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Sunset Lightweight Crochet Shawl Pattern (Free!)

A beautiful lightweight crochet shawl pattern! The Sunset Shawl features a stunning lace stitch that is sure to draw attention. It is perfect for enjoying a an evening sunset with a slight chill in the air (and also for getting some eye-catching photos!) Scroll down for the free crochet pattern, or purchase a printable PDF version of the pattern right here.

lightweight crochet shawl with ocean and fading sunset in the background

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How do you crochet a lightweight summer shawl?

To make a lightweight crochet shawl, there are two guidelines you want to follow. First, make sure to use a lightweight yarn. And second, use a lacy stitch!

Now you can veer from both of these guidelines, but in general they will give you the best lightweight shawl results. In this pattern, I’ve chosen to use fingering weight yarn and a very open lacy stitch and the result is wonderful!

Sunset Lightweight Crochet Shawl Pattern collage

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This shawl has a somewhat funny story. First of all, I made the shawl 2-3 years ago and then went into my abandoned project pile because I didn’t have enough yarn to make it as long as I wanted.

I tried multiple things to remedy it, but nothing quite worked. Until recently, when I suddenly had a revelation: all I needed to do was add fringe and it would be the perfect length!

lightweight lace crochet shawl back view, with ocean and fading sunset in the background

Purchase & Print this Crochet Pattern Right Here!

I took the shawl with me on family vacation this summer and got a ton of pictures…in 3 different locations! The sunset location definitely won out in the end, but I thought I’d share a few of the other photos too:

Lightweight Shawl Free Crochet Pattern

Let’s get right into the pattern now!

Video Tutorial:

Explanation: Meet the Sunset Shawl! This lightweight shawl is perfect for an evening with just a slight chill in the air. Made with gorgeous lace and decorated with fringe, you’re sure to make a statement in this shawl!

Materials:

  • We Crochet Chroma Fingering Yarn (70% Superwash Wool, 30% Nylon, 396 yds / 362 m, 3.5 oz / 100 g) 2 balls in desired color way (the color I used is discontinued but there are plenty of other beautiful colors in this yarn!)
  • Another matching fingering or lace weight yarn for the fringe (I used something unnamed in my stash)
  • F/3.75mm crochet hook 
  • Yarn needle
  • Wet blocking materials (blocking mats, towel, sink, pins)

Gauge:

1 repeat of lace pattern wide and 2 repeats of lace pattern rows BLOCKED (see image= 3” long by 4.75” high

The stitch pattern must be stretched quite a lot to see it in all its beauty. The final shawl size is highly dependent on blocking. For this reason, blocking a swatch is very important!

To make your swatch:

Fsc 17. Follow the shawl instructions to work Rows 1-10 with the following modifications in bold.

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc. Ch 5, sk 5 dc, (dc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, dc) in next st. Ch 5, sk 5 dc, dc in next 3 sts. By working only 3 dc at the beginning (ch 3 counts as a dc) and end, you will work only 1 lace pattern across. By working up to 10 rows, you will repeat the full lace pattern twice. Block your swatch and then take your measurements.

Check out my articles on gauge and swatching for more on the topic.

Notes:

  1. Ch 3 at beginning of rows counts as a dc.
  2. You can use any fingering weight yarn to make this shawl. However, I highly recommend Chroma Fingering. It is a single ply yarn, so if you need to substitute, you will get the best results with another single ply yarn (rather than fingering yarn with a high twist). 

Measurements/Sizing: 

One size fits all: BLOCKED 20” wide by 60” long (including 10” of fringe)

Note: Because this shawl is so lightweight, the width is suitable for a variety of sizes. For example, even though I’m very thin, the shawl folds back on itself and still looks good. Now that said, you can easily adjust the length and width as the notes specify.

Abbreviations/Stitches Used (U.S.) 

