I had an embarrassing nickname growing up… 😳
Before I became Jess Huff, my last name was Barnard. On my elementary school playground, some clever 8-year-old thought to call me “Barnyard,” and my fate was sealed. I was mooed at for many a year!
When I got married, I wasn’t sad to ditch my maiden name. There are many reasons why I married my amazing husband, but taking his last name may have been reason enough. 😂
“Huff” is short, easy to spell, and to pronounce. As a bonus, I’ve officially left all that “Barnyard” nonsense behind me.
A quick note on horns
There has been a hot debate over this crochet cow! I just want to confirm that yes, Caroline the Cow is a girl. Horns are common on both male and female cows, especially in dairy breeds.
Many dairy farmers dehorn their cows, but I made the artistic choice to include Caroline’s horns. You are welcome to omit them if you prefer.
Caroline the Cow
Skill level: Intermediate
Ravelry: Caroline the CowCaroline loves grazing in the pasture, smelling the daisies, and frolicking in the sunshine with all her farm friends. Happy cows make the best milk!
Supplies
Yarn (acrylic, weight 4) – 277 total yards
- Pink – 29 yards (I used I Love This Yarn! – Soft Pink)
- White – 194 yards (I used I Love This Yarn! – White)
- Black – 19 yards (I used I Love This Yarn! – Black)
- Gray – 35 yards (I used I Love This Yarn! – Gray Mist)
Notes
- ch – chain
- slst – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- inc – complete two single crochets within the same stitch
- dec – combine two stitches into one with an invisible decrease
- BLO – crochet in the back loop only
- *sc x* – repeat the instructions between asterisks(*) the indicated number of times. If the pattern doesn’t tell you how many times to repeat, then repeat the sequence until you reach the end of the round.
- (x + y) – complete the stitches listed in the parenthesis in the same stitch. For example, if the pattern says (hdc + sc), you would do a half double crochet and a single crochet in the same stitch.
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- 2dc – complete two double crochets in the same stitch
General Instructions
- Work all stitches in both loops unless the pattern instructs otherwise.
- This pattern is worked in one continuous spiral. Do not join rounds unless the pattern indicates otherwise (in other words, do not slip stitch and chain to start a new round).
- Use a stitch marker to keep track of where one round ends and the next begins. I prefer to place my stitch marker in the last stitch of the round.
Recommended Sequence
Here are the steps to create your cow, in order:
- Crochet the Horns
- Crochet the Ears – Bottom Side
- Crochet the Ears – Top Side
- Combine the Tops & Bottoms of Ears
- Crochet the Head
- Attach the Horns to the Head
- Attach the Ears to the Head
- Crochet the Body
- Crochet the Arms
- Crochet the Legs
- Crochet the Tail
- Crochet the Spots
- Attach the Head to the Body
- Attach the Legs to the Body
- Attach the Arms to the Body
- Attach the Tail to the Body
- Sew the Spots to the Body
- Add “cloven” details to Arms & Legs
Crochet Video Tutorials
Assembly Tutorials
- How to attach the head to the body
- How to attach the legs to the body
- How to attach the arms to the body
- How to attach the tail to the body
Finishing the Ears
Head: Round 9 – Additional Stitches
Head: Round 18 – Marking Stitches for the Eyes
Head: Round 27 – Marking Stitches for the Horns
How to Indent the Eyes
How to Crochet the Tail Tuft
How to Make Cloven Hooves
Instructions
Horns (make 2)
With gray yarn:01. start 3 sc into a magic ring [3]02. inc in each st around [6]03. inc, sc 4, inc [8]04. sc in each st around [8]05. inc, sc 6, inc [10]06. sc in each st around [10]07. inc, sc 8, inc [12]08. sc in each st around [12] Fasten off and leave an 18" tail for sewing. I filled my horns with hot glue so they would keep their shape. If you don't want to use hot glue, you can stuff them with fiber fill when sewing on at a later step.
