Architecture of crocheted shawl design.

[Horsy]

I know that there is a book available (maybe more than one) on the basic ideas behind all the various styles of knitted shawls.

Does anyone here know of similar instructions for crocheted shawls of different types and shapes?  I am looking for basic anatomy, which we would then use as a general guide when designing a shawl.  Many thanks.  

Edited January 25, 2021 by Horsy

[Granny Square]

Interesting question.  I would think the guides would both have the same underlying roots of geometry, which would be the same for both. Example, you don't need a pattern to make a basic hat; a hat involves pi=circumference divided by diameter--there are many sites that gives the average head circumference and hat depth for kids to adults, that is really all you need to know, besides how to knit or crochet, to make a hat (make a flat circle with the right diameter for the recipient's head, then work without increasing for the depth - done).  Yes, if you had a fancy stitch repeat you'd have to calculate how that is going to work, but that's beyond the scope of a 'basic shape' guide.

The only thing that I can think of is generic shape rules, not necessarily just for shawls, like - how many extra stitches do you put in corners to make a square? (typically 3 for crochet, 5 for DC).  Or, how many stitches do you add each round for a flat circle?  (sc=6, hdc=9, dc=12 is the rule, but might depend on your stitch height gauge)

Googling 'how to make different shawl shapes' yielded a whole bunch of (probably mostly) knit sites on the subject.  A knit or purl stitch is just a slightly squatty SC, so 'theory' should work for both, but you will have to work with the theory, your stitch gauge, and the stitch you want to use.  Be prepared for a lot of ripping / trial and error--this would be the case even if the sites were for crochet.

https://knitting.today/shawl-design-for-everybody/  This looked interesting, it's knitting but also gives descriptions and diagrams.  Hmm, it would probably help to translate some terms, knitting increases and decreases are confusing because they lean, and there's a billion way to do them...well, lots....holey moley, there are a lot more of them of them that I thought, this is copied from the craft yarn council site and I deleted all the knitting terms that weren't increases or decreases.

Abbreviation      Description

kfb         knit 1 into front and back of a stitch; single knit increase

ksp         knit 1 stitch, slip this stitch from right needle to left needle, pass second stitch on left needle over first stitch and off left needle; return stitch to right needle; single right-leaning decrease

k2tog     knit 2 stitches together; single right-leaning decrease

M1 or M1K          make one stitch knitwise; single knit increase

M1R       make one right; single right-leaning knit increase

M1L       make one left; single left-leaning knit increase

M1p       make one purlwise; single purl increase

M1rp     make one right purlwise; single right-leaning purl increase

M1lp      make one left purlwise; single left-leaning purl increase

pfb         purl 1 into front and back of a stitch; single purl increase

p2tog    purl 2 stitches together; single decrease

SKP        slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slip stitch over knit stitch; single left-leaning decrease

SK2P      slip 1 knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over knit 2 together; double left-leaning decrease

ssk          slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease

ssp         slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and purl them together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease

sssk        slip 3 stitches knitwise, knit these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease

sssp       slip 3 stitches knitwise, return these 3 stitches to left needle and purl these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease

S2KP2    slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch; centered double decrease

SSPP2    slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and then slip them as if to p2tog through back loops, purl 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over purl stitch; centered double decrease

yo           yarn over (increase – leaves a lacy hole)

 

 

[Horsy]

My goodness, you have outdone yourself.  Thank you.   I went to that site.  There was mention of a faroese shawl.  I have a crochet pattern for one and if I thought that crocheting something by just following a pattern was all there was to it - well, I was wrong.  I could not do it.   There are easier faroese type shawls, but they are not the real thing.  

 

[Granny Square]

You're welcome.  I cheated on the knit terms, I copied and pasted a list of knitting terms  from somewhere and deleted the ones that weren't increases or decreases - but crickey!  I knew there were a lot but didn't think there were THAT many...

I'm sorry you had trouble with that pattern.  I'm usually pretty stubborn and try to stick with a difficult pattern but sometimes I just have to say "enough already, life is too short..."  

[Horsy]

sometimes I just have to say "enough already, life is too short..."  

 

No truer words.  Thanx for the sympathy.  😊