Free Lightweight Crochet Shawl Pattern – The Canoe Shawl

This free lightweight crochet shawl pattern is a simple summer project that’ll show you how to create a light, fingering weight yarn wrap.

The Free Canoe Shawl Crochet Pattern

If you are looking for a free project that balances elegance with ease, the Canoe Shawl is the perfect lightweight crochet shawl to add to your collection, and you can make it in 2 sizes.

Designed to be a meditative and peaceful wrap, this simple accessory is the easiest way to transform your favorite light fibers into a stunning summer staple.

Whether you are clearing out your stash or looking for a way to highlight a precious weight of scrappy hand-dyed wool, this uniquely constructed piece is as fun to crochet as it is to wear.

How To Crochet The Canoe Shawl

Learning how to crochet this lightweight crochet shawl is a easy process that makes it the ideal pattern for bedside crafting.

To begin, you’ll need about 800-900 yards of fingering weight yarn, making it a fantastic choice for using up sock yarn scraps and advent calendar minis.

By using a 5.5 mm (I) crochet hook, you create a simple and airy drape that works beautifully as a shawl, scarf or a delicate wrap.

This scrappy tutorial will show you the easiest steps to crochet your shawl row by row, resulting in a light and breathable summer garment you’ll reach for year-round.

Free Crochet Pattern: Lightweight Canoe Shawl

Pattern Information:

Notes:

This shawl was designed to be a meditative, peaceful crochet project you can leave in a basket near your bed and work on for a few rounds each night before drifting off to sleep. Easy and intuitive, it is ideal for using leftover sock-yarn scraps and advent-calendar mini skeins.

About the construction

Canoe Shawl begins with a foundation chain at the center and grows outward in continuous spiral rounds. Each new color begins immediately after the second 7-dc point of the preceding round. At each end, 7 double crochets are worked into the marked center stitch. The fourth dc of each 7-dc group becomes the new marked center stitch, creating the gently pointed, canoe-like silhouette.

Choose your length:

*Provisional until the revised H/8-hook sample is completed and blocked. Finished measurements and yarn use vary with gauge, yarn, and blocking.

Materials:

Advent version: 24 different 20 g fingering-weight mini skeins. Use Mini 1 for the foundation round, Minis 2–23 for the 22 body rounds, and reserve Mini 24 for the border. This creates 23 narrow stripes plus a contrasting border, using all 24 advent colors. The rounds become progressively larger, so each successive stripe generally uses more yarn; only part of the earlier minis will be used. The amount required for the border has not yet been confirmed. Keep the coordinating leftovers available in case Mini 24 alone is not sufficient, especially for the Long version. The original Long sample weighs 270 g, including the border. Exact yarn use will be confirmed after weighing the completed H/8-hook samples.

Yardage cannot be calculated reliably from weight alone because fingering-weight yarns vary in yards per gram. Once the yarn labels or total yardage are known, record the actual yardage here. Buy extra if your yarn is heavier, your gauge is looser, or you add rounds.

Pattern information:

Skill level: Adventurous beginner. You should be comfortable with chains, double crochet, half double crochet, slip stitches, standing stitches, continuous rounds, and changing colors.

Notions: 2 removable stitch markers (both used as permanent point markers), tapestry needle, scissors, and blocking supplies.

Hook: US size H/8 (5 mm) crochet hook, or size needed to create a light, drapey fabric.

Gauge: To be confirmed from the revised H/8 (5 mm) sample. Exact gauge is not critical, but it affects finished dimensions and yarn use. Before publication, measure both stitch and round gauge over 4 in (10 cm) after blocking.

Abbreviations:

• ch: chain 
• dc: double crochet 
• ea: each 
• hdc: half double crochet 
• rep: repeat 
• rnd: round 
• sl st: slip stitch 
• st(s): stitch(es) 
• tog: together

Construction at a glance:

Copyright Notice:

Feel free to sell your finished shawls made from this pattern, however, please do not copy, alter, or sell the pattern itself. For each of your listings, you must include the following: “Pattern provided by Judy Jewell of The Autumn Acorn at http://www.theautumnacorn.etsy.com“.

Want to Upgrade?

You can also purchase a PDF version of the Canoe Shawl Crochet Pattern.

• Ad-Free
• Download
• Print
• Available offline

$5.00

Buy Now

You can also purchase this pattern from The Autumn Acorn , Etsy, or Ravelry.

Let’s Begin The Free Shawl Crochet Pattern

Before you begin

• Choose Short or Long before making the foundation chain. Both versions use the same number of body and border rounds, so they have the same depth.
• For the advent version, arrange 24 different 20 g mini skeins in the order you want to use them. Mini 1 makes the foundation stripe; Minis 2–23 make 22 one-round body stripes; Mini 24 makes the border. Keep the earlier leftovers until the border is complete in case additional yarn is needed.
• Use 2 permanent point markers—one at each end. Each marker is placed in the fourth dc, the true center stitch of a 7-dc end group. Move each marker as directed and keep both markers in use throughout the body of the shawl.
• On every following round, do not work an ordinary dc in the marked stitch. Instead, remove the marker and work 7 dc in that stitch. Place the marker in the fourth dc of the new 7-dc group. Because 7 dc replace 1 existing dc, the net increase is 6 stitches at each end.
• Rounds are worked continuously without joining. Each round ends after the second 7-dc point, and the next color begins with a standing dc in the very next stitch. Do not slip stitch the round closed and do not chain 2.