Ears – Bottom Side (make 2)
With pink yarn:01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. *sc, inc* [18]04. sc, inc, *sc 2, inc* 5 times, sc [24]05. *sc 3, inc* [30]06. sc 2, inc, *sc 4, inc* 5 times, sc 2 [36] Fasten off and create an invisible finish. Weave the tail into the wrong side of the work and secure with a knot, then trim off excess.
Ears – Top Side (make 2 – one white, one black)
With white or black yarn:01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. *sc, inc* [18]04. sc, inc, *sc 2, inc* 5 times, sc [24]05. *sc 3, inc* [30]06. sc 2, inc, *sc 4, inc* 5 times, sc 2 [36] Fasten off and create an invisible finish. Weave the tail into the wrong side of the work and secure with a knot, then trim off excess.For detailed instructions and a video tutorial on how to finish the ears, see "Finishing the Ears" in the Notes section of the pattern.
Head
With pink yarn:01. Chain 7 Start: ch7, inc in 2nd ch from hook, sc 4, 5sc in the last ch. Continue on the other side of the chain base, sc 4, 3sc in the last ch [18]02. inc, sc 6, *inc* 3 times, sc 6, *inc* 2 times [24]03. inc, sc 8, *inc* 2 times, sc, inc, sc 8, *inc* 2 times, sc [30]04. inc, sc 10, *inc, sc* 2 times, inc, sc 10, *inc, sc* 2 times [36]05. inc, sc 12, inc, sc 2, inc, sc, inc, sc 12, inc, sc 2, inc, sc [42]06. inc, sc 14, *inc, sc 2* 2 times, inc, sc 14, *inc, sc 2* 2 times [48]07. inc, sc 16, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 16, inc, sc 3, inc, sc 2 [54]08. inc, sc 18, *inc, sc 3* 2 times, inc, sc 18, *inc, sc 3* 2 times [60]09. sc in each st around [60] Now sc until your most recent stitch is centered perpendicular to your Chain 7 Start. See "Head: Round 9 – Additional Stitches" in the Notes section for more details. Switch to white yarn:10. sc in each st around [60]11. sc 4, dec, *sc 8, dec* 5 times, sc 4 [54]12. sc in each st around [54]13. *sc 7, dec* [48]14. sc 3, dec, *sc 6, dec* 5 times, sc 3 [42]15. sc 3, inc, *sc 6, inc* 5 times, sc 3 [48]16. *sc 7, inc* [54]17. sc 4, inc, *sc 8, inc* 5 times, sc 4 [60]18. sc in each st around [60] Between rounds 17 and 18 (the last two rounds you completed), you are going to insert 2 markers. Center them above the snout with 18 stitches in between. See "Head: Round 18 – Marking Stitches for the Eyes" in the Notes section for more details. 19 – 27. sc in each st around [60] Between rounds 26 and 27 (the last two rounds you completed), you are going to insert 2 markers. Center them above the eyes with 16 stitches in between. See "Head: Round 27 – Marking Stitches for the Horns" in the Notes section for more details. 28. sc 4, dec, *sc 8, dec* 5 times, sc 4 [54]29. *sc 7, dec* [48]30. sc 3, dec, *sc 6, dec* 5 times, sc 3 [42]31. *sc 5, dec* [36]32. sc 2, dec, *sc 4, dec* 5 times, sc 2 [30] Stuff head ¾ full and create indents for the eyes. See “How to Indent the Eyes” in the Notes section for details. Insert your safety eyes and secure the backings. 33. *sc 3, dec* [24]34. sc, dec, *sc 2, dec* 5 times, sc [18]35. *sc, dec* [12] Finish stuffing. 36. *dec* [6] Cut working yarn and close with an ultimate finish.
