Shawl Knitting Patterns

Shawl shapes and how they wear

Shape decides everything about how a finished shawl sits on the shoulders, and it is worth choosing deliberately rather than by the photograph. A classic top-down triangle grows from a few stitches at the neck with increases either side of a central spine, giving a deep point down the back - dramatic, and the shape most lace patterns use. A crescent curves round the shoulders and stays put without pinning, which makes it the most wearable everyday shape. A rectangle or stole is the simplest to knit and the easiest to wear over one shoulder or as a scarf. Circular and pi shawls are worked out from the centre and make the most of a large lace motif. Asymmetric shawls grow on one side only, which suits stripes and gradient yarns.

Choosing by yarn weight

• Laceweight and 2 ply: gossamer shawls that block out enormously. Slow, beautiful, and a genuine test of patience.
• 4 ply and sock weight: the workhorse. One or two skeins, endless pattern choice, wearable indoors and out.
• DK: a faster shawl with warmth and body, good for garter stitch and simple texture rather than fine lace.
• Aran and chunky: weekend wraps, big and cosy, ideal when you want a finished object rather than a long project.
• Mohair and silk held with 4 ply: adds halo and warmth without weight, and turns a plain shawl into something quietly special.

Lace, and how to survive it

Two habits make lace knitting far less stressful. Use a lifeline - a length of smooth contrasting thread threaded through a whole row of live stitches every ten or twenty rows - so a mistake costs you a few rows rather than the entire shawl. And use markers between pattern repeats, so an error is confined to one repeat and found immediately when the stitch count in that section is wrong. Read your knitting as you go: in most lace, a yarn over is always paired with a decrease, so if a row's stitch count is right the row is almost certainly right.

Yarn quantities and running out

Shawls are the project most prone to yarn anxiety, because many are worked outwards and the last few rows consume more yarn than the first fifty. Weigh your remaining yarn before starting the border - a good rule is to begin the edging while you still hold at least a third of the skein for a triangle worked top-down. If a pattern gives a metreage total, respect it, and buy a second skein of hand-dyed yarn at the time of purchase rather than hoping the lot is repeatable later.

Blocking is not optional

An unblocked lace shawl looks like a crumpled dishcloth. Soak it in cool water with wool wash for twenty minutes, squeeze out gently in a towel, then pin it out on foam mats or a bed to its full dimensions - stretching lace hard is the entire point, and a shawl can gain a third of its size. Blocking wires give a straight edge along a top edge; pins alone will scallop it. Leave it until completely dry. Wool and alpaca hold blocking well; acrylic will not hold it at all, and cotton only partly, which is worth knowing before choosing yarn for a lace design.

Gifting and occasions

Shawls make particularly good gifts because they need no sizing. Christening and baby shawls in fine white or cream 3 ply are a traditional heirloom make; a chunky wrap is a practical gift for someone always cold; and a lace stole is a common wedding make, usually started far too late.

Shawl knitting questions

How much yarn does a shawl take? Anything from a single 100g 4 ply skein for a small crescent to several hundred grams for a full lace stole. Work to the pattern's metreage.

Which shawl shape is easiest? A rectangular stole or a garter stitch triangle - no lace, no shaping to track.

Do I need circular needles? Yes for most shawls, because the stitch count grows well beyond a straight needle. A long cable is essential for the final rows.

Can I knit a shawl in acrylic? You can, but it will not block, so choose a design that relies on texture or stripes rather than opened-out lace.

What is a lifeline? A contrasting thread run through a row of live stitches so you can rip back to a known good row without losing the whole piece.