Mar
okay so snoods are basically hooded scarves
I made my first one in spring 2022 when it was still kinda cold in the mornings but not freezing and I needed something that wouldn’t make me look like I was trying too hard. You know those accessories that are functional but also you can just throw them on? That’s what a snood is. It’s like a scarf and hood combined so you don’t have two separate pieces flopping around.
The basic concept is you’re making a long rectangle that wraps around your neck and one end has a hood attached. Some patterns make it all in one piece, some have you attach the hood separately. I’ve done both and honestly the separate method is less annoying because if you mess up the hood you don’t have to restart the whole thing.
what you actually need
For yarn I used Red Heart Super Saver in that grey color called Heather Grey I think? It’s acrylic so it’s not gonna be super soft but it holds up well and doesn’t cost a fortune. You need probably 400-500 yards depending on how long you want the scarf part and how big the hood is. I’ve also used Lion Brand Wool-Ease which is a bit nicer if you’re making it for someone who might actually notice yarn quality.
Hook size depends on your yarn but usually a 5.5mm or 6mm works. I tend to crochet pretty loose so I went with the 5.5mm to keep things from getting too floppy and stretched out.
You don’t need stitch markers but they help when you’re working on the hood part because it’s easy to lose count when you’re watching TV or whatever. I was watching that show about the chef in Chicago while making mine and definitely had to rip back a few rows because I got distracted.
the scarf part first
Start with a foundation chain. I did about 25 chains wide which gave me roughly 6 inches across. You want it wide enough to actually keep your neck warm but not so wide it’s bulky under a coat. The length should be long enough to wrap around your neck once comfortably, so maybe 50-60 inches total? I didn’t measure exactly I just kept going until it looked right.
For the stitch pattern you can do literally whatever. Single crochet makes it thick and warm but takes forever. Half double crochet is faster and still has good coverage. I did half double crochet for most of it because I wanted to finish before the weather got too warm.
Chain 25 or whatever width you picked. Row 1 is half double crochet in the third chain from hook, then hdc across. Chain 2, turn. Row 2 is hdc in each stitch across. Chain 2, turn. You’re just repeating that second row over and over until you hit your length.
The thing that annoyed me most was how the edges curl sometimes with hdc. Like the sides would roll in on themselves and I had to keep flattening it out to see if the width was still consistent. You can do a border later to fix this but it’s irritating while you’re working.
switching colors if you want
I didn’t do this on my first one but on another snood I made later I switched colors every 10 rows or so. Just finish your last stitch of the row with the new color coming through. Cut the old color leaving like 6 inches to weave in later. The color changes make it more interesting but also you have more ends to deal with which is its own special kind of annoying.
adding the hood section
So once your scarf piece is done you’re gonna attach a hood to one end. The hood is basically a rectangle that you fold and seam up one side. I made mine about 12 inches wide and 14 inches tall which fits an average adult head without being too slouchy or too tight.
You can either work the hood directly onto the end of your scarf or make it separately and sew it on. I did the separate method because I wasn’t sure about sizing and didn’t wanna redo the whole scarf if the hood was wrong.
For a separate hood: chain about 45-50 stitches (this becomes the face opening). Work in hdc back and forth for about 14 inches or until it’s tall enough to cover from your forehead to the base of your neck when folded. My cat kept trying to lay on the work while I was measuring and I had to keep shooing her off.
Once you have your rectangle, fold it in half lengthwise so the short ends meet. Seam up one of the long sides using slip stitch or whip stitch or whatever seaming method you prefer. That creates the back seam of the hood. Leave the other three sides open – one side is the face opening, one is the neck edge that attaches to the scarf, and the fold is the top of the hood.
attaching everything together
Line up the neck edge of your hood with one short end of your scarf piece. The hood should be centered on the scarf width. Pin it if you want or just start seaming. I used single crochet to attach them by working through both layers but you can also sew it with a yarn needle.
Make sure the right sides are facing the same direction so when you wear it everything sits correctly. I messed this up once and had to redo it because the hood was inside out basically and looked ridiculous.
finishing and making it not look homemade in a bad way
Weave in all your ends. There’s gonna be at least four – two from the scarf, two from the hood, more if you changed colors. Use a yarn needle and weave them through the backs of stitches for a few inches then trim.
For the edges I did a round of single crochet all the way around the face opening of the hood and along both long edges of the scarf. This stops the curling and makes everything look more finished. You can also do a crab stitch border if you wanna get fancy but honestly single crochet is fine.