Body
With white yarn:01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. *sc, inc* [18]04. sc, inc, *sc 2, inc* 5 times, sc [24]05. *sc 3, inc* [30]06. sc 2, inc, *sc 4, inc* 5 times, sc 2 [36]07. *sc 5, inc* [42]08. sc 3, inc, *sc 6, inc* 5 times, sc 3 [48]09. *sc 7, inc* [54]10. sc 4, inc, *sc 8, inc* 5 times, sc 4 [60]11 – 17. sc in each st around [60]18. sc 4, dec, *sc 8, dec* 5 times, sc 4 [54]19. sc in each st around [54]20. *sc 7, dec* [48]21. sc in each st around [48]22. sc 3, dec, *sc 6, dec* 5 times, sc 3 [42]23 – 24. sc in each st around [42]25. *sc 5, dec* [36]26 – 27. sc in each st around [36]28. sc 2, dec, *sc 4, dec* 5 times, sc 2 [30]29 – 30. sc in each st around [30]31. *sc 3, dec* [24] Fasten off and create an invisible finish. Leave an 24" tail for sewing. Stuff with fiber fill.
Arms (make 2)
With gray yarn: 01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. *sc, inc* [18]04. sc, inc, *sc 2, inc* 5 times, sc [24]05. BLO: sc in each st around [24]06 – 07. sc in each st around [24] Switch to white yarn:08. sc in each st around [24]09. sc 11, dec, sc 11 [23]10. sc in each st around [23]11. sc 21, dec [22]12. sc in each st around [22]13. sc 10, dec, sc 10 [21]14. sc in each st around [21]15. sc 19, dec [20]16. sc in each st around [20]17. sc 9, dec, sc 9 [19]18. sc in each st around [19]19. sc 17, dec [18]20. sc in each st around [18]21. sc 8, dec, sc 8 [17]22. sc in each st around [17]23. sc 15, dec [16]24 – 25. sc in each st around [16]26. *sc 2, dec* [12] Fasten off and create an invisible finish. Leave an 18" tail for sewing. Stuff with fiber fill. Fold the top opening in half and slip stitch closed. To finish the hooves, see "How to Make Cloven Hooves" in the Notes section of the pattern.
Legs (make 2)
With gray yarn:01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. *sc, inc* [18]04. sc, inc, *sc 2, inc* 5 times, sc [24]05. *sc 3, inc* [30]06. BLO: sc in each st around [30]07 – 08. sc in each st around [30] Switch to white yarn:09. sc in each st around [30]10. sc 14, dec, sc 14 [29]11. sc 27, dec [28]12. sc 13, dec, sc 13 [27]13. sc 25, dec [26]14. sc 12, dec, sc 12 [25]15. sc 23, dec [24]16. sc 11, dec, sc 11 [23]17. sc 21, dec [22]18. sc 10, dec, sc 10 [21]19. sc 19, dec [20]20. sc 9, dec, sc 9 [19]21. sc 17, dec [18]22. *sc 7, dec* [16]23. *sc 2, dec* [12] Fasten off and create an invisible finish. Leave an 18" tail for sewing. Stuff with fiber fill. Fold the top opening in half and slip stitch closed. To finish the hooves, see "How to Make Cloven Hooves" in the Notes section of the pattern.
Small Spots (make 2)
With black yarn: 01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. hdc, 2dc, hdc, (slst + hdc), dc, 2dc, hdc, (slst + hdc), dc, 2dc, dc, (hdc + slst) [18] Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Large Spots (make 2)
With black yarn:01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02. inc in each st around [12]03. *sc, inc* [18]04. sc, inc, *sc 2, inc* 5 times, sc [24]05. sc, hdc 2, 2dc, dc 2, hdc, (hdc + sc), slst, hdc, dc, 2dc, hdc, slst, hdc, 2dc, dc 3, (hdc + sc), inc, sc 2, slst [30] Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Tail
With white yarn:01. start 6 sc into a magic ring [6]02 – 08. sc around [6] Fasten off and leave a 18" for sewing. Fold the top opening in half and slip stitch closed. Thread the yarn tail into the work and out the magic ring with a yarn needle (use it to sew the tail to the body at a later step). You are now going to add a tuft of fur to the slip-stitched end of the tail. With black yarn, create a sip knot on your hook. 01. *slst, ch 6, slst into the same st* See "How to Crochet the Tail Tuft" in the Notes section for more details and a video tutorial.