How Big?

[Laura Strycker]

I'm at a beginner/intermediate level in crochet.  I found a tutorial online for a rectangular prayer shawl.  There are no written instructions for the pattern, just her instruction.  She says it's a very large shawl, and to crochet in multiples of 3 to the length of 1 meter 85 centimeters long.  I'm making the shawl for a plus sized friend of mine that has a shirt size 24/26, or 3X.  I want the shawl to be big enough to wrap around her, and still have room left over (about 30 centimeters on each side) to drape/hang.  

I don't have a problem chaining until I reach the correct length...but I don't know how to figure out what that length should be.  HELP! 

 

Much thanks in advance to all who are able to help me out with this! <3
 

[Granny Square]

What a sweet thing you're doing for your friend!  So the length is the fingertip-to-fingertip direction, right?  That's usually about the person's height, and you want it to be a little longer than that to wrap around  the shoulders nicely (30cm or roughly 1' on each side is ample).  A person's clothing size really doesn't factor into this (one's 'wingspan' doesn't change), so about 60 centimeters longer than she is tall should work.

[Laura Strycker]

Thank you!  Yes, it's finger tip to finger tip.  I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure this out for myself!  I wasn't sure if clothing size would factor or not.  All I could think of on my own was that if I knew how many yards of material went into making her a shirt I could convert that to centimeters, and add 60 centimeters to whatever that number was.  I didn't want to ask her for exact measurements because this is supposed to be a surprise for her birthday.  On the flip side of that because it's a present I don't want to make it too small, or too big either.  Thanks for the advice!

[magiccrochetfan]

I think it depends on how you expect the shawl to be worn. If you want her to be able to wrap it around herself, and have any excess to hang down, then you do have to account for her bust measurement. I can't find but one example right now but it is very long at 95 inches http://www.marlybird.com/crochet-lace-stole-shelley/

[Jayashiangel]

As a plus size person you also want to remember our breast area tends to take up more space when wrapping over to keep warm longer is always better then too short

[Avon Lady]

My group belongs to a Prayer Shawl Ministry, and we make many shawls each year for them.  We also make them as special orders, etc., and to sell.  Our general "go to" size is 20" X 60" for a rectangular shawl.  This requires about 19 to 20 ounces of regular weight yarn.  We don't make wool shawls, because of allergies.  We also make "triangular" shawls=3 20" squares joined together in a triangle.  These are favorites.  I'd be glad to share any patterns with you.

God bless!

[Granny Square]

I understand what y'all are saying on covering the bust measurement, but height plus 2' should work. (30 cm is about 1', and the OP wanted a 30cm overlap on each end).  If the friend is a petite 5' tall, the shawl  would be 7' (84") long; the friend's 3x size is a 52" bust measurement according to google.

[magiccrochetfan]

Hey Granny Square, thanks for the translation to inches.   I admit    I can't think in cm, so I really didn't know how long 30 cm would be.  It certainly seems like 84" would be plenty long.  Have to admit I find it awkward to wrangle very long scarves myself and hate to accidentally drag on the ground while putting it on.  

 

I have mixed feelings about shawls personally so I hesitate to say too much, but I guess I'll go ahead and share one thought---A shawl can be a pretty flexible garment.  It can be worn scrunched up as a scarf (especially if it is in a light weight yarn so the fabric is thin) and in this case it doesn't need to be terribly long as it is only going around the neck with some tails to hang down.   That's how I wear the one shawl I've made for myself.  

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[Granny Square]

It stuck in my head at some point that 12" is ~30.5 cm so I use that to 'mentally eyeball' things.  

 

I wouldn't make a neck scarf that long (I've been known to unwittingly slam the ends in car doors, bleah!), but (for me) a shawl to warm the arms a bit needs a little more to wrap around (lower than the neck)to keep it from falling off.  Granted, I haven't worn one since hippy-dippy fashion) was "in" (ahem)...The 60" given above seemed really short, but probably not if it's for someone who is chair-bound.

[Avon Lady]

 

I wouldn't make a neck scarf that long (I've been known to unwittingly slam the ends in car doors, bleah!), but (for me) a shawl to warm the arms a bit needs a little more to wrap around (lower than the neck)to keep it from falling off.  Granted, I haven't worn one since hippy-dippy fashion) was "in" (ahem)...The 60" given above seemed really short, but probably not if it's for someone who is chair-bound.

The shawls we make in our group are for Hospice patients, so they don't need to be really long.  Those shawls are really more for "comfort" for a patient.  But people we sell the triangular shawls to really like the three squares sewn together in a "V" shape!  They are warm, and stay on the shoulders very well.  The other long shawls aren't really too popular among people who just want something to keep their shoulders warm.

The 20" X 60" is the size mostly suggested for Hospice patients' Prayer Shawls.