Some people add buttons or toggles to keep the scarf part closed but I just let mine hang loose. If you want closures you’d need to add buttonholes while you’re working the scarf or sew on snaps after.
different variations that might work better
The basic version is what I described but there’s other ways to do it. You can make the hood more fitted by decreasing at the back seam to create a curved shape instead of just a straight fold. This looks more polished but requires more attention to shaping.
Another option is making it as one continuous piece where you work the scarf, then increase to create the hood width, work the hood section, then decrease back down to continue the scarf on the other side. This creates a symmetrical scarf with the hood in the middle. I haven’t tried this method because it seems like it would take longer and also if you mess up you’re really stuck.
For stitch patterns you could do granny stripes, moss stitch, alpine stitch, whatever. Just keep in mind that really open lacy patterns won’t be as warm. The whole point is having neck and head coverage so you probably want something with decent stitch density.
sizing adjustments
For kids you’d make everything smaller obviously. Scarf width maybe 4-5 inches, length 40 inches or so, hood dimensions scaled down to like 10 inches wide by 11 inches tall. I made one for my friend’s daughter and just held it up to a stuffed animal that was about kid-sized to check proportions which probably wasn’t the most accurate method but it worked out.
For bigger heads or people who want a slouchy hood go larger on the hood dimensions. Add a few extra inches to the height especially. The width is less critical because it’s the circumference around the face so as long as it’s not too tight you’re good.
actual wearing and practical stuff
The snood sits around your neck like a scarf with the hood hanging down your back when you’re not using it. When it’s cold or windy you pull the hood up. It stays in place pretty well because the weight of the scarf part holds it.
One issue is that if you make the scarf part too long it gets bulky and heavy. I made one that was like 70 inches because I thought more warmth is better but it was just too much fabric bunched around my neck. The 50-60 inch length is actually the sweet spot.
Washing depends on your yarn. Acrylic you can just throw in the machine on gentle and lay flat to dry. Wool blends need more careful handling. I usually hand wash anything I’ve spent hours making because I don’t trust washing machines not to felt things or stretch them out weird.
They’re good for fall and spring when you need something but not a full winter coat situation. Also good for people who don’t like traditional scarves that come unwrapped or hats that mess up your hair. The hood is less hat-like so it doesn’t flatten everything as much.
things I wish I’d known before starting
The gauge matters more than I thought it would. My first attempt I didn’t swatch at all and the fabric came out really stiff and thick because my tension was tight. It still worked but wasn’t as drapey as I wanted. Taking ten minutes to make a gauge swatch would’ve saved me from that.
Also the yarn choice really affects the final look. That Red Heart Super Saver I mentioned works fine but it has a kind of… plasticky sheen? If you’re making this as a gift maybe spend a bit more on nicer yarn. The Lion Brand Wool-Ease has better drape and feels less crafty-looking.
Seaming is gonna be visible no matter how careful you are so plan for that. I tried to hide my seams by doing them on what would be the inside of the hood but you can still see them a little. Using the same color yarn for seaming as your main project helps a lot.
The hood depth is tricky to get right without trying it on mid-project. Too shallow and it falls off your head, too deep and it’s like wearing a bag. I’d say err on the side of slightly deeper because you can always fold up the edge if it’s too much.
trouble shooting common problems
If your scarf is twisting that means your tension is uneven across the row. Try to keep your stitches the same height and don’t pull tighter on one edge than the other. Blocking can help fix minor twisting after you’re done.
Hood won’t stay up – make it deeper or add a drawstring through the face opening edge. You can chain a cord and weave it through spaces in the last row of the hood opening then tie it to cinch.
Edges are wavy – you’re probably adding stitches accidentally. Count your stitches every few rows to make sure you have the same number. Or you might be working too loose and the fabric is stretching out. Going down a hook size can help.
The whole thing is too stiff – looser tension or a bigger hook. Or switch to a softer yarn. Sometimes acrylic relaxes after washing so that might help too.
time investment realistically
This isn’t a quick project unless you’re really fast. The scarf part alone took me probably 6-8 hours of actual crocheting spread over a few days. The hood was another 3-4 hours. Seaming and finishing maybe an hour. So you’re looking at 10-13 hours total if you work at a moderate pace.
If you’re doing this while watching TV or listening to podcasts it’ll take longer because you’re not fully focused. Which is fine that’s how I do most of my projects anyway. It’s not like you’re gonna sit and crochet for 12 hours straight that sounds miserable.
The nice thing is it’s pretty mindless once you get going with the repetitive rows so you don’t have to think too hard about it. Good project for when you wanna make something useful but don’t wanna follow a complicated pattern with a million stitch changes.
