In case you didn’t pay attention in Herbology class, you can read all about the Venomous Tentacula plant in “One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi” by Phyllida Spore. They are actually quite affectionate plants – up until they start strangling you. Of course, I’m sure you’ll be perfectly safe wearing this cowl, even with all its little creepy tentacles…right, Professor Sprout? Right??

Venomous Tentacula is the second pattern in The Hogwarts Library Collection, a set of fun accessories for magical book lovers and fans of the wizarding world. The tentacles are meant to be a fun, and possibly poisonous, color, and the length of the tentacles on yours depends on how your yarn is painted!

Disclaimer: This is not an official or licensed Harry Potter product, and is not intended to be perceived as such.

About the pattern:
This cowl is an adventurous beginner level pattern, meant to use a fun skein of worsted weight hand-dyed yarn; it is a recipe rather than written out stitch by stitch, because the placement of the tentacles depends on how the yarn is dyed. Please see the photos of the laid out skeins as examples of which dye scheme will work for this project. There is also an option to add some drop stitches for an extra distressed look.

Materials:
200 (225) yds of worsted weight yarn with one pop / contrast color dyed in 7-10” sections (see photos)

Used for the samples:
1 skein of Dragonfly Fibers Valkyrie (4 oz/ 200 yds) in ‘Chief Black Hawk’ for the smaller cowl with the green tentacles
1 skein of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted (100g / 225 yds) in ‘Flame’ for the larger cowl with the yellow tentacles

Suggested alternative colors for Shepherd Worsted: Amy’s Vintage Office, Atticus, Black Watch, Cattails, Green Valley, Hawthorne, Niagara.

Size 5mm / US 8 (or size to obtain gauge), 16” long (small) or 24” long (large) circular needle
Stitch Marker, darning needle

Gauge: 18 sts x 24 rows = 4” / 10cm in stockinette, unblocked

Finished Measurements: Small and (large) size - about 7.5” (6”) high and 23” (30”) circumference