Foundation round

1. With Mini 1, ch 122 for Short or ch 182 for Long. Keep the chain relaxed and untwisted.

2. Beginning in the second chain from the hook, work 1 dc. Work 1 dc in each following chain across until 1 chain remains.

3. Work 7 dc in the final chain. Place a removable marker in the fourth dc of the 7-dc group. There are 3 dc on each side of the marked center stitch.

4. Rotate the work 180 degrees so you can work along the underside of the foundation chain. Working into the unused loops, work 1 dc in each chain across until the previously skipped first chain remains.

5. Work 7 dc in the remaining chain. Place the second removable marker in the fourth dc of the 7-dc group. There are 3 dc on each side of the marked center stitch.

6. Fasten off after the seventh dc. Do not join to the first dc. The foundation round is complete. The next color will begin with a standing dc in the first dc of the foundation round—the stitch immediately after the completed second point. Stitch count: 254 dc (Short) or 374 dc (Long). Count check: 120 dc along each long edge for Short or 180 dc along each long edge for Long, plus 7 dc at each end.

To change colors

Complete the second 7-dc point of the round and place its point marker in the fourth dc. Fasten off after the seventh dc. With the next color, work a standing dc in the very next stitch—the first stitch immediately after the completed point. The standing dc counts as the first dc of the new round. Do not join the previous round with a slip stitch and do not chain 2. Each color change occurs at the second point, so no beginning-of-round marker is needed.

Standing stitches

Standing dc: With a slip knot on the hook, yarn over, insert the hook in the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops twice.

Standing hdc: With a slip knot on the hook, yarn over, insert the hook in the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops.

Body

Using Minis 2–23 in order, work 22 body rounds—one round in each color. Together with the foundation round, this produces 23 mini-skein stripes. After 22 body rounds, the shawl should measure approximately 19 in (48 cm) deep before the border; the exact depth will be confirmed from the blocked H/8-hook sample. For a custom depth, stop earlier or continue farther, allowing additional yarn.

Body rnd With the next color, work a standing dc in the first stitch immediately after the completed second point. Work 1 dc in each following dc up to, but not into, the first marked point stitch. Remove the point marker. Do not work an ordinary dc in this stitch; instead, work 7 dc in it. Place the point marker in the fourth dc of the new 7-dc group. Work 1 dc in each dc up to, but not into, the second marked point stitch. Remove the point marker and work 7 dc in that stitch instead of 1 dc. Place the point marker in the fourth dc of the new 7-dc group. Fasten off after the seventh dc; do not join. Repeat this round 22 times total, once with each of Minis 2–23.

Check the ends After every few rounds, lay the shawl flat. Both marked center stitches should remain aligned with the two points, and the fabric should lie flat without twisting, cupping, or excessive ruffling.

Stitch-count check Each body round adds 12 dc. At each end, 7 dc replace 1 marked dc, for a net increase of 6 stitches. After R body rounds following the foundation round, the count is 254 + 12R dc for Short or 374 + 12R dc for Long. After 22 body rounds, the counts are 518 dc (Short) or 638 dc (Long).

Quick checkpoint

Border

Border rnd 1 With Mini 24, work a standing hdc in the first stitch immediately after the completed second point. Work 1 hdc in each following stitch up to, but not into, the first marked point stitch. Remove the point marker and work 7 hdc in that stitch instead of 1 hdc. Work 1 hdc in each stitch up to, but not into, the second marked point stitch. Remove the point marker and work 7 hdc in that stitch instead of 1 hdc. The border round is complete after the seventh hdc of this second point. Do not join and do not fasten off. Stitch count: 530 hdc (Short) or 650 hdc (Long). If Mini 24 runs short, continue with a coordinating leftover mini.

Border rnd 2 Continuing directly into the next hdc, *sl st in each of the next 4 hdc, work a 5-dc bobble in the next hdc; rep from * around. If fewer than 5 hdc remain, work a sl st in each remaining hdc. Fasten off without joining. The final spacing may vary slightly; distribute the bobbles as evenly as possible.

Special stitch

5-dc bobble: *Yarn over, insert the hook in the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops; repeat from * 4 more times in the same stitch. Yarn over and draw through all 6 loops on the hook.

Finishing

Weave in all ends securely. Soak the shawl in lukewarm water with a small amount of wool wash. Gently squeeze out the water without wringing, roll the shawl in a towel, then lay flat and shape to the finished measurements. Allow it to dry completely.

Make it your own

• Use one yarn throughout for a calm, understated shawl.
• Use Minis 1–23 for 23 different foundation and body stripes, then finish with Mini 24 as the contrasting border color.
• Alternate wider and narrower stripes, but keep the end-increase placement unchanged.
• For a custom depth, stop the body rounds early or continue farther, allowing additional yarn.