Why You Should Be Knitting and Crocheting Summer Shawls

Knitting and Crocheting Summer Shawls are some of my favorite types of projects to make. Here are a few of my latest summer shawl patterns. And below you will find some of the wonderful reasons why you should be knitting and crocheting summer shawls, too.

Knitting and Crocheting Summer Shawls are lightweight and breathable, making them perfect for warm weather.

In fact, you can swap out the suggested yarn in any pattern for a lighter weight cotton or linen yarn to get more value of any pattern you already own. As long as you substitute the same weight yarn as used in the original pattern, you can usually achieve the right gauge or close to what is required to knit or crochet any heavier weight shawl pattern.

Knitting and crocheting can be a relaxing and meditative activity.

There are so many benefits of knitting and crochet. Here are a few articles I have written about it:

You can customize your Knitting or Crocheting Summer Shawls to match your personal style and color preferences.

Just because a shawl pattern is shown in one color does not mean you have to make the exact same replica! A knit or crochet shawl pattern is the foundation from which you can choose your own yarns (color, fiber content, price point) and your creative expression does not stop there! You can style your summer shawls in any way that suits you best. Maybe the photos in the pattern style the shawl over a wedding dress or evening gown, but you can rock your handmade shawl any way you want. Wear it over jeans and a t-shirt, shorts & a tank top, capris and a blouse, or however you want.

Any time you are unsure of what color to make a knit or crochet shawl for yourself, browse through your closet and see what colors you gravitate towards in your wardrobe. Or browse through your photos on Facebook or family photo albums. Which colors do you tend to enjoy wearing the most. Start there for color inspiration.

Shawls can be worn in a variety of ways, making them a versatile accessory.

A knit or crochet shawl can be worn draped over the shoulders, draped over your arms, wrapped around your neck, secured with a shawl pin, butterfly clip, corset tied, or if the fabric is light and drapey, tie the shawl itself! And the best part is depending on the event and the outfit you are styling, you can use all the above mentioned styling ideas, and any additional ones you come up with! Leave a comment below with your favorite ways to style shawls.

Making a shawl is a great way to challenge and improve your knitting or crochet skills.

Generally speaking, a shawl is a medium sized project meaning they don’t take a long time to make. This is a great type of project for trying out a new stitch technique or construction style or maybe diving into reading charts, reading patterns or watching video tutorials. Trying something new is a great way to improve your skills. Challenging yourself not only improves your skills but also builds your confidence and gives you a great sense of accomplishment.

Shawls make great gifts for friends and family.

Shawls are absolutely a wonderful gift for friends and family. First of all, they are not sized so they can fit anyone. Second, with the ability to add love and positive intention into every stitch, a handmade gift is so much more valuable and sentimental than a store bought gift. Offer to make a shawl for an upcoming bride or her entire bridal party. What an heirloom gift that would be!

You can use a variety of yarns, including cotton and linen, to create a unique texture and drape.

There are so many fantastic natural yarns available beyond animal fibers. Cotton, linen, and hemp are a few of my favorites. Not only are they lightweight and breathable, but also animal cruelty free, and hypoallergenic. This is another benefit of making shawls as gifts (or for donations) because they are hypoallergenic.

Shawls provide a layer of warmth for cool summer nights.

Although we think of warmer weather in the summertime, restaurants, movie theaters and offices are generally air conditioned and chilly! Because summer shawls are lightweight they can easily be folded up compactly in your bag to be portable whenever you need a light layer to take off the chill.

You can easily take your project with you on-the-go.

Whether it is a lighter weight yarn or a motif project, the thinner the yarn the easier it is to pop in your bag to take on-the-go. Whether you are going on a summer vacation, camping, a day trip or just a staycation,

Knitting and crocheting can help to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.

 

A summer shawl is a great way to add a pop of color to any outfit.

Whether worn as a shawl, cowl or scarf, choosing a bright or bold color is a great way to turn a summer shawl into a pop-of-color accessory to any outfit! Check out these pop-of-color shawl patterns for inspiration:

You can experiment with different stitch patterns to create a one-of-a-kind design.

Sampler shawls, or motif projects, or shawls with an elaborate edging are a great way to combine various stitch patterns for a one-of-a-kind design. In fact, you could plug-and-play with any stitch pattern shown in Crochet Power (in the increase in rows section) to make any top down triangular shawl and then choose any top down edging from Crochet Power 2: Edgings to make your own one-of-a-kind shawl!

Shawls can be made in a range of sizes, from small scarves to large wraps.

This is especially true with top down increasing construction style shawls because you can either stop short of the original shawl and omit the last rows to create a shorter shawl or continue in the established pattern and knit or crochet more rows to create a larger shawl than is shown in the original knit or crochet shawl pattern.

Knitting and crocheting can help to improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

The more you use your hands, the better skills you develop. This has been proven many times in various

The satisfaction of completing a beautiful shawl is a great feeling of accomplishment.

And even if you don’t believe, me check out what other people have made with my patterns here:

Browse Kristin Omdahl’s Crochet Shawl Patterns Here:

Browse Kristin Omdahl’s Knitting Shawl Patterns Here:

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