Tiny Floral Avalanche Hood Free Crochet Pattern for Large Dogs

Tiny Floral Avalanche Hood: A Free Beginner Crochet Pattern for Large Dogs

Introduction

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first project to fall in love with. The Tiny Floral Avalanche Hood is a cozy navy chenille tube that slips over your big dog's head, with a soft folded white face band and five tiny crocheted flowers scattered across it like frost on a winter window. It is worked almost entirely in the simplest stitch there is (single crochet), so you only need to learn one or two moves before you can make something your dog will actually wear. The finished hood feels plush and squishy in the hand, looks like a sweet little Y2K statement piece, and comes together in a few evenings of happy stitching. Best of all, it is sized generously for large dogs, so there is plenty of room to learn without worrying about tiny, fiddly stitches.

Materials Needed

• Yarn (main color): Super bulky (weight 6) chenille plush yarn in navy, approximately 220 yd (200 m).
• Yarn (contrast color): Super bulky (weight 6) chenille plush yarn in white, approximately 60 yd (55 m).
• Main hook: 8.0 mm (US size L-11) crochet hook.
• Small hook: 4.0 mm (US size G-6) crochet hook for the flower appliqués.
• Stitch markers: at least 4, to mark the first stitch of each round and the fold line.
• Tapestry needle: a large-eye, blunt-tip needle for sewing seams and weaving in ends.
• Scissors: sharp craft scissors for cutting yarn.
• Measuring tape for checking gauge and finished size.
• Optional: a steamer (or an iron held above the fabric) for gently steaming the face band.

Finished size: Hood tube circumference 24 in (61 cm) unstretched, to fit a large dog head of 20–23 in (51–58 cm). Hood depth from face opening to back point 13 in (33 cm). Face band depth 3 in (7.6 cm) before folding, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) once folded. Each flower measures about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain: yarn over the hook, pull the loop through the loop on your hook. This makes a small link.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull the loop straight through both the stitch and the loop on your hook. It joins work without adding height.
• sc – single crochet: insert hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over again, pull through both loops. One loop remains. This is the shortest, most basic stitch.
• dc – double crochet: yarn over first, insert hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops. This stitch is taller than single crochet.
• FPdc – front post double crochet: work a double crochet, but instead of going into the top of the stitch below, insert your hook from front to back around the vertical "post" (the body) of the stitch below. This pushes the stitch forward and creates a raised ridge.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together: insert hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. This turns two stitches into one and makes the fabric narrower.
• st(s) – stitch(es): one completed loop of yarn in your work.
• rnd – round: one complete circle of stitches worked around the tube.
• row – one straight line of stitches worked back and forth (used here for the back shaping).
• magic ring – an adjustable loop of yarn you crochet into, then pull tight so no hole remains in the center.
• join – finish a round by working a slip stitch into the first stitch of that round.
• turn – flip your work over so you can work back in the other direction.
• fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from the work and pull the tail all the way through the last loop to lock it.
• whipstitch – a simple sewing stitch: pass the needle over the edge and back through, over and over, to join two edges.

Gauge

Gauge: 8 sts x 9 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) in alpine stitch with the 8.0 mm hook; 8 sc x 9 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) in single crochet with the 8.0 mm hook.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is how many stitches and rounds fit into 4 inches. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern's, the hood will be too loose and may slip off; if they are smaller, it will be too tight for your dog. Because this hood must fit a real head, gauge is what keeps the finished 24 in (61 cm) circumference true.

How to make a gauge swatch: With the 8.0 mm hook and navy yarn, chain 18. Work 1 sc in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across (17 sc). Work 10 rows of single crochet. Lay the swatch flat, place a measuring tape across the middle, and count how many stitches fit in 4 in (10 cm). If you have more than 8, switch to a larger hook; if fewer than 8, switch to a smaller hook. Repeat until you match.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers generously. Place one in the first stitch of every round so you always know where the round begins and ends. Place another at the join between Rnd 13 and Rnd 14, because that is your fold line for the face band.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Chenille yarn is fluffy and forgiving, but tight tension makes stiff, squeaky fabric. Keep your loops relaxed and even.
• Count your stitches at the end of every round. The counts are written in parentheses after each round. If you are off, fix it before moving on.
• Work the alpine band slowly. The FPdc is the only "new" stitch in this pattern. Practise it on Rnd 9 and it will feel natural by Rnd 11.
• Keep the right side facing out. You are working a tube, so the outside of the tube is the right side. Do not turn your work unless the pattern says "turn."
• Steam, don't press. Chenille can flatten permanently under a hot iron. Hold a steamer a few inches away instead.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: The Hood Opening (White)

With the 8.0 mm hook and white yarn, make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: ch 1, work 8 sc into the ring, join with sl st to first sc. (8 sc)

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, join. (16 sc)

Rnd 3: ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; repeat from * around, join. (24 sc)

Rnd 4: ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * around, join. (32 sc)

Rnd 5: ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; repeat from * around, join. (40 sc)

Rnd 6: ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; repeat from * around, join. (48 sc)

Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sc)

Check gauge: 48 sc should measure about 24 in (61 cm) around. Adjust hook size if needed.

