making a shawl

[Tracy C]

I am a high school teacher who heads a crochet club. Last year I taught girls how to make scarves....we are all at the basic single and double crochet level. This year I thought I would have everyone make shawls....which in reality would just be glorified longer and wider scarves with fringe. My question is this....can anyone tell me approx. how many to chain length wise? Approx. how wide and how much yarn do you think?

Thanks! Tracy

[Mermaiden]

Here's an easy pattern I recently used on my first shawl that might help -

http://home.wideopenwest.com/~sag55/sshawl.html

It uses a triple at the end, but it's just like a double with one more loop to go through. It didn't take more than a skein of worsted yarn.

[Shellybrook]

WOW! I was about to send the exact same link when I decided I should check out Mermaid's suggestion...for selfish reasons of course. I have to comment, I've made TWO of these. They work up really easy and in no time at all! I used bulky yarn in both cases. Very pretty. one of them I made pom poms at the corners. Definitely a good pattern for the beginner.

 

I was actually thinking of folding it down and stitching enough on either side to make a simple shrug. My friend talked me out of it, but I keep thinking about it so I'm going to have to try it.

[yarnart]

And this pattern makes a shawl? A triangle? Also, can I use sugar and cream cotton yarn for this? I think it would be nice.

[bookermom]

We make prayer shawls at our church. Most follow patterns. I just take off and go. I like the rectangular shawl, and find the V stitch (dc, ch 2, dc) is easy, fast and flexible. My width is to chain from my shoulder to finger, or length from fingertip to fingertip with arms extended. Widthwise is good for impatient people or who have a little window of time to complete a rown. Lenthwise for longer periods of time, and it seems to grow in front of your eyes. Here is a pattern, scoll down: http://www.maggiescrochet.com/pages/Crochet_Help/Prayer_Shawl_main.pdf#search=%22v%20stitch%20shawl%22

 

good luck to you! I would love to teach girls! I teach teenage boys in group homes - shawls aren't their thing!

 

Ginger

[Shellybrook]

I can't say for sure about the cotton yarn, I've never crocheted with cotton, but here is a picture of the shawl I did make with this pattern. I made another one too. In both cases I used bulky yarns. Hope this helps.

 

 

[tiggerhale]

I just finished one for Breast Cancer - the width at the top was 5 feet before the border. It started in the point. I've also heard of doing one as wide as you want and then just decreasing on each end until you're down to one.

[Scorpio59]

For anyone interested in making triangular shawls,

 

This Half Granny Square shawl looks easy enough to do and because it is a granny and you have to crochet into spaces rather than stitches any yarn will work!

 

I have a skein of RH burgany set aside for this simple project and plan to edge it in a simple dc shell stitch all around.