Kassel Shawl in Berroco Tillie - Downloadable PDF

Kassel Shawl in Berroco Tillie – Crochet Pattern by Åsa Buchta

The Kassel Shawl is an elegant, rectangular crochet shawl designed by Åsa Buchta and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level pattern produces a long, graceful wrap with a delicate, lace-influenced stitch pattern and fringe trim at both short ends. With finished measurements of approximately 18¼" wide by 69½" long (not including fringe), the Kassel Shawl is generously sized to drape beautifully around the shoulders or wrap loosely around the neck in cooler weather.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a rectangular shawl worked flat from one short end to the other. Its long, scarf-like proportions make it versatile enough to wear as a wrap, a shawlette, or even a wide scarf. Fringe is added at both short ends after the body is complete, lending a relaxed, bohemian finish to an otherwise refined fabric. The Kassel Shawl is an excellent project for crocheters who are comfortable with basic stitches and ready to explore a repeating lace-style stitch pattern that creates visual movement across the fabric.

Construction and Techniques

The shawl is constructed using a straightforward flat, back-and-forth construction, beginning with a foundation chain of 85 stitches and worked row by row until the full length is achieved. Because the piece is worked from end to end rather than from a center point outward, the stitch count remains consistent throughout, making it easy to track progress and maintain an even fabric.

• Foundation chain: The shawl begins with a chain of 85, with the first row establishing 83 working stitches across.
• Flat, rectangular construction: All rows are turned, keeping the fabric uniform in width from start to finish.
• Fringe application: Once the body is complete, fringe is attached to both short ends, adding length and decorative texture.
• Blocking: The pattern explicitly states that gauge is measured after blocking, making wet or steam blocking an essential finishing step to open up the lace pattern and achieve the correct dimensions.

Stitch Pattern

The defining feature of the Kassel Shawl is its repeating stitch pattern built from a combination of double crochet (dc) stitches and chain-1 spaces with strategic skipped stitches. This creates an open, lattice-like texture that is both visually appealing and relatively quick to work once the repeat is memorized. The pattern is worked over an 8-stitch repeat that measures approximately 1¾" wide, and the full stitch pattern cycles through multiple rows before repeating, giving the fabric a sense of diagonal or shifting movement.

• Double crochet (dc): The primary structural stitch used throughout the pattern, forming the solid columns of the fabric.
• Chain-1 spaces (ch-1 sp): Used to create deliberate openings in the fabric, contributing to the lace-like quality of the design.
• Skip stitches: Stitches are skipped in a calculated sequence each row, working in tandem with the chain spaces to shift the open areas across the fabric and build the overall pattern motif.
• Turning chain: A chain-3 at the beginning of each row counts as a double crochet throughout, maintaining clean, even edges.

The stitch pattern is described across multiple set rows, each building on the placement of chain spaces from the previous row. This progressive shifting of the open stitches is what gives the Kassel Shawl its distinctive, flowing texture. At an intermediate skill level, the pattern is well-suited to crocheters who are comfortable reading multi-row repeats and working into chain spaces rather than into the tops of stitches.

Gauge

Achieving accurate gauge is emphasized in the pattern. The stated gauge is 18 double crochet and 7 rows = 4" / 10 cm in the pattern stitch, measured after blocking. Because blocking can significantly open up a lace or semi-lace fabric, working a gauge swatch and blocking it before beginning the full shawl is strongly recommended