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Prayer Shawl


thatsamiam

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Hello! My name is Sam and I am new to crocheting. I'm self taught so I'm not the best but I'm learning. I've made a few blankets with my best one being an american flag blanket (the stars took forever). I can make a mean pot holder and wash cloth set too. Last year I crocheted a yarmukle for my brother, which was the first time I successfully followed a pattern.  

Right now I'm trying to make a shawl/prayer shawl for my best friends mom who just started chemotherapy. I try to mostly watch youtube videos to help since I have difficulty with following along to a written pattern.

Basically I'm wondering, how much does it affect your pattern if you use a thicker yarn and larger hook than suggested for a specific pattern? Most of the ones I find that I really like use a thin-ish yarn and a 4mm or 5mm hook. I'm trying to make something thick, warm, and cozy, which uses a 6mm or 7mm hook (more like something you'd make a blanket with). I tend to favor the double crochet stitch because it's easy and looks good, but I want this to be special with a nicer pattern. I started to make something following a video online, and the pattern just looks kind of smooshed and you can't really see it. Is there a way to modify a pattern for thicker yarns? If anyone has any input I would appreciate it!

Edited by thatsamiam
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I find that you loose the lacey effect in patterns when you try using bulkier yarn in patterns written for thinner yarns if that is what you are seeing.  Its a matter of whether you like the look or not.  Another thing to try is experimenting with larger hooks than what you are using.   If you decide to search for a different pattern dont limit your search to prayer shawls but also search afghans and scarves.

https://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Afghans/Bulky-Yarn-Crochet-Blanket-Patterns

Edited by bgs
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Hello and Welcome!

Using thicker yarn than suggested in a pattern means that project will be bigger (longer & wider). Unless you would start using smaller hook and crochet that tighter. Crocheting with smaller hook/tighter dos not mean that you will get the same size as shown on that pattern working with thinner yarn.

Try to make a bigger "Swatch" and figure it out how many stitches goes to 5" ( I would not recommend smaller swatch than that). And compare to the thinner yarn  to the size of that project from that pattern. Or just make another  "Swatch" with that thinner yarn and compare. You need to do little Math to figure it out what kind of difference that would make..??. You might have to change the amount of stitches & rows. So you would not end-up with way to big shawl that is needed.

Good Luck :)

Krys

 

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Welcome to the 'ville - I'm impressed!  I've been crocheting for decades, I have a couple of flag blanket patterns but haven't made one, because the thought of the all those stars made me put the patterns back in their folder...

You mentioned 'smooshed', really for a super thick yarn the simpler stitch pattern the better, plain DC is fine but some of the thicker yarns are 'fluffy' so a complex stitch pattern might be less defined than if you used a tighter spin yarn as thinner yarns tend to be.  (I think of 'smooshed'="too tight, squished together", but I don't think that's how you meant it?  Smudged maybe?)

Do you have some of the thick yarn & appropriate size hook you want to use?  Make a swatch with your big yarn and big hook following the # of stitches in the gauge given in the pattern - you are obviously not going to match the gauge, but it will help you figure this out. 

Example, I have  some Red Heart Super Saver handy, the skein suggests 12 stitches x 15 rows in sc = 4" square using (US I hook, 5.5mm), let's pretend that's your pattern gauge.  Now the fun part (whips out the calculator) that means 1 stitch is 0.3333" across.  (4 inches divided by 12 stitches)

Picking out an arbitrary super bulky yarn on the Yarnspirations site, Bernat Softee Chunky says "Crochet Gauge: 8 sc and 9 rows with a 8 mm (U.S. L/11) crochet hook=4", so 1 stitch is 0.5" across--let's say that matches your gauge with the yarn you want to use.

I'm not recommending these yarns, this is a math example, to make something not divisible by 4" wide you need to do the math that you get for your gauge for your yarn, per stitch, and compare it to the pattern gauge, to figure out how to get a similar sized thing.

What sort of shawl shape were you thinking of?  Types that I can think of that would be easiest to 'covert', in the sense of 'working until the right size, at the wrong gauge: 

(1) A stole (narrow rectangle)

(2) Triangle shape that starts at the bottom end (work until it is wide enough, usually you want it at least 6" beyond a person's 'wingspan' or height, which helps to keep it from falling off without pinning it.

(3) A triangle shawl that starts at the top end, in the middle, and that end gets wider and it forms a point all the way along and you can stop when it is the right size

If you make a rectangle, and there is some sort stitch multiple to the pattern you want to use that doesn't tell you the stitch multiple - make a chain longer than you think you need, you can pick the excess chains out later (they will not unravel from the knot end).  Some bulky yarns are unstable though (like Lion Brand Homespun) or might be otherwise hard to pick out (chenille maybe), so this might not be an option.

I see others have responded as I've typed this, I see we are in agreement!

edited to fix typos

 

 

 

Edited by Granny Square
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This free beginner's pattern (scroll down a little for download link) is a bulky shawl pattern especially for beginners. (Sorry, no video). The yarn suggested might not be available at this time, but, any #5 weight yarn will suffice. It works up fast and with the right yarn would be soft and lacy.

ETA: Here is a lovely shawl on video that may pique your interest.

Edited by ReniC
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thanks for all the feedback everyone! I decided to not use a thicker yarn and use the one that was recommended for the pattern and it turned out really nicely! The only downside is that my neck is a little out of alignment and I have a knot in my back because I guess I tense up a bit when I'm working? But I'm still learning!

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On 10/26/2020 at 8:23 PM, thatsamiam said:

thanks for all the feedback everyone! I decided to not use a thicker yarn and use the one that was recommended for the pattern and it turned out really nicely! The only downside is that my neck is a little out of alignment and I have a knot in my back because I guess I tense up a bit when I'm working? But I'm still learning!

I'm glad for you the shawl turned out to your liking. Be sure and stop crocheting about every 30 minutes or so, get up and move around for a few minutes and do some stretches too. This helps keep the "kinks" out.

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