Crochet Shawl for Women Over 55: A Prayer Shawl to Wrap Someone You Love

This is a free crochet shawl for women over 55: a light, lacy triangle wrap worked in simple double crochet and one repeating V stitch. It uses about half a cake of soft cotton yarn, it works up quickly even if you are still finding your confidence, and it does two jobs at once.

On a warm day it is the wrap you reach for when the air conditioning gets too cold, when the restaurant runs breezy, or when the evening turns cool out on the balcony. And because it is soft, open, and made by your own hands, it also makes a beautiful prayer shawl: a comfort wrap to give to someone who is going through something hard.

You can get the pattern two ways. Scroll down for the full written instructions, free, right here on this page. Or, if you would like an ad free, print friendly copy to keep beside your chair while you stitch, you can buy the PDF on Ravelry.

Either way you will end up with a wrap that is light on the shoulders, gentle on the eyes, and easy on the hands. Let me show you how.

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There are 2  ways to get this pattern:

Option 1: You can purchase the individual pattern as an easy-to-read, print-friendly PDF  from Ravelry

Option 2: Scroll down to get the written instructions for this pattern for free

What is a prayer shawl, exactly?

A prayer shawl, sometimes called a comfort shawl, is simply a shawl you make with one particular person in mind. As you work each row you hold a wish for whoever will receive it: comfort, strength, an easier day ahead. It belongs to no single faith and needs no special words. If you do not pray, you send good thoughts instead.

The meaning is the same. You are wrapping someone you love in something warm that your own hands made, so that when they put it on, they feel held.

This lacy triangle is a lovely choice for that. It is light enough to wear indoors, soft against the skin, and the open stitches mean it never feels heavy or hot. It carries comfort without weighing anyone down..

Why this shawl suits women over 55

A few honest reasons this design earns its place on your hook. The double crochet and V stitch repeat is easy to memorize, so you are not squinting at a chart all evening.

The open lace keeps the shawl light on the shoulders and stops it ever feeling hot, which matters when you run warm or when all you need is to take the chill off the air conditioning.

Cotton is gentle on sensitive skin and simple to wash. And the whole thing takes about half a cake of yarn, so it is finished before your hands get tired, and inexpensive enough to make again as a gift.

What is a good size for a triangle shawl?

A triangle shawl is forgiving, so personal preference matters more than exact numbers.

A common, comfortable range is a wingspan (the width from end to end) of about 60 to 80 inches, with a depth (from the top edge down to the point) of about 30 to 40 inches.

The sample shown here measures 24 inches tall and 60 inches wide after blocking, and you can make it any size you like by adding rows.

Before you get started, check out my Favorite Crochet Tools (affiliate)

Yarn Winder – a perfect crochet accessories

Neck Stretcher – to keep you without neck and back pain

Gauge Ruler – so you always get the right size

▶️ Add this pattern to your Ravelry favorites here.

A few tips before you start

Sandra’s tip: This is the perfect place to use a variegated or self striping cotton like the one I chose. Here is a little rule that will save you a lot of frowning at finished projects. Variegated yarn loves simple stitches, and textured stitches love solid colors. The color changes in a variegated cake are already doing the decorating, so a calm, open stitch like this V stitch lets them shine instead of fighting them. Save your cables and bobbles for a solid color.

A couple more things worth knowing before you begin. The ch 4 at the start of a row counts as dc1 plus ch1. The pattern is worked in horizontal rows and built on repeats, so once rows 5 and 6 are in your hands the rest becomes a calm rhythm. And if you want the shawl bigger, you simply keep repeating those two rows.

Let’s get to the pattern, shall we?

Difficulty

Materials

Yarnspirations Caron Cotton Ripple Cakes, 240gr, 100% Cotton,449 mt, 491 yards color 07009  English lavender

For this sample, I used 0.5 cake 

Hook: US Size 7 (4.5 mm) Yarn Needle, Scissors, Measuring Tape

Substitution yarn:  Look HERE

Yarn Needle, Scissors, Measuring Tape

Gauge

12 st X 4 rows

Sizes

• This sample is 24” tall and 60” wide (after blocking)

Stitch Key

• Ch = Chain
• St = Stitch
• Dc = Double Crochet
• Yo = Yarn over
• Slst = Slip stitch

Specialty Stitch

V stitch: (dc1+ ch1+dc1) in the same space

Notes

• The pattern is worked in horizontal rows
• Ch 4  at the beginning of the row does count as a dc1+ch1
• This pattern uses pattern repeats.
• You can work this pattern with one color or multiple as you wish- I used a variegated yarn
• If changing colors make sure to have a changing technique and weave your ends in.
• You can decide on the size of the shawl by adding rows

Instructions

Ch 4, Slst to 1st to form a circle Or use the magic circle method

Row 1: Ch 4 ( dc+ch1 here and through), (V st, ch3, V st), ch1, dc1 all in the same circle, turn work

(V st + Ch3 + V st) forms the center of the triangle- we will work the same pattern on each row to maintain the center.

