

Cast on 20

Garter stitch 8 rows (all knit stitch)

Bind off

Closure choices: You can tie two pieces of yarn to the top corners so it can be tied behind the doll's back, sew on a snap, or (my favorite) glue a very small piece of velcro to each side of the top corners.

Fringe: Use the bound off edge close to the neck, it will be shorter.

Cut 3"-5" pieces of yarn. Poke small crochet hook through the back of the lowest loop of the cowl. Fold yarn in half, grab center and gently pull it through the loop. Hook the two loose ends of yarn and guide them through the hole of yarn on the crochet hook. Gently snug up to the bottom of the cowl (the idea is, you don't want to stretch that bottom loop of the knitting). Trim the fringe to the desired length, I left mine pretty long.

Barbie says,

she's feeling rather... groovy!

And I think one in a rainbow of colors would really be cool😎

And I chose a different yarn and dug out a crochet hook... This time I decided to give it a little extra embellishment by adding some beads to the bottom. You'll be able to whip the cowl up in 15 minutes, the fringe will take a little time. And if you opt to add the beads, well, plan on a couple hour project just to give yourself time to finish. 

A pic of the cowls, knit and crochet side by side:

Disclaimer: Folks, I am ~not~ a student of the yarn arts... I've never been able to follow a pattern and just wing everything I do. The few stitches I did know, well, it's usually so long between the times I pick up a hook or needles... I forget them! So, please just try to use my instructions as a guideline, and if you have any helpful tips for others, feel free to leave them in the comments. Thanks.

What I did:

H hook, sport or baby weight yarn

Ch 20

Slip stitch together, be careful not to twist the chain.

Double crochet all the way around (I went into the top loop only).

Chain 3 at end and slip stitch into first loop.

Make one more round of double crochet.

Chain 3, slip stitch into first loop to complete the circle.

Fringe: 

Cut 5" pieces of yarn. 

My beads are 1/4" and I made sure the yarn would fit through the hole. I would aim for all of the beads being the same color next time. Those 'green' ones are not that bright in real life😕

I used a needle threader, poked it through the hole in the bead. Thread the yarn through the wire and pulled it through the bead.

Poke small crochet hook through the back of the lowest loop of the cowl. Grab one piece of yarn and pull through bottom loop of cowl. Keep bead to the side, go back up and grab both strings of yarn and pull through the hole of yarn on the crochet hook. Gently snug the bead up to the bottom of the cowl. Trim the fringe to the desired length, I made this one waist length.

A cute idea that I'm sure girls would love!

I started making this Goulash Recipe from Bobby Dean back in 2012 and it quickly became a family favorite. It's a nice recipe that has a little wiggle room, you can easily cut back on the sodium and meat, or add some whole wheat pasta if desired. Round it out with something green on the side (so you don't lose your mom card!), and you have a great meal for a cold winter day.

Have a great weekend everyone, stay warm:@)