The Traveler Shawl
Free Crochet Pattern by Amanda Schaefer (Muttikam)

Description
To keep warm on chilly night, a shawl is the constant companion of a weary traveler. Shell and bobble openwork worked in a rich aran yarn forms a v-shaped shawl that can be draped over the shoulders, and tied off with ornate, macrame style tassels.

The shawl measures approximately 27" wide and 25" long. Instructions are included for those who wish to customize the measurements of their own shawl.

Materials
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft, Solids (315 yds/skein). *This shawl is customizable. If you decide to make the shawl significantly larger than the measurements specified above, you may need another skein of yarn*

Size J/10 (6mm) crochet hook.
A piece of cardboard about 7" long.
Scissors.

Shawl Pattern
Special Stitches Used (highlighted in green)
Picot - Ch 2, sl st in sc.
Ball st - *YO, draw up a loop* Repeat 4 times. YO, pull through all loops on hook.
YO - Yarn over
Draw up a loop - insert hook into st or sp indicated, YO, pull yarn through.
Ch 82.

Note: If you would like to widen the shawl, add extra ch stitches in INCREMENTS OF 10. Likewise, if you wish to make the shawl smaller, simply deduct ch sts in increments OF 10.

Row 1: Sc in 6th ch from hook. *Ch 2, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch). Repeat to end. Ch 2, turn. Place a maker (you may use a bobby pin, paper clip, or an old scrap of yarn for this purpose) in the 13th ch sp from hook (the very middle sp). 25 ch-2 sps. If you added extra ch sts into the foundation, then make sure to place the marker in the very middle space. You should end up with an odd number of ch sps overall and have the same amount of sps on either side of the middle sp.

Row 2: Make 7 dc in first ch-2 sp. Make (1 sc, picot) in nxt ch-2 sp. *(7 dc in nxt ch-2 sp. Make [1 sc, picot] in nxt ch-2 sp)*. Repeat until you reach the marker you placed in Row 1. Remove marker. In that same sp, make (4 dc, ch 3, 4 dc). Repeat from * to * to end. In last sp make 7 dc. Turn.

Row 3: Sl st in next 5 dc. Sc in next dc. (Ch 2, sk nxt [dc, picot, dc]. sc in nxt dc. Ch 1, sk nxt dc, 1 ball st in nxt dc. Ch 1, sk nxt dc, sx in nxt dc). Repeat 4 times. Ch 2, sk nxt (dc, picot, dc), sc in nxt dc. Ch 1, ball st in nxt ch-3 sp, ch 3, ball st in same sp. Ch 1, sk nxt 2 dc, sc in nxt dc. Repeat instructions in parentheses () until last shell. Ch 2, sk nxt (dc, picot, dc), sc in nxt dc. Sl st in nxt 2 dc, turn.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 a total of sixteen times to reach length of original shawl, and repeat Row 2 one more time as the final row. You may work more repeats if you want your shawl to be longer.

Tassels (make 2)

I Rope Braid
If you know how to do a rope braid in your hair, then simply apply that same process here, except that you're using yarn.

Cut 10 pieces of yarn, making each piece 36" (3 feet) long. Hold the pieces evenly together.

Measure 5" from the end. Tie a knot at 5".

Holding this end with the knot in your mouth or securing it to a table with a piece of tape/weight, divide the bunch into 5 pieces of yarn on the left (in your left hand), and 5 pieces of yarn on the right (in your right hand).

Twist each bunch or 5 pieces clockwise for about 4 inches. You have enough twist once the yarn starts to kink up on itself.

Twist the two twisted portions around each other COUNTER-CLOCKWISE (it is important you twist in one direction, and wrap in the other). Make sure to not let go of the twist.

Continue to twist and wrap the piece until you are about 5" away from the other end.

Tie a knot 5" from the end.

II Tassels
For this part you will need a piece of cardboard about 7" long, scissors, and the rest of the yarn you have leftover (if you used Caron Simply Soft Solids you should have more than enough yarn leftover to complete the tassels).

Take your yarn and wrap it around the piece of cardboard 20 times. Cut the yarn from the main skein.

Cut another piece of yarn about 5" long and run it underneath the yarn wrapped around the cardboard. Pull it up to the top and tie a square knot.

Turn the piece of cardboard upside down, so that the knot you just tied is facing downwards. Take a scissor and cut through all of the yarn on the top side of the cardboard.

III Finishing Touches
Take the tassel and put it in between the two ends of the rope braid.

Wrap the yarn from the tassels around the bottom of BOTH knots. Tie a knot.

Continue to wrap underneath the two knots until the yarn runs out. Tie a knot to secure. This should join the two ends of the rope braid and the tassel should blend in.

Cut another piece of yarn (approx. 7" long) and tie it 1/4 of the way down the tassel. Tie a knot to secure (the ends should be long enough to blend in with the rest of the tassel).

To secure the tassel to the shawl, find the end space on the top corner of the shawl. Slide the round end of the tassel through this space.

Pull the tassel through the loop and pull to tighten.

Repeat the rope braid and tassel once more and attach it to the other corner of the shawl.

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I do not have my patterns tested before I publish them. Feel free to contact me with any and all pattern-support questions at the following email: art@muttikam.com. Please do not be afraid to ask questions - I do not consider any question "stupid" and will help you however I can.

Written pattern and pictures (for both display and tutorial purposes) copyright Amanda Schaefer 2015 under Creative Commons. You may print out this page for personal use only. Do not distribute or repost the pattern or pictures, instead please provide a link to this page. Do not use this pattern or pictures to make items for profit.