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One of my favorite crocheted pieces ever was a beautiful crochet shawl that I made for my mother in law for Christmas. I found some beautiful yarn in her favorite emerald green color, and it was a dream to crochet. She loved it, and wore it to church the next Sunday we were with her.
Unfortunately, in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I didn’t ever get a chance to take any photos of the finished shawl to share with you all! So, when Marie and Pia announced their Xmas in July CAL, and that they were looking for great crochet gifts for women, I signed up as quickly as I could!
This beautiful shawl was my result:
This beautiful shawl uses a fairly simple stitch pattern. The two row repeat is simple to memorize, for easy, relaxing crochet time. Plus, since it’s worked from the wide top edge down to make the trapezoid shape, each row repeat works up more quickly than the last.
Since we’re in the middle of July in Florida now, though, I chose to work this up in one of my all time favorite yarns- Cascade Ultra Pima. This lovely yarn is ultra soft, and made from 100% Pima Cotton, which is as luxurious as it sounds!
This yarn comes in twisted hanks- so you’ll need to take the time to wind it before you start crocheting. I always use my trusty yarn winder, but you can wind by hand, too. The gorgeous sheen and silky soft drape of the Pima cotton is worth it though!
Materials
I/9 5.5mm Crochet Hook – Have you tried the Furls Streamlines?
Knit Picks Yarn Winder – read why I recommend this winder here!
Abbreviations
Ch- chain
Sc- single crochet
Dc – double crochet
Pc- picot
Qc- quintuple crochet
Sk – skip
St – stitch
Special Stitches
Picot- Chain 3, slip stitch into first chain.
Quintuple Crochet- Yarn over 4 times, insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, (yarn over and pull through 2 loops) 5 times. Stitch complete.
Shell- place 5 double crochet stitches into the same stitch.
V stitch – (Double crochet, chain 1, double crochet) into same st.
Gauge / Finished Size
1 full repeat (sc, 5dc, sc) and 4 rows in pattern per 2”; 74” by 16” after blocking.
Notes
Shawl is worked from widest point down, in decreasing rows.
Sample is worked as a trapezoid shape, but if desired, you can continue the same pattern for a complete triangle shawl, but your yardage will vary.
Consider buying extra yarn or you may have to frog and stop two rows short- my sample used very nearly all the yarn!
Instructions
Chain 248 (or a multiple of 6 plus 2.)
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook, *ch 1, sk 2 ch, V-st in next ch, ch 1, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch,* repeat * to * across row. [41 V-sts, 42 sc (and 82 ch sp not including V-sts)]
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, work a sc into first sc, *sk 2, work shell in center of V-st, sk 2, work sc in next sc,* repeat * to * across row. [41 shells, 42 sc]
Row 3: Ch 5, turn, sk 3, sc in center stitch of shell, *ch 1, sk 2, V-st into sc, ch 1, sk 2, sc into center stitch of next shell, *repeat from * to * across row, Qc into final sc. [1 ch-5 lp, 40 V-st, 41 sc, 1 Qc]
Row 4: Without chaining, turn, sk Qc, and place a sc in sc, *sk 2, place shell in center of V-st, sk 2, place sc in next sc,* repeat * to * across row. [40 shells, 42 sc]
Row 5: Ch 5, turn, sk 3, sc in center stitch of shell, *ch 1, sk 2, V-st into sc, ch 1, sk 2, sc into center stitch of next shell,* repeat from * to * across row, Qc into final sc. [1 ch5-lp, 39 V-st, 40 sc, 1 q]
Rows 6-37: Repeat Rows 4 and 5.
Note: Your stitch counts will decrease by one on every odd row, and correspond with the previous row’s counts every even row.
Row 38 (Final Row): Without chaining, turn, sk Qc, and place a sc in sc, *sk 2, place (3dc, pc, 2dc) in center of V-st, sk 2, place sc in next sc,* repeat * to * across row. [23 shells with picots, 24 sc]
Finish off, and weave in all ends. I found that working my ends into the shell stitches provided the most fluid results that allowed my lace to open up nicely, but kept my ends secure.
Additional Notes for Modifying the Pattern
This shawl is very generously sized, at 74″ wide. If you prefer a shorter shawl, you can shorten your starting chain. Just work in multiples of 6, + 2 for the turning chain and final stitch.
If you would rather have a full triangle shape, you can simply continue in pattern, and work your final row when only one V stitch repeat remains. You’ll need to buy plenty of extra yarn!
