Yarn Needed for Shawls

Dear users, dear designers,
how much yarn do you need if you want to crochet a triangular shawl / knit one? Does the type of craft make a big difference?

For these two shawls, I used about 1 1/2 Bobbel for the reddish-orange one and just under 2 Bobbel for the blue one. I knitted both of them about 4 or 5 years ago.

Best regards, Inge

Of course, the type of craft—and especially the pattern—makes a big difference. Post double crochet, for example, uses a lot of yarn, while an airy lace pattern requires less. It also depends on the shape of the shawl: do you want to make a flat, scarf-like shawl, or a pointed one that’s slightly longer in the back? So it’s impossible to give a general answer about how much yarn you’ll need. If you’re not entirely sure how far your yarn will go, the safest bet is to start the shawl from the tip. That way, you can always stop when you run out of yarn.

Based on my experience crocheting shawls, it doesn’t make sense to start a shawl with less than 500m —that’s enough for a nice scarf—and 750m will yield at least a decent-sized shawl.
But it also depends on the pattern.
Personally, I love shawls that are “1,000 meters or larger”—they take a while to crochet, but they’re really cozy and cover most of your back.

Hi,
even one or two Bobbels don’t tell you much about the size—it depends on the number of strands and the hook/needle size.
It also depends on the pattern: in crochet, post double crochet uses a lot more yarn, and in knitting, brioche patterns, for example, use much more yarn than other patterns.
Personally, I wouldn’t make a shawl with less than 750 m—or better yet, 1000 m.
For the Atlantis shawl, I crocheted with 2 x 1000 m 4-ply Bobbels, which resulted in a size that was comfortable for me—about 210–220 cm.
Of course, if you’re making a flat shawl or a Baktus shawl, you won’t need as much yarn.
Or if you’re using very thick yarn 🤔