The Snow on Snow Chunky Crochet Button-Up Cowl

Today was the first day in ten days that we haven't had additional snow accumulation.  I actually like snow, but new snowfall every day for nine days gets a little tiresome.  All throughout the past week the poem (and Christmas carol) In the Bleak Midwinter, by Christina Rossetti, kept running through my mind, particularly the first verse...

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

While my husband and sons were out repeatedly shoveling and snow blowing, I was working out this quick and simple pattern.  It was fitting that I called this project the Snow on Snow Cowl :)

Um... awkward.  I will never be comfortable taking pictures of myself.  How come everyone else on the interwebs can do it??  I ended up taking a whole bunch of pictures in front of a mirror and picking the least awful after having asked one of my children to do it and ending up with a lot of blurry pictures of my chest.   Have any tips on taking not-awkward selfies or other appropriate pictures to show off your crochet creations without buying a plastic head from a craft store??  Send em my way :)  

For this project, you'll need:

1 1/2 skeins Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn.  (I used "Glacier")
10 mm crochet hook
tapestry needle for weaving in the ends
two large buttons
needle and thread 

I wanted my cowl to have some texture to it, but I didn't want it to have gaps in between the stitches.  I wanted it to be seriously warm for wearing under my coat out in all this snow.  After trying several ideas, I decided to just use the same stitch that I used for my cotton dishcloths, so perhaps that's why it looks familiar :)  

Pattern:

Row 1.  loosely chain 17 (or 15 if you want the cowl to be shorter.)

Row 2. Turn. 1 half double crochet (hdc) in second chain from the hook, 1 slip stitch (ss) in next chain.  *1 hdc, 1 ss* until the end. 

Row 3 - 50?  Turn, chain 1.  *1 hdc, 1 ss* to the end.  (note: every row will start on a half double crochet and end with a slip stitch.)   (Mine was 50 rows long, you may add or subtract rows to achieve the length you want.)

Continue until the cowl is long enough to fit around your neck with approximately two inches of overlap.  

Once you have reached the desired length, chain one and begin to single crochet around the edge of the entire piece, using three single crochets at each corner.  

Slip stitch into to the starting chain one.  Finish off and weave in the ends.  

Sew two large buttons on the two corners of one end.  Use the natural holes in the crocheted piece to button the cowl closed.  

You're done!  Stay warm :)

all kinds of awkward...

... but at least I'm toasty warm :)