Check out this collection of free knitted shawl patterns for all year round. You’ll find a variety of styles, shapes, knit textures, and yarn weights here. Cast on now!
DISCLAIMER: The following free knitted shawl patterns are not my own designs. If you have a question or concern about the pattern instructions, please reach out to the designer directly. Thank you.
Table of Contents
Moorland Faroese Shawl
Here’s a large knitted shawl pattern that features a cheerful color palette in 15 different acrylic yarn colors. Talk about a yarn stash buster project!
Using DK weight yarn, size 6 and size 8 circular knitting needles, this knit shoulder wrap includes a lace gusset, a lace knit border, and shoulder shaping to keep it in place.
This faroese shawl is an intermediate knitting pattern and requires knitting a provisional cast on and attaching a knitting border. You’ll need to know how to pick up stitches for the border, knit a yarn over, make the kfb stitch, knitting decreases, and work a garter tab cast on.
You’ll find written instructions and a knitting chart so you’ll need to be able to read a pattern and/or knitting chart symbols. I’ve included the recommended yarn below as well as a yarn substitute for this shawl pattern.
Try Patons Astra yarn or Scheepjes Colour Crafters DK yarn for this knitting project.
Nautilo
This easy knit shawl pattern from Fairmount Fibers features short row knitting. Using garter stitch rows and an eyelet knit stitch, you’ll knit flat using size 7 knitting needles. It’s best if you use circular needles for knitting flat to accommodate all your stitches.
Shown here in a DK wool blend variegated yarn, you can also try tonal yarns, heather yarns, or tweed yarns. You could also try using super fine yarn double stranded to create a marled yarn in DK weight. Just be sure to knit a gauge swatch beforehand.
You’ll need to know how to slip a stitch with yarn in back (slip 1 wyib) and basic knitting increases and decreases.
Try Premier Yarn Colorfusion, Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted Tweed yarn, or Knit Picks Hawthorne Yarn (held double) for this knitting project.
Old Shale Pattern Prayer Shawl
Have you been looking for an easy prayer shawl pattern? You might enjoy this one made with chunky weight yarn.
If you’re not familiar with these types of shawls, the knitted prayer shawl means that it’s specifically made with good intentions for the recipient by the knitter. These good intentions are often in the form of prayers, well-wishes, healing thoughts, personal devotions, etc., and are at the forefront of the knitter’s mind as he/she knits the shawl.
This free knit shawl pattern features an Old Shale knitting pattern, which is always classic. It’s primarily knits and purls, knit 2 together decreases, and yarn over increases, which creates a lovely knitted ripple stitch pattern. You can see some of the finished knits here.
It can also be easily modified for size or for using worsted weight yarn instead. This sample uses James C. Bretty Marble Chunky, but I’ve also included some worsted weight yarn suggestions below.
Use James C. Brett Marble Chunky yarn, or try Lion Brand Heartland, Mary Maxim Starlette Worsted, or Bernat Super Value Solids yarn.
Shoreline Shawlette
This nautical inspired design features knit eyelets and a striped knit fabric. The lace knit section is easy enough for beginners. The shawlette finishes off with a delicate knit picot bind off.
To make this asymmetrical shawl, you’ll knit flat with aran wool yarn and size 8 circular knitting needles. You’ll need to change yarn colors while knitting, carry yarn up the side for knitting in stripes, and basic knitting decreases and increases. You’ll also need mats to block your knitting, like these, and knit blocking wires to easily open up the lace motif.
Overall, this is an easy knit shawlette pattern that results in a lightweight shawl in an asymmetrical triangle shape. It looks best in solid yarn colors. I’ve included some yarn alternatives below.
Try Cascade 220 Superwash Aran yarn or Drops Big Merino yarn for this knitting project.
Stormy Sky Shawl
If you’ve been searching for a light and airy mesh shawl pattern, here’s one that purposely drops stitches and asks you to knit loosely. And gauge doesn’t matter. How can you resist?
This honey colored asymmetrical shawl can be your next one skein knitting project, or use two yarn hanks for a larger triangle shawl. It’s adjustable! It uses super fine yarn (fingering) and size 9 knitting needles.
Easy slipped stitches, knits and purls, and yo k2tog increase and decrease combinations make up this lightweight summer shawl. It’ll look great in solid colors, variegated yarn colors, tonal yarn, or just about anything you have in your yarn stash.
Try Malabrigo Mechita Yarn, Malabrigo Ultimate Sock, or Lion Brand Mandala Yarn for this knitting project.
Scrappy Bias Shawl
Do you often wonder what to do with yarn scraps of super fine yarn (sock weight)? Or maybe you have a couple of yarn hanks of multi-colored yarns or an assortment of sock yarn mini skeins? This asymmetrical shawl is just the thing for using up your hand dyed yarn stash and is such a simple project.
For this light weight shawl, you’ll need approximately two full yarn hanks, or 200 grams of sock weight yarn, and size 6 circular knitting needles. The free knit shawl pattern requires a stretchy cast on, like the long tail, and features garter stitch knitting on the bias.
You’ll need to work the knitting increases on one side to a midpoint, then knitting decreases to taper the triangle shawl. Change yarn colors in your knitting whenever you like! This free shawl knitting pattern includes written instructions and a pattern schematic.
Try substituting Knit Picks Hawthorne, Hedgehog Fibres Sock yarn, Manos del Uruguay Alegria, or Malabrigo Sock Yarn for this knitting project.
Cable Edged Shawl
This crescent shaped knitted shawl wrap pattern is a quick knit in medium weight yarn. It features a garter stitch body followed by eyelet knit stitches, an easy knit lace stitch, and a cable knit edge.
