Coraza

Crochet
September 2022
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
4.0 mm (G)
3.5 mm (E)
720 - 1080 yards (658 - 988 m)
US
English
This pattern is available for $6.50 USD buy it now

Pattern available here:
https://tinnacrochet.com/collections/all

Coraza is a new fun and quick make shawl in a mesh style with 5 point form. It includes a lacay border style as well as a plain one. Now with a new version of the Colorfol Coraza included too! Video tutorials for both version available over on my YouTube channel!

original Coraza video tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Zk78ttZ6g

colorful Coraza tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65adTq9FTks

I designed this shawl back in 2015 and this was the very first silk shawl I ever owned. Now I believe every person should have at least one silk shawl, it just feels so good to wear, sort of like I’m a queen for a day!

A few years back I gave one of these shawls to a friend of mine when she was going through a divorce and I told her that this would serve her as a silk armour, to get through the tough times. To think of it as a shield of protection and love to wear over her chest when she felt vulnerable. She said that it served her well. Since then, this thought of my protective armour shawl has stuck with me.

The simple mesh design also reminds me of the chain mail of old, worn by knights for protections. Hence the name, Coraza, which means armour in Spanish. So, if you need to protect your heart, or even just want to feel like a queen for a day, I recommend making one of these in pure silk and experience the magic!

Yarn & hook:

You can use any yarn; in any weight you like for this shawl and a hook that suits your yarn. I have these made in lace weight up to aran, and I love them all!

I made the original Coraza shawl on a 3.5 mm hook using the beautiful hand dyed, lace weight silk called Dye for Yarn. In that yarn you need 1 x 100 gram skein (695 m).

In fingering weight yarn, I made the grey one from 2 skeins of Noro Kumo, (a viscose, cotton, wool & silk blend, 100 g = 360 m) and a 4 mm hook. 2 skeins fit exactly for the plain border version, so if you want to do the lacey border style you would need 3 skeins.

Gauge:
There is no gauge really for this shawl, just take care to have a rather looser gauge than not, so that it gives a good drape. I would go up approx. half to 1 mm in hook size according to the recommendations on the yarn.

Abbreviations (US terms):
ST = stitch/stitches
CH = chain stitch
DC = double crochet
CH SP = chain space. This is the space below a chain stitch made in the previous row.
DC SP = double crochet space. This is the space between two DC’s made in the previous row.

Sizes:
Coraza is a continuous “one row repeat” pattern, with two border options and the simple one will fit any stitch count, so you can really make it in any size you want! The written instructions are according to my original silk version and there I did 56 rows, including the border. You can also just keep going until you’re almost out of yarn and then just finish it off with the 2 rows simple border version.
Once blocked, the shawl grows quite a bit!

My lace weight silk shawl is 160 cm wide and 60 cm from top to bottom.

My fingering weight shawl is 170 cm wide and 70 cm from top to bottom.

Colors
I recommend a single color or slow gradient color cake for the original Coraza shawl, but of course you are free to do as you please and use any colors you like really!

General Instructions
The shawl is worked forth and back in rows, turning after each row. You start at the center up and work your way down to the border. The pattern includes diagrams, written instructions, step by step photos and the video tutorial is coming soon on my YouTube channel.