How to Knit a Semi-Circular Shawl: Shawl Making Simplified

The Semi-Crescent Shawl: A Triangular Twist on a Classic Shape

If you love the graceful curve of a crescent shawl but prefer the straightforward construction of a triangular shawl, this semi-crescent hybrid offers the best of both worlds. With a simple adjustment to traditional triangular shaping, you can create a softer, more rounded silhouette while maintaining a familiar rhythm of triangular shawl knitting.

Understanding the Structure

Like a standard triangular shawl, this design grows by 4 sts every RS row. However, by increasing the number of stitches at the center spine instead of keeping it consistent, the fabric develops a gentle curve reminiscent of a crescent—without the need for complex shaping techniques.

• Construction: Worked top-down like a triangular shawl.

• Shaping: Uses four increase points (edges + spine) instead of crescent shawl’s edge-only increases.

• Flexibility: Easier to incorporate stitch patterns (lace, cables, etc.) into sections.

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Shape Instructions

Abbreviations:

• CO: Cast On

• K: Knit

• P: Purl

• Pm: Place Marker

• Sm: Slip Marker

• Yo: Yarn Over

• RS: Right Side

• WS: Wrong Side

Set-Up

1. Garter Tab Cast-On:

   1. Cast on 3 stitches, knit 6 rows.

   2. Turn work 90° and pick up 3 stitches along the edge.

   3. Turn again and pick up 3 stitches from the cast-on edge. (9 stitches total)

2. Place Markers: K3, place marker, p1, place marker, p1, place marker, p1, place marker, k3. (4 markers total)

Shaping the Shawl

Row 1 (RS): K3, slip marker, yarn over, knit to next marker, yarn over, slip marker, knit 1 (spine), slip marker, yarn over, knit to next marker, yarn over, slip marker, k3.
(4 stitches increased: 2 at edges, 2 at spine)

Row 2 (WS): K3, slip marker, purl to last marker, slip marker, k3.

Repeat Rows 1–2 until the shawl reaches your desired depth. Bind off loosely.

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