Crochet the Callista Shawl : Style and Pockets in One!

I’m excited to share with you my latest crochet pattern, the Callista pocket shawl!  Made with a luxurious wool and alpaca blend, my shawl is wonderfully warm. If you or your loved ones are sensitive to wool, don’t worry—the pattern works beautifully with any warm and soft #4 weight yarn you prefer.

Designed with the confident beginner in mind (and suitable for all skill levels), my pocket shawl pattern combines trinity stitch rows for texture and single crochet rows for simplicity, making it a relaxing and enjoyable project. The generously sized pockets are ideal for keeping hands warm or carrying small essentials, and there’s room for personal touches: adjust the length or width to your liking, and even add tassels or fringe for a unique finish.

Written in US crochet terms, my Callista shawl is a straightforward project that brings both style and comfort together effortlessly.

You’ll find the free pattern below or you can upgrade to a PDF to work offline in my Etsy and Ravelry stores.

Come and share your work in progress or reach out for pattern support in the Facebook group.  I’d love to see how you get on and share in your success.

Happy crocheting!

Why you’ll Love to Crochet my Pocket Shawl

Skill Level

Confident Beginner / Easy

no increasing or decreasing, no colour changes, basic crochet stitches

Supplies and Materials

• 5mm / H-8 Crochet Hook
• 4.5mm / G-7 Crochet Hook (edging)
• Aran/Worsted Yarn (Weight #5); 1394yds/1275m
• Tape Measure
• Stitch Markers/Dressmaker Pins (for securing pockets before sewing)
• Scissors
• Yarn Needle

Yarn Choices

I used Drops Nepal which is a blend of 65% wool and 35% alpaca.  I’ve loved working with this yarn and will definitely buy more.  Stitch definition is great and I love the heavier weight of the shawl.   The blended wools work so well in keeping shoulders and upper arms warm.

There are a couple of downsides:

• the 50g balls means there are quite a few ends to weave in.  I don’t like sewing but once I had my mindset fixed on getting the ends sewn in it was ok.  I set myself a timer of 30 minutes with a break in-between each session and this worked well for me.  If you don’t like sewing ends in, give this a try!  Or follow my recommendation of sewing ends in as you go (much easier in the long run). 
• Machine washing isn’t recommended, this yarn is hand wash to 30%.   I figured I wouldn’t be washing this shawl too often because it is layered over other clothes.  However, if you like to wash after every wear this is something to consider.

Yarn Substitution

Wool can’t be worn by everyone so I’m recommending you can substitute with any weight #4 yarn.  However, I would caution you to crochet your swatch first and see if you’re happy with the drape and weight of your scarf.  If your gauge is different to my personal gauge, you can use the stitch gauge converter to adjust your stitch count.  Keep in mind the multiples needed when you adjust your foundation row.

Gauge

With a 5mm / H-8 hook

16 stitches and 14 rows = 10cm X 10cm

Glossary

Stitches

You will need to know how to work these stitches:

• Single Crochet (sc)
• Single Crochet 3 Together (sc3tog)
• Double Crochet (dc)
• Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc)
• Back Post Double Crochet (bpdc)

For my UK crocheters, the table below is a conversion of basic crochet stitches from US to UK.

How to work the Trinity Stitch

The Trinity stitch uses single crochet 3 together (sc3tog).  The rows begin with a single crochet and this stitch is used to work the first stitch of the sc3tog.  The following sc3tog across the row uses the previous stitch to work the sc3tog.  To keep the stitch count the same across the row, a chain one is completed after working the stitches together and counts as a stitch in the following row.  The exception to this is when the last sc3tog of any row is worked.  A single crochet is worked in the last stitch, even though this is the last sc3tog of the row.

Abbreviations

This pattern uses the following common abbreviations:

• Chain (ch)
• Each (ea)
• Repeat (rep)
• Stitch (st)

Shawl and Pocket Measurements

Shawl measures approximately 17.5in / 44.5cm wide X 59in / 100cm length

Pockets measure approximately 11in / 28cm wide X 5.5in / 22cm deep

How the Pocket Shawl Pattern is Worked

My pocket shawl pattern uses rows of the Trinity Stitch alternating in a sequence with single crochet rows.

The Trinity stitch is a one-row repeat and gives a lovely dense fabric, perfect for scarves and shawls.  I think it is such a pretty stitch! I featured this stitch in my Contrast Layers scarf and I modified it in my Tranquil Moments blanket pattern. 

One row of the Trinity stitch forms the bottom half of the ‘star’ shape with the second row completing the star.  See photo below.

Instructions for working this stitch are in the ‘Glossary’ section.

Row Sequence

The table below shows the sequence of rows.  This information is helpful if you want to make your shawl longer.

Once the body of the scarf is worked, the yarn is rejoined at the side and a border of 6 rows of single crochet is worked on either side.

The pockets are worked separately following the same row sequence as the shawl with the addition of the tops of the pockets worked in four rows of front post double crochet (fpdc) and back post double crochet (bpdc).