Chain – ch

Foundation single crochet – fsc

Slip stitch – sl st

Single crochet – sc

Space(s) – sp(s)

Double crochet – dc

Repeat – rep

Skip – sk

Stitch(es) – st(s)

Beginning – beg

Written Instructions:

Fsc 81.

Row 1: Ch 3, dc in next fsc and each fsc across. (81 dc)

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in next 11 dc. *Ch 5, sk 5 dc, (dc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, dc) in next st. Ch 5, sk 5 dc, dc in next 12 sts. Rep from * twice more.

Row 3: Ch 3, dc in next 11 dc. *Ch 4, sk ch-5 sp, dc in next dc. [Ch 1, dc in ch-2 sp. Ch 1, dc in next dc] twice. Ch 4, sk ch-5 sp, dc in next 12 dc. Rep from * twice more. 

Row 4: Ch 3, dc in next 11 dc. *Ch 3, sk ch-4 sp, dc in next dc. [Ch 2, sk ch-sp, dc in next dc] 4 times. Ch 3, sk ch-4 sp, dc in next 12 dc. Rep from * twice more.

Row 5: Ch 3, dc in next 11 dc. *Ch 2, sk ch-3 sp, dc in next dc. [Ch 3, sk ch-2 sp, dc in next dc] 4 times. Ch 2, sk ch-3 sp, dc in next 12 dc. Rep from * twice more.

Row 6: Ch 3, dc in next 11 dc. *Ch 5, working into the MIDDLE dc of 5 dc in the lace work (dc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, dc). Ch 5, sk the rest of the lacy section and dc in next 12 dc. Rep from * twice more.

Rep rows 3-6 until you have a total of 85 rows—21 repeats of the lace section, OR you can repeat until the shawl reaches your desired length. Just make sure to end after a Row 5. You can also factor in the length of the fringe when you decide on length. 

Last Row 1: Ch 3, dc in next 11 dc. *1 Dc in each ch-2 sp, each ch-3 sp, and each dc across the lace section. Dc in next 12 dc. Rep from * twice more. (81 dc)

Last Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a sc) sc in each st across. (81 sc)

Finishing:

  • Block your shawl to reveal lace pattern. I used wet blocking to ensure the shawl opened up beautifully and held its shape. You can use blocking mats to let it dry, or a towel. See this blog post for more information on blocking.
  • Weave in all ends.
  • Lastly, attach fringe! I used a lace weight yarn that I had in my stash that matched the colors in my main yarn. I did 8 strands of the yarn PER fringe, all 12-inch in length. These strands get folded in half to form 6-inch fringe, which I then trimmed to be about 5 to 5 ½”. 

Note: IF you use fingering yarn and not lace weight like me, 8 strands may look too thick. Experiment to see how many strands you need to form a nice fringe.

Note #2: If this sounds confusing, watch this how-to video (it is shown on a different pattern but the concept is the same!)

Lightweight Crochet Shawl Tutorial

While the lace in this shawl is pretty easy, I thought I would provide a few photos to help. All the photos in this tutorial are showing the swatch, not the full shawl. The lace is exactly the same, except it has fewer double crochets on either side.

Below you can see what row 2 will look like when you chain 5, skip 5 double crochet, and make the shell in the center. Then, for Row 3, you’ll expand the shell by making double crochets into each chain and dc from Row 2.

With lace rows 4 and 5, you’ll double crochet on top of the previous double crochets, but you’ll increase one more chain space in between them per row (2 chs for row 4, and 3 for row 5). The result is that the lace expands into a sunset-like pattern.

After one lace repeat is done, you have to make the starting center shell again to start a new repeat. Make this shell into the middle of the 5 double crochets from the lace repeat.

Conclusion

Lightweight crochet shawls are perfect for an evening out in the summer or fall. The Sunset Shawl features gorgeous lace columns separated by rows of simple double crochet. The end result is a beautiful lacy shawl that is sure to impress! I hope you love this shawl as much as I loved designing it!

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Happy Crocheting!

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