Both sides from the center must be identical.

Row 2: Ch4, dc1 in 1st ch 1 space, skip next ch1 space, ch 3, (V st + ch 3 + V st) in next ch 3 space( the center) ch 3, skip next ch1 space, V st in last ch1 space, turn

Row 3: Ch4, dc1 in 1st ch 1 space, ch 3, Vst in next ch 3 space, ch 3 (V st + ch 3 + V st) in next ch 3 space( the center) ch 3, V st in ch3 space, ch 3, V st in last ch1 space,  turn

Now we will work our stitches only on the ch 3 spaces + the center

Row 4: Ch4, dc1 in 1st ch 1 space, ch 3, Vst in next ch 3 space, ch 3, V st in next ch 3 space (V st + ch 3 + V st) in next ch 3 space( the center) ch 3, V st in ch3 space, ch 3, V in next ch 3 space, ch 3, V st in last ch1 space,  turn

Let’s continue

Row 5: Ch4, dc1 in 1st ch 1 space, ch 3, dc 3t in next ch 3 space, *[ch 3, dc 3 in next ch 3 space]* repeat from *to* until you reach the center, ch 3 (V st + ch 3 + V st) in next ch 3 space( the center) *[ch 3, dc 3 in ch3 space]* repeat from *to* to last ch 3 space, ch 3, V st in last ch1 space,  turn

Row 6: Ch4, dc1 in 1st ch 1 space, ch 3, V st in next ch 3 space, *[ch 3, V st in next ch 3 space]* repeat from *to* until you reach the center, ch 3, (V st + ch 3 + V st) in next ch 3 space( the center) *[ch 3, V st in ch3 space]* repeat from *to* to last ch 1 space, ch 3, V st in last ch1 space,  turn

Row 7- 21: Repeat rows 5+6

For a larger Shawl continue rows 5+6 until the size desired

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Finishing

Cut yarn and weave in ends.

You can add tassels or fringe.

A wrap made to be given

Whether you keep this shawl for your own cool evenings or wrap it around someone who needs comforting right now, you have made something soft and lasting with your own two hands. That is the quiet magic of a prayer shawl. The person who receives it feels every single row.

Pattern Designed By: Sandra Stitches This pattern is copyright protected; it is unlawful to distribute this pattern in any form (free, sale or trade).

Come stitch with us in the V-Stitch Club

Crochet is more than a hobby. It slows the breath, quiets a busy mind, and gives your hands something gentle to do at the end of a hard day. That is the heart of the V-Stitch Club: a calm, friendly place to stitch alongside other women over 55 who crochet for the joy and the steadiness it brings. If that sounds like the kind of company you would like to keep, come and see what the club is about.

Prefer something free and casual?

Come say hello in our free Facebook group. Share your shawl, ask a question, cheer another maker on.

Want more shawl patterns?

Light Shawl, Spider

Nordic Trails Shawl

Frequently asked questions

What is a prayer shawl in crochet? It is a shawl you make with one particular person in mind, holding good wishes or prayers for them as you stitch. It is also called a comfort shawl, it suits any faith or none, and it is given to someone who could use a little extra warmth and care.

Is this shawl good for a beginner? Yes. If you can chain, double crochet, and work a simple V stitch, you can make this shawl. The whole thing is rows 5 and 6 repeated, so it turns into a calm rhythm very quickly.

How much yarn do I need? About half a cake of Caron Cotton Ripple Cakes, which is roughly 245 yards, made the sample shown here. If you want a larger shawl, keep a second cake on hand.

What yarn is best for a summer shawl? A light cotton or cotton blend in a DK or light worsted weight. Cotton breathes, it is gentle on the skin, and the open lace keeps the shawl from ever feeling hot.

Can I make the shawl bigger? Yes. Keep repeating rows 5 and 6 until the shawl reaches the width and depth you want, then finish and block it.

What size shawl is comfortable for a woman over 55? A wingspan of about 60 to 80 inches with a depth of about 30 to 40 inches wraps the shoulders comfortably without feeling bulky. The sample here is an easy to wear 60 inches wide.

Why block a lacy shawl? Blocking opens up the lace and sets the shape so the points lie flat and the stitches show. It is the difference between a shawl that looks homemade and one that looks handmade.