If you prefer to substitute weights, this pattern would work well in any size yarn. Some tips to keep in mind are:
- Use a hook size slightly larger than the manufacturer recommends to keep the lace light and airy.
- Keep in mind that the lace will open and grow a few inches when blocking.
- Check out the Ravelry Listing to see some tester photos and projects!
How to Join the Christmas in July CAL
Hey friend! Would you enjoy crocheting your Christmas gifts early? Me too! Here’s the quick start guide:
- Jump right in and start crocheting!
- Share your progress and post pictures of your finished projects. Tag your projects and posts #CrochetChristmasInJuly on all social media. (Tag me, too! @saltypearlcrochet or #saltypearlcrochet so I can comment!)
- Want to compare color choices and progress with other crocheters? I’d love to have you in the Salty Pearl Crochet Circle, or join the Scrappy Stitchers and Underground CraftersFacebook groups or visit this thread in the Underground Crafter Ravelry group.
- If you complete all the patterns you’ll have 16 awesome Christmas gifts ready! Work through your Crochet Christmas List with a group of new crochet buddies- it’ll be so much fun!
Thank you so much for supporting Salty Pearl Crochet! Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information about the pattern. I love seeing your creations on Ravelry or Instagram (#SaltyPearlCrochet), and I am always happy to offer pattern support for all of my crochet patterns as written.
You are more than welcome to sell any finished items made from this pattern. Please use your own photos and credit Katie Clary as the designer. Links back to my blog post are greatly appreciated! Please feel free to share this pattern by directing others to this blog post or the Ravelry listing, NOT by distributing the pattern or photos as your own.
Want to connect? Join the Salty Pearl Crochet Circle so we can crochet together on Facebook. I would love to crochet along with you! Join my mailing list and receive the first updates and even some special promos and discounts in my newsletter, or you can follow me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaltyPearlCrochet/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theSaltyPearl/
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janet says
Hi please can i join your newsletters
Katie says
Hi there, Janet!
I would be so happy to email you! You can sign up for the newsletter at https://saltypearlcrochet.com/subscribe
I wish I could just manually add you to my list but unfortunately due to GDPR regulations, even if I did add your email address, I wouldn’t be allowed to email you.
Thanks a bunch for commenting!
Katie
Christine says
Hi Katie,
Love your ‘salty pearl crochet shawl’! But, I am a big lady. And, I have not crocheted in years. This shawl seriously caught my eye and I’d like to work it up. But I would need it about a third larger. How many chains to start with would you suggest please? I can be reached at; [email protected].
Thank you for your time.
Christine
Katie says
Hi Christine!
The starting chain for the Mermaid Tears shawl is a multiple of 6, plus 2. Since my chain started with 248, subtract 2, to see 246 chains, then divide by 6 to see that there are 41 pattern repeats in the shawl as written.
So, to make the shawl about a third larger, I would aim for 55 repeats (because 41×1.33= 54.5). Multiply that by 6, and you get 330 chains, then add 2, and you get 332.
So, for you, I would recommend 332 chains to start (if you’ve got the same gauge as me.)
Keep in mind that you’ll be increasing your yardage requirements also- but I’m not quite as great with the math for area to yardage conversions. (I’d need to finish my morning coffee first!)
Hope that helps!
Katie
Harriet says
Hi Katie,
I just found your shawl pattern and it’s beautiful. I want to make it a proper rectangle instead of a trapezoid. What adjustments would I need to do? Thank you.
Katie says
Hi Harriet!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this stitch pattern as much as me! I’m actually working on a rectangular version of this as we speak… just slowly because my hands are still bothersome. I hope to publish next month in May. BUT, if you’re adventurous, I’d look at the row repeats in the Mermaid Tears Beanie to start with. You’ll need to work in a multiple of 6, plus 1 if you’re making a flat (not joined) rectangle. Have fun experimenting!
Katie
Dorothy says
Just love this shawl… and I’m a huge Cascade Ultra Pima fan, too! I live in South Florida and have used this yarn for all my grandchildren’s blankets. I’m wondering if you were able to work up the rectangular version of this nice shawl pattern? I hope your hands are feeling much better… for someone who is so creative it must be a particular challenge. Thanks for sharing your beautiful creations.
Katie says
Fun to hear from a fellow Florida crocheter! Pima cotton is definitely a staple around these parts! I haven’t yet worked up the rectangular version yet, but I think it’s because I started to attempt it in a finer yarn and it was taking too long. I have some pretty yarn in mind to work it up soon though!
Thanks so much for the lovely note! I appreciate you taking the time to write such a nice note.
Happy crocheting, Dorothy!
Katie