Once crocheted, the pockets are lined up with the bottom and middle of the shawl, pinned in place and sewn around the sides and bottom.

It’s that easy 🙂

Customizing your Pocket Shawl

If you would like your shawl to be longer, after working row 52, repeat rows 1 to 16 then continue from row 52 to 208 and finish with repeating rows 193 – 208.  This will give you an extra 4 inches either end, a total of 8 inches in total.  You would then need to place your pockets to suit your arm length.

If you would like your shawl wider, there are two ways you can do this. One, repeat extra rows of the single crochet border on either side to your preferred width or two, make extra chains in your foundation/starting chain keeping your chains an even number.

If you would like to add tassels or a fringe to the ends of your scarf, you might find inspiration in the free patterns for borders and edgings.

The Ravelry promotion is running from 20th November 2024 to end of day GMT 21st November 2024.

Pattern Notes

• This shawl pattern is written in US crochet terms.
• Multiples of 2 plus 1, add 1 for foundation chain (chain any even amount).
• Chain one turning chain does not count as a stitch.
• Chain one Trinity Stitch does count as a stitch.
• Work the chain one of the Trinity Stitch loosely to make it easier to work the chain in the following row.
• Do not create a chain 1 after the final single crochet 3 together at the end of a row.  Instead, work a single crochet in the last stitch of the row.
• Chain two turning chain counts as a double crochet (pockets).
• Repeated stitches are shown *  * for instance *fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, * rep across to last 2 sts.  You will front post double crochet in the next stitch, back post double crochet in the next stitch and repeat these two stitches across to the last 2 stitches.
• Do not fasten off to work the first side edging.
• Before sewing pockets on, make sure post stitches are at the top of the pocket.
• Sew through every stitch of pocket to shawl fabric to ensure no gaps in pockets.
• Weave ends in as you go.

Crochet Pocket Shawl Instructions US Crochet Terms

Rectangle

With a 5mm / H-8 hook

Ch 70

Row 1: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, sc3tog (starting in sc just made), *ch1, sc3tog starting in st just made, * rep across to last ch, sc in same st as last sc3tog, ch1, turn

Row 2: sc in first st, , sc3tog (starting in sc just made), *ch1, sc3tog starting in st just made, * rep across to last ch, sc in same st as last sc3tog, ch1, turn

Row 3 – 12: rep row 2

Row 13: sc in first st, sc in ea st across, ch1, turn

Row 14 – 16: rep row 13

Row 17 – 28: rep row 2

Row 29 – 36: rep row 13

Row 37 – 48: rep row 2

Row 49 – 52: rep row 13

Row 53 – 64: rep row 2

Row 65 – 76: rep row 13

Row 77 – 88: rep row 2

Row 89 – 92: rep row 13

Row 93 – 116: rep row 2

Row 117 – 120: rep row 13

Row 121 – 132: rep row 2

Row 133 – 144: rep row 13

Row 145 – 156: rep row 2

Row 157 – 160: rep row 13

Row 161 – 172: rep row 2

Row 173 – 180: rep row 13

Row 181 – 192: rep row 2

Row 193 – 196: rep row 13

Row 197 – 208: rep row 2

Ch1 at end of row 208

DO NOT FASTEN OFF

Edging

First Side

Change to 4.5 mm / G-7 hook

Turn to work length of shawl

Place a st marker in any st on this side of the shawl so you know which side to rejoin yarn to work the other side

Row 1: sc in 1^st st, sc in ea st across, ch1, turn

Row 2 – 6: rep row 1

Fasten off

Opposite side

Rejoin yarn on opposite length edge on the side of the st marker

Rep instructions for first side

Pocket

Make 2

With 5mm / H-8 hook

Ch50

Rep rows 1 – 28 of shawl

Ch2 at end of row 28

Row 29: dc in ea st across, ch2, turn

Row 30: *fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st, * rep across to last 2 sts, fpdc in next st, dc in last st, ch2, turn

Row 31: *bpdc in next st, fpdc in next st, * rep across to last 2 sts, bpdc in next st, dc in last st, ch2, turn

Row 32: rep row 30

Row 33: rep row 31

Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew pocket along both sides and bottom

Pocket Placement

Choose which side is right side and line up pocket with 1^st row of short edge and centre of shawl with fpdc/bpdc stitches at the top

Pin pocket in place

Sew pocket down side, along bottom and up the side, leaving the top of the pocket open.

Fasten off

Rep on the opposite end of the shawl.

Congratulations!  Your pocket shawl is finished and ready to be worn.

Copyright Notice

The pattern and photographs of this design are the property of Sharon Goodwin at Jera’s Jamboree.  This pattern and design are subject to copyright and are for personal, non-commercial use only.  You may not share, resell, alter or redistribute this pattern in part or in whole. You may, however, sell any finished items you make.  If you would like to include this pattern in a roundup, you may take one photo and link back to this pattern.

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