How to Knit the Cozy Sleepy Hollow Autumn Cowl

🌙 A Cozy Autumn Vignette

The kettle whistles softly as steam curls into the air, carrying the scent of black tea and sourdough bread. My knitting needles rest in my lap, waiting to clack their rhythm while candlelight flickers across the pages of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Outside, the last of the autumn leaves scatter across the yard, but inside, the season lingers — warm, haunting, and comforting all at once.

It’s in this space, with bread rising in the oven and yarn spilling across the table, that the Sleepy Hollow Autumn Cowl began. Each motif became a lantern glow against the shadows, a way of stitching folklore into fabric.

🍂 Gathering Around Stories & Stitches

Welcome back to Jennevere’s Round Table craft nook, where every stitch is a tiny rebellion against chaos. Autumn may have slipped into December, but it’s never too late to savor the crisp air, the turning leaves, and the warm spicy smells that make fall feel both haunting and comforting.

Inspired by Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I wanted to knit a piece that carried the same mix of coziness and suspense.

And let’s be honest—if the Headless Horseman had a cozy scarf, he might have been less cranky.

🧶 The Project: Autumn Motifs Cowl

This cowl comes straight from the Doodle Knit Directory by Jamie Lomax, using the Doodle Infinity Cowl pattern. Difficulty is rated 2 out of 3 yarn balls — approachable but with enough challenge to keep things interesting.

🎨 The Yarn Selection Saga

🪡 Knitting Rhythm & Cozy Chaos

Knitting this cowl felt like living inside the story:

• Slow, lazy grace as the motifs unfolded row by row.
• Heart-racing energy when I realized I’d dropped a stitch three rows back.
• Cable stitches that loomed like the Headless Horseman—terrifying at first, but oddly satisfying once conquered.

Each stitch carried a little piece of the season, and the soft fibers provided comfort in tense moments, just as Irving’s words carried me from cozy countryside scenes to the gallop of ghostly hooves.

✨ Maker’s Notes

• Pattern: Doodle Infinity Cowl from the Doodle Knit Directory
• Difficulty: 2 out of 3 yarn balls
• Needles: Circular, US size 5 (or size needed to obtain gauge)
• Construction: Knitted in the round
• Motifs Used: Squirrel, leaves, corn, trees

🛒 Supply List

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Sleepy Hollow Autumn Cowl:

(Tip: I like using my own Excel pattern maker program — because nothing says cozy rebellion like spreadsheets and yarn.)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it helps keep the tea warm, the yarn flowing, and the candles glowing in my craft nook. Thank you for supporting my work and helping me share more stitches, stories, and cozy projects with you.

📌 Closing Note

A Final Stitch in the Tale

Thank you for stitching along with me through the misty lanes of Sleepy Hollow. If this project awakened your love for all things eerie and handmade, you’ll find more Halloween crochet ideas tucked throughout the blog like little lanterns in the dark.
And for a deeper dive into the tale behind the cowl, my Sleepy Hollow book review is ready to whisk you back into the world of Ichabod, Katrina, and the Headless Horseman.