Shawl Shapes Explained: Rectangles and Squares

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Whether you called it a scarf, a stole, a wrap, a shawl or a blanket, a rectangle is likely the first shape you made when you learned to knit or crochet. And though I enjoy the design challenge of other shawl shapes, the rectangular shawl is the one I wear most often. There is nothing quite as comforting as wrapping yourself in a big swath of knitted or crocheted fabric.

Above: Woodland Lace Stole by Rebecca Blair

Rectangles may be simple, but they need not be boring. In this installment of our series of articles exploring shawl shapes, we’ll take a detailed look at the many ways of creating rectangles and squares.

Start at One End, Work to the Other

Just like our very first projects, many rectangles begin at one end and are worked in even rows until you reach the other end. Lily Chin’s Dawn Waves Shawl is worked in this way using a shell-stitch variation of the classic crochet Ripple. The Fern Stole by Irina Anikeeva takes the same approach with a lovely knit lace pattern.

This is a great way to showcase a special skein of yarn. Estimate how many stitches you’ll need to get an appropriate width, then work in a simple stitch pattern until you run out of yarn. Did you do a double take when you read “estimate?” While I’m a stickler for swatching and doing all the math in advance when it comes to projects where fit is critical, I’ll often skip this step with a shawl. After all, does it really make much difference if the shawl is 15″ or 18″ wide? I’ll do just enough math to make sure I’ve got an even multiple of my stitch pattern, then cast on and go.

How long should you make it? That’s entirely up to you. My rule of thumb is to keep going until you get bored or run out of yarn. Your shawl can be anywhere from just long enough to wrap your shoulders to 18 feet long in the fashion of the Dr. Who scarf.

Establish the Length First

Many rectangular shawls are worked from one long side to the other. This is a good strategy if you want vertical stripes running the length of your shawl. Sometimes a designer will choose this approach because they prefer the look of the stitch pattern turned on its side.  Melissa Leapman started with the long side in both her Springtime Lace Shawl (knitted) and her Dappled Shawl (crocheted).

Working from side to side is also smart if you have a limited amount of yarn and you like your shawls long. You can establish the length with your cast-on or your foundation chain, then work until you run out of yarn, or you decide your shawl is wide enough.

If you choose to work from long side to long side, be very careful to keep the starting and ending edges nice and relaxed. I’ve seen many shawls with tight edges that didn’t match the drape and elasticity of the main fabric. It’s not a good look.

For knitting, my favorite stretchy cast-on is the Old Norwegian Cast-on. It’s a bit fiddly at first, but well worth learning. For a stretchy bind-off, I like the Suspended Bind-off.

For crochet, skipping the chain and beginning with foundation single crochet or foundation double crochet will give your starting edge more elasticity. When working your last row, try using a hook one size larger so your edge will have some give.

Work from the Ends to the Middle

Knitted lace patterns are often directional. The stitches may form a scalloped edge, but only at the cast-on, not at the bind-off. To make the ends of the shawl symmetrical, knit your shawl in two pieces, from the ends to the center.  Join the ends with a Kitchener stitch graft or a Three Needle Bind-off.

Work From the Center Outward

Melissa Leapman’s Shades of White Shawl starts with a provisional cast-on at the center, and is worked outward to one end. Then stitches are recovered from the cast-on edge and worked outward to the other end. This allows the lovely floral lace pattern to be symmetrical at the ends of the shawl.

Traditional Shetland lace shawls often start with a center panel and work outward to the edge. In the Woodland Lace Stole, designer Rebecca Blair starts with a square center panel. Three sides of the square are put on hold, and knitting continues with the stitches of the fourth side to form a side panel. The stitches opposite this side panel are returned to the needles and worked to form the second side panel. Finally, an edging is worked around the entire perimeter of the shawl.

Maria’s Veil by Lisa Jacobs is an heirloom-quality showstopper in the Shetland lace tradition. Beginning with a large central square, borders are added on all four sides and the square shawl is finished with a scalloped edging.

Start in a Corner

Most knitters are familiar with the basic corner-to-corner garter stitch washcloth pattern. Start with a couple of stitches, increase at the beginning and end of every right side row until the side edges are about 8″ long, then decrease at the beginning and end of every right side row until no stitches remain. What happens if you don’t stop increasing at 8″? What if you keep going until your side edges are 40″? Now you’ve got yourself a square shawl!

The Central Wrap by Mone Dräger from knitscene Winter 2019 uses this same approach to create a bias rectangle. She replaces the garter stitch with a simple pattern of knit-and-purl diamonds for an easy, elegant garment.

The Free-Form Potential of Crochet

The sculptural qualities of crochet make it possible to create a rectangle out of other shapes. Motifs of all sorts, from squares to circles to hexagons, can be arranged and joined together to make a rectangular shawl.

Chelsea Norquay-Wales joins 6-pointed stars into a playful shawl that reminds me of fireworks. I’d love to see her Pleiades Shawl made in metallic yarns for a holiday wrap!

The Herbaceous Shawl by Daniela Nii, is crocheted in three long strips which are joined together as you go for a lovely floral web of lace.

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Are you inspired to try your hand at a rectangular shawl? Whether you knit or crochet, this simplest of shapes could be the framework for your next favorite project.

Sandi Rosner
Technical Content Editor, Yarn

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Rectangular Shawls to Knit and Crochet