Classic Prayer Shawl – Free Crochet Pattern

Crochet Prayer Shawl

A prayer shawl is a handmade shawl that is created with the intention of offering comfort, healing, or blessings to the recipient. It is often made while the maker prays or meditates, infusing the shawl with love and positive thoughts.

Prayer shawls are commonly given to people who are sick, grieving, or going through difficult times, but they can also be gifted for joyful occasions like weddings, baptisms, or births. Many churches and community groups have prayer shawl ministries where members make and distribute these shawls as acts of kindness and faith.

While the term prayer shawl might suggest a religious connection, these shawls are not limited to any one faith—or even to religious practice at all. They are often made with love, intention, and good wishes, whether through prayer, meditation or simply focusing on sending comfort to the recipient.

People of all backgrounds create and give prayer shawls as symbols of support, healing, and warmth. Some call them comfort shawls, healing shawls, or blessing shawls to reflect their broader meaning. Whether spiritual, personal, or purely thoughtful, the act of making and giving a shawl is what makes it special.

You can crochet a prayer shawl for: 

• Someone going through a tough time – illness, grief, or personal struggles
• A joyful occasion – new baby, wedding, milestone birthday
• Someone facing a big change – moving, new job, retirement
• A person in need of comfort – hospital patients, nursing home residents
• Just because – a friend, family member, or even a stranger in need of kindness
• Yourself – because you deserve warmth, comfort, and care too!

This Classic Rectangle Prayer Shawl Crochet Pattern is an easy pattern that is made with only basic stitches and a simple one-row repeat, making it perfect for infusing positivity into every stitch.

It creates a rectangle shawl and features a beautiful yet simple design with natural shell-like edges. The fabric is soft and flowing with a lovely subtle texture.

The pattern includes detailed written instructions with diagrams as well as a step-by-step video tutorial to ensure that you can easily crochet this shawl without any guesswork – and you can focus on the love and good intentions you are embedding into this gorgeous and comforting shawl that’s like a homemade hug.

You can use the Table of Contents below to jump to any section of the pattern or keep scrolling down to view all the details, the video tutorial and the free written pattern.

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Pattern Details

Skill Level

Easy

Size

The pattern creates a shawl that is approx. 65” wide and 25” high. (The average size of a prayer shawl is 60-70” wide and 25”-30” high).

Materials

Yarn: Any size 3 (light) yarn or any size 4 (medium) yarn. 

Size 3 (light) yarn will make the shawl lighter and breezier. Size 4 (medium) yarn will make the shawl thicker and warmer.

When making this shawl with size 3 (light) yarn, you will need approx. 1,675 yds in total. I used Bernat Baby Sport in “White.” This yarn is size 3 (light) and 100% acrylic. A skein is 1,256 yds / 1,148 m and 12.3 oz / 350 g. I used 2 skeins of Bernat Baby Sport.

When making this shawl with size 4 (medium) yarn, you will need approx. 1,425 yds in total. I used Soft Classic Solid by Loops & Threads in “Mauve.” This yarn is size 4 (medium) and 100% acrylic. A skein is 354 yds / 324 m and 7 oz / 198 g. I used 5 skeins of Soft Classic Solid.

Crochet Hook Size: 

• For size 3 (light) yarn: J/10 (6.00 mm)
• For size 4 (medium) yarn: K/10.5 (6.50 mm)

Other Materials: Yarn needle, scissors and a measuring tape. 

Terminology

This pattern is written for right-handed crochet using standard US terminology. If you’re more familiar with UK terms, here’s my US to UK Conversion Chart. 

Abbreviations

• ch/chs = chain/chains
• st/sts = stitch/stitches
• sp/sps = space/spaces
• sk = skip
• sc = single crochet
• dc = double crochet 
• ch-2 sp = chain two space

Gauge

Exact sizing is not important. For reference, following the pattern, 4” x 4” =

• Using size 3 (light) yarn: 12 sts and 8 rows.
• Using size 4 (medium) yarn: 11 sts and 7 rows.

Pattern Notes

• Chains never count as stitches. 
• The shawl is completely reversible and looks the same on the front and the back. 
• I call the stitch used in this pattern the “Modified Blanket Stitch” as it’s similar to the blanket stitch but in reverse.

How to Adjust the Size

The pattern creates a shawl that is approx. 65” wide and 25” high. (The average size of a prayer shawl is 60-70” wide and 25”-30” high).

The number of starting chains determines the width and the number of rows determines the height. To adjust the width, make more or less starting chains in multiples of 4 + 3 (meaning to take any number that you can divide by 4 and then add 3 to that number – i.e. 40 + 3 = 43 starting chains required). To adjust the height, make more or less rows. 

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Video Tutorial

Watch the step-by-step video tutorial below or keep scrolling down for the written instructions.

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Just a Reminder!

This pattern is also available as a PDF, which includes everything listed here but as a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF that you can instantly download, save, print, make notes on and keep forever.

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How to Crochet the Classic Prayer Shawl (Pattern Instructions)

Start: 

• If using size 3 (light) yarn: ch 247.
• If using size 4 (medium) yarn: ch 231. 

The rest of the instructions are the same for both size 3 & size 4 yarn. The only difference is the number of sts and ch-2 sps in a row (the stitch count for each yarn weight is provided at the end of the row’s instructions). 

For Row 1 (only) work into the back ridge loops (this prevents the start from curling). 

Row 1: In the second ch from the hook, sc.

Ch 2. 

In the next ch, 2 dc. 

*Sk the next 2 chs.

In the next ch, sc.

Ch 2. 

In the next ch, 2 dc.*

Repeat from * to * across. 

Stitch count: (reminder: chs never count as sts)

• For size 3 (light) yarn: 186 sts and 62 ch-2 sps.
• For size 4 (medium) yarn: 174 sts and 58 ch-2 sps. 

Note: every time you ch 2, you create a “ch-2 sp” that you will work into on the next row. This ch-2 sp is under the two chs and between the sc and dc sts. 

For the rest of the pattern, only work into the ch-2 sps, not into the tops of sts. 

Row 2: Ch 1 and turn.

In the first ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, 2 dc). 

*In the next ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, 2 dc).*

Repeat from * to * across. 

Stitch count:

• For size 3 (light) yarn: 186 sts and 62 ch-2 sps.
• For size 4 (medium) yarn: 174 sts and 58 ch-2 sps.

Row 3 and on: Repeat Row 2 until the height of your shawl is 25” or your desired height. You can end after any row. 

Note: it may take several rows before your shawl’s width is what it will be for the rest of the pattern (it can fluctuate at the start). If after several rows, you are not happy with the width, you can start again with a different number of starting chains (refer to the How to Adjust the Size section). 

Using size 3 (light) yarn, my shawl had 50 rows.
Using size 4 (medium) yarn, my shawl had 46 rows.

After reaching your desired height, fasten off and weave in loose ends.

And now you have a new prayer shawl!

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