Eretria

Eretria Crochet Shawl by Berniolie

What is Being Made

Eretria is a crocheted shawl designed by Berniolie, an independent designer. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a generous triangular or wrap-style shawl measuring 185 cm (74 inches) long and 50 cm (20 inches) wide after blocking, making it an ideal accessory for layering or draping.

Craft and Construction Method

This project uses the crochet technique throughout. Crochet is a fiber craft that uses a single hook to create interlocking loops of yarn, building fabric from a foundation chain. The Eretria shawl is classified as a beginner-level crochet project, making it accessible to those new to the craft while still producing an elegant finished garment.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs a variety of fundamental and decorative crochet stitches to create texture and shaping:

• Chain (ch) – the foundation stitch that begins the project and creates openwork spaces throughout
• Single crochet (sc) – a short, tight stitch used for structure and detail work, including in picot edging
• Double crochet (dc) – a medium-height stitch that forms the primary fabric of the shawl
• Double crochet 3 together (dc3tog) – a decrease stitch that shapes the shawl
• 5 double crochet shell (5dc-shell) – a decorative stitch cluster created by working five double crochets into a single stitch or space, adding visual interest and texture
• Triple treble crochet (trtr) – a tall stitch that creates openwork and drape
• Picot (P) – a decorative edging element created by chaining 3 and securing with a single crochet, adding a delicate finished edge

Materials Required

Yarn: The pattern calls for 4 skeins of Drops Flora, a 4-ply weight yarn. Each skein contains 50 grams and yields 210 meters (approximately 1.8 ounces and 230 yards per skein). This yarn weight is medium-light, providing good stitch definition while remaining drapable for a shawl.

Crochet Hook: A 4 mm crochet hook is required to work with the specified yarn weight and achieve the correct gauge.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 19 double crochets over 10 rows, measuring 4 inches by 4 inches (10 cm by 10 cm). Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the shawl to reach its intended finished dimensions of 185 cm long and 50 cm wide after blocking.

Pattern Format

Eretria is provided as a downloadable PDF pattern with clear abbreviations and stitch instructions using US crochet terminology. The pattern includes standard notational conventions such as parentheses for repeat instructions, square brackets for stitch counts, and specific chain-space indicators (such as ch5-sp) to guide construction. This structured format supports crocheters in following the design accurately from start to finish.