Part 2: White Alpine Face Band

Rnd 8: ch 2, dc in each st around, join. (48 dc)

Rnd 9: ch 2, *FPdc around next dc, dc in next st; repeat from * around, join. (48 sts)

Rnd 10: ch 2, dc in each st around, join. (48 dc)

Rnd 11: ch 2, *FPdc around next dc, dc in next st; repeat from * around, join. (48 sts)

Rnd 12: ch 2, dc in each st around, join. (48 dc)

Rnd 13: ch 2, *FPdc around next dc, dc in next st; repeat from * around, join. (48 sts)

Fasten off white. The band is about 3 in (7.6 cm) deep and will be folded inward later.

Part 3: Navy Body

Join navy yarn with a sl st in any st of Rnd 13.

Rnd 14: ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sc)

Rnds 15–36: ch 1, sc in each st around, join. (48 sc)

At the end of Rnd 36 the tube measures about 13 in (33 cm) from the face opening. Do not fasten off yet.

Part 4: Back Shaping and Seam

Rnd 37: ch 1, sc in first 24 sts, turn, leaving remaining 24 sts unworked. (24 sc)

Row 38: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 20 sts, sc2tog, turn. (22 sc)

Row 39: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 18 sts, sc2tog, turn. (20 sc)

Row 40: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 16 sts, sc2tog, turn. (18 sc)

Row 41: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 14 sts, sc2tog, turn. (16 sc)

Row 42: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 12 sts, sc2tog, turn. (14 sc)

Row 43: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog, turn. (12 sc)

Row 44: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts, sc2tog, turn. (10 sc)

Row 45: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog, turn. (8 sc)

Row 46: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog, turn. (6 sc)

Row 47: ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog. (4 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30 cm) tail. Fold the shaped back panel flat and whipstitch the two edges together to close the back point. Weave in ends.

Part 5: Folded Face Edge

Fold the white alpine band to the inside along the join between Rnd 13 and Rnd 14. With navy yarn and a tapestry needle, tack the folded edge down at 8 evenly spaced points around the inside of the hood, catching only the back loops so the stitches do not show on the outside.

Part 6: Tiny Flower Appliqués (Make 5)

With the 4.0 mm hook and white yarn, make a magic ring.

Rnd 1: ch 1, [sc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, sc] into ring 5 times, join with sl st to first sc. (5 petals)

Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail. Pull the magic ring closed. Each flower measures about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.

Assembly and Finishing

Arrange the flowers. Place one flower about 2 in (5 cm) below the folded face edge at the center front. Scatter the remaining four around the sides and back at staggered heights between 3 and 7 in (7.6 and 18 cm) below the face edge. Pin each in place.

Sew each flower down. Thread a flower's tail onto the tapestry needle and take small stitches through the center and a few petals, catching only the surface of the navy fabric so the stitches do not show on the inside. Repeat for all five flowers.

Weave in all ends. Thread each loose tail onto the tapestry needle, run it through the inside of the fabric for about 2 in (5 cm), then trim close to the fabric.

Block gently. Hold a steamer a few inches above the white face band and let the steam open the alpine texture. Do not press flat and do not iron directly on chenille. Let the hood dry completely before your dog wears it.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors. Swap navy for forest green or charcoal and white for cream for a different seasonal look. Keep the contrast between the body and the face band so the folded edge reads clearly.
• Adjust the size. For a smaller dog, stop the opening increases one round earlier (Rnd 6 gives 40 sc, about 20 in / 51 cm around) and shorten the body by working Rnds 15–30 instead of 15–36. For an extra-large dog, add one more increase round to reach 56 sc (about 28 in / 71 cm).
• Substitute yarn. Any super bulky (weight 6) yarn works, but chenille gives the plush look. If you use a smoother yarn, check your gauge again, because the fabric will behave differently.
• Add more flowers. Make seven or nine flowers and scatter them further down the back for a fuller "avalanche" of frost. Each flower uses only a few yards of white yarn.