Cabled Shawl

Cabled Shawl Crochet Pattern by Annelies Baes

What Is Being Made

The Cabled Shawl is a sideways-worked crochet shawl designed by Annelies Baes. This intermediate-level project creates a large, elegant wrap with impressive dimensions of 175 cm (69 inches) in wingspan and 112 cm (44.5 inches) in depth, making it suitable for layering over shoulders or draping across the back.

Construction Method

This shawl is constructed using a sideways working technique, meaning the piece is built horizontally from bottom to top rather than the more common top-down approach. The pattern incorporates strategic increases every 8th row (at rows 45, 53, 61, 69, and continuing in this sequence) by working 2 half treble crochet stitches into the final stitch of these designated rows. These increase rows align with the completion of cable motifs, creating a visually cohesive design where the cable crossings are finished at regular intervals.

Crochet Stitches and Techniques Used

The Cabled Shawl employs several key crochet stitches to achieve its textured, dimensional appearance:

• Half Treble Crochet (htr) – The primary stitch used throughout the shawl, forming the base fabric
• Front Post Double Treble Crochet (FPdtr) – Used to create the cable effect, with 4 front post double trebles crossed together (4FPdtr) to form individual cable motifs
• Chain Stitches (ch) – Used for spacing and shaping, particularly in conjunction with cable crossings

The pattern uses UK crochet terminology throughout. The cable technique involves crossing stitches to create raised, rope-like textures that give the shawl its distinctive cabled appearance. The pattern includes 2 crochet charts to guide stitch placement and cable positioning.

Yarn and Materials

The Cabled Shawl is worked with Wool Addicts Air, a yarn blend composed of 84% merino wool and 16% acrylic. This fiber content provides warmth, breathability, and durability while maintaining softability. The pattern requires 7 balls of yarn in the Shade Ochre, with each ball containing 50g and yielding 125 meters (137 yards).

A 6 mm crochet hook is used to work the yarn. The recommended gauge is 16 half treble crochet stitches by 11–12 rows over a 10 cm (4 inch) square, though the pattern notes that gauge is not crucial for this project, allowing for flexibility in tension and final sizing.

Additional materials needed include scissors, a ruler, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and increase rows, pins and a blocking mat for finishing and shaping the completed shawl.

Pattern Format and Difficulty

This is a downloadable PDF pattern suitable for intermediate crocheters. The intermediate difficulty level reflects the use of post stitches for cable creation and the sideways construction method, which requires understanding how increases integrate with the cable motif repeats. The pattern is written using standard crochet abbreviations and includes visual charts to support the written instructions.