Crochet - Chunky Cowl

I'm in a crochet mood.  I have a yarn stash that doesn't get used nearly enough.  I found this beautiful yarn I bought a while back and looked for a free crochet pattern for one of those cool cowls that are so popular this winter.  This pattern was so easy and I'm thrilled with the result:

I followed this pattern from JJCrochet's Blog.  It uses a double herringbone stitch which is easy and creates a ribbed effect.  I changed two things from the pattern.  First, I decided how long to make the cowl by "eyeing it" where I wanted it around my neck.  The other thing I changed from the pattern was to whip stitch the ends after twisting the cowl once to create the cowl look.  This pattern was a lot easier than crocheting in the round.  I'm getting many compliments:

cindy