Châle Fondary

Châle Fondary Crochet Shawl by Belinda Benony

What is Being Made

The Châle Fondary is a crocheted shawl designed by independent designer Belinda Benony. This finished shawl measures 160cm x 85cm (63" x 33") without tassels, making it a generous triangular or rectangular wrap suitable for layering or draping. The project is classified as intermediate difficulty, making it accessible to crocheters with some experience beyond basic techniques.

Crochet Techniques and Construction

This shawl employs several fundamental crochet techniques to create its structure and visual interest. The pattern uses row-by-row construction, building the shawl from a foundation chain upward through repeated rows. The design incorporates increases at strategic points to create the shawl's expanding shape, with double crochet and treble crochet stitches worked into the same stitch to add width and dimension.

A notable technique featured in the pattern is the ch2 space (chain-2 space), which creates decorative openwork sections throughout the fabric. The instructions show how to work multiple stitches into these chain spaces—specifically (2dc, ch2, 2dc) and (2tr, ch2, 2tr) combinations—to build texture and lace-like qualities. The pattern also uses skip stitch sequences combined with chain spaces to create rhythm and visual pattern across rows.

The pattern notes important stitch substitutions at the beginning of rows: replacing a standard double crochet with 3 chains and a treble crochet with 4 chains. This technique helps maintain even edges and proper stitch height as the shawl expands.

Stitches Used

• Slip stitch (slst) — used for joining and finishing
• Chain (ch) — foundation and decorative spacing
• Single crochet (sc) — basic stitch for structure
• Double crochet (dc) — primary stitch for fabric body and increases
• Treble crochet (tr) — used in later rows for height variation and decorative elements

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Châle Fondary is designed to be worked in aran weight yarn, a medium-weight category ideal for creating fabric with good drape and definition. The pattern calls for Phil Mikado yarn from Phildar, a blend of 70% acrylic and 30% wool, available in 100g skeins with yardage of 165m-180yd per skein. The recommended colorway shown is pétunia, a rich jewel tone that enhances the shawl's finished appearance.

The acrylic-wool blend provides practical benefits: the acrylic component offers durability and easy care, while the wool adds warmth, elasticity, and a refined texture. This fiber content is well-suited to intermediate crocheters and ensures the finished shawl will hold its shape and block effectively.

Finishing Details

The pattern includes finishing instructions and blocking guidance. The shawl is designed to be blocked to its final dimensions, which helps even out the stitches and allows the lace and textured sections to fully open and display their pattern definition. Tassels are mentioned as an optional embellishment, adding decorative fringe to the edges if desired.