You’ll begin this off white shawl with a size 10 knitting needles and a garter tab cast on where you’ll need to pick up and knit stitches. Then, knit in garter stitch while slowly increasing using KFBs (knit front and back).
Later, you’ll cast on stitches at the end of the row to begin the eyelet pattern in your knitting. You’ll finish with the cable knitting pattern, then knit the lace. You’ll need a cable needle for this section, or you can try cabling without a cable needle.
This knitting project is for intermediate knitters. You can knit this cable wrap from the written pattern or knitting from the chart. As you can see, it looks best in solid colors, natural colors, or in undyed wool yarn. This would be a lovely wedding shawl knitting pattern with a medium weight fabric.
Get Plymouth Yarn Encore or Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash for this knitting project.
Tri-Light Kerchief
Even a simple knitting design can be elegant. Take this easy triangle shawl knitting pattern, for example.
Knitted from the top down in easy garter stitch, it features a triangular shaped body, center spine, and a knit lace edge. Designed by Vickie Howell, this knit kerchief pattern uses size 6 circular knitting needles and a DK weight cotton acrylic blend yarn.
Since the pattern’s release, the recommended yarn’s been discontinued, which gives you the opportunity to try a yarn substitute. My recommendations below include a luxury yarn of merino cashmere silk, a cotton blend yarn, and an acrylic DK yarn.
For this triangle shawl knit pattern, you’ll need to cast on a few stitches, knit and purl, and use right and left leaning decreases for the lace knit pattern before binding off.
Try Premier Cotton Fair Yarn (cotton blend), Sirdar Cashmere Merino Silk Yarn, or Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable Yarn (acrylic).
Asymmetrical Lace Shawl
Love a triangle knit shawl? Here’s one that’s perfect for a warm winter neck wrap.
There’s no need to worry about how much yarn to cast on for this cozy knit shawl because you literally begin with one stitch. Then, you’ll knit garter stitches and use knitting increases (KFBs) until you’ve reached a certain stitch count.
Later, you’ll start working on the lace design, which uses all kinds of knitting decreases including the SSK, K2TOG and K3TOG. I definitely recommend using stitch markers to keep track of your lace knitting stitches and repeats.
This asymmetrical shawl uses medium weight yarn in acrylic (synthetic yarn), which is more affordable. However, if you prefer a natural fiber wool yarn, I’ve included some substitute yarn options below.
Use Caron One Pound, Caron Jumbo Ombre, or try Berroco Ultra Wool (superwash) yarn for this knitting project.
Mountain Lights Shawl
If you love to learn new knitting techniques, this knitting pattern for a triangle shawl gives you a chance to practice a lot of them.
It begins with a knit edge in a diamond knitting pattern in an electric color. This section creates an eyelet fabric on a garter stitch background using short rows, or wrap and turn knitting (W&T).
After the knit lace border is complete, you’ll bind off all your stitches. You’ll then pick up and knit stitches along the edge to begin the shawl body. This section features textured knitting stitches on a more neutral color.
You’ll work your way through the pattern decreasing knitting stitches until only a handful remain where you’ll use the kitchener stitch to graft the end together.
This free knitted shawl pattern includes knitting charts and written instructions. It requires two yarn balls in two colors in worsted weight superwash wool or aran weight yarn.
Use Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted Superwash or try King Cole Wool Aran or Valley Yarns Superwash Worsted Weight Yarn as project yarn alternatives.
Expeditious
If you’ve been holding on to that one unique yarn skein of fingering yarn and wondering what to use it for, this one skein knitting project might be for you.
This half circle shawl pattern creates a mesh fabric that isn’t lace knitting, but more of an elongated criss cross stitch. The end result is a lovely eyelet fabric that’s only enhanced when you block your knitting.
You’ll need to know the make one (M1) and the knit into the front and back (KFB) increases. For knitting tools, you’ll need both size 5 knitting needles and size 7 knitting needles to knit this easy shawl pattern. Circular knitting needles would work best to hold all of your stitches.
You’ll finish off this knitted shawl by binding off loosely using a knit two together through the back loop (k2tog tbl), a twisted stitch method.
By the way, the pattern also includes instructions for using worsted weight yarn as well. For this yarn weight, you’ll need around 420 yards of worsted wool yarn and both size 8 and size 10 knitting needles.
The knitted shawl pattern is perfect for tonal yarns, colorful yarns, multi-colored yarns, and even rainbow colored yarn. Take a look at these projects for more inspiration.
Try Manos del Uruguay Alegria or Hedgehog Fibres Sock fingering yarn for this project.
Ida Shawl
This medium weight shawl is the perfect accessory to wear for all seasons. Knitted in a worsted weight yarn, this beautiful shawl provides style, comfort, and warmth.
This triangular shawl features a background of stockinette stitch and a lovely lace border. To knit this shawl, you’ll need a size US 6 (4 mm) circular needle, and another US 6 (4 mm) knitting needle for the lace border.
It’s an ideal project for more experienced knitters. You’ll need to be able to read a knitting chart stitch pattern, k3tog, p3tog and other knitting decreases, as well as knitting increases.
The pattern suggests using a worsted merino wool yarn or a cotton cashmere blended yarn. The recommended yarns are listed below along with some yarn alternatives.
Use Rowan Cotton Cashmere or Rowan Pebble Island yarn for this knitting project.
Try Brown Sheep Nature Spun yarn as a yarn substitute.
I hope you enjoyed these free patterns and are inspired to knit your next shawl project. Which one will you choose first? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a line below.
