Updated: 6 November 2026 by Sylwia (MyCrochetory)
This top down crochet shawl begins with five tiny single crochets in a magic ring. Row by row it opens into a wide lace triangle, light enough for spring and big enough to wrap around your shoulders on a cool evening.
Aprilace is the younger cousin of my Aprilis Shawl. Aprilis grows corner to corner into an asymmetrical shape, so this time I wanted the opposite, a symmetrical triangle worked from the top down, with a 4-row repeat you can learn by heart and tiny picots along the edge.
I love lace patterns, and this is lace at its friendliest. You only need chains, single crochet and double crochet, and below you’ll find the free pattern with stitch counts for every row plus a video to crochet along with.
Jump to the free pattern, or get the ad-free, printable PDF with a stitch chart and a stitch tracker on Etsy or Ravelry.
How this top down crochet shawl is built
Picture the back of your neck. That’s where a top down crochet shawl starts, right in the middle of the top edge, and from there it grows down and out with every row.
One stitch marker runs the show. It sits in the center stitch and moves up each row, the increases happen around it and at both ends, and the left and right halves stay mirror twins.
The first rows fit in the palm of your hand. A few repeats later, the shawl already covers your lap.
The 4-row lace repeat
The whole recipe is four rows on repeat. Two rows of double crochet with chain spaces open the fabric into mesh, then a row of single crochet and a row of back loop single crochet close it up again.
That back loop row does a quiet job. It leaves a thin line on the right side that frames every lace band, a bit like a pencil line drawn under each stripe.
Count your stitches at the end of the single crochet rows. A missed increase shows up there first, and fixing it there beats ripping back a whole repeat.
The picot edging
Picots and I have a love-hate relationship. And yet here they are, all along both long edges of Aprilace, one after every two single crochets.
They turn a plain edge into a soft little scallop that blocks out into tiny points. My picot stitch tutorial shows how I make them so they sit flat, with no gap at the base.
Yarn for a top down crochet shawl
I made my Aprilace in KOKONEK Pure, a 100% merino fingering weight yarn, and I’d pick it again today. Mine is a gradient that drifts from dusty pink at the neck through cream into a cool blue gray at the edges.
Gradients and top down crochet shawls are a sweet match. The colors follow the rows, so they wrap around the neck in neat V shapes.
Prefer a solid color? The lace rows will show even more. Just pick something soft, because a shawl sits right against your neck, and for anything I wear there I always choose a yarn that doesn’t itch.
Blocking your Aprilace Shawl
Fresh off the hook, Aprilace looks a bit like a crumpled napkin, and the top edge may curl. That’s normal.
Merino is an animal fiber, so I wet block it. Soak the shawl in lukewarm water with a little gentle wash, squeeze out the water, pin it flat to shape and let it dry completely, and the lace opens up while the curl disappears.
How hard is this top down crochet shawl?
Aprilace is labeled intermediate, but the stitch list is short. Chains, single crochet, back loop single crochet and double crochet do all the work, and the picots join in only at the very end.
What needs a little attention is the marker and the increases around it. If this is your first triangle shawl, my guide on how to crochet a shawl walks you through top down, bottom up and tip to tip shapes with free charts.
Saving this one for spring? Pin this top down crochet shawl to your Pinterest board, so you won’t have to hunt for it later.
Aprilace top down crochet shawl pattern
- Get the ad-free, printable PDF with a stitch chart on Etsy or Ravelry.
- Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue here.
- Pin it for later.
Copyright 2024–2026 MyCrochetory. All rights reserved. This pattern is the property of Sylwia Kawczyńska @MyCrochetory. Please do not sell, share or claim this pattern as your own. It is for personal use only and may not be translated or reproduced in any language without my permission.
The Aprilace Shawl you make following this pattern is yours, and you are free to sell it, as long as you credit MyCrochetory as the original designer. For more information, please read the Terms Page.
Materials & tools
- Yarn: fingering weight, about 1000 m (1094 yd). I used KOKONEK Pure (100% merino wool) in a gradient.
- Hook: 3.5 mm, or the size you need for the gauge.
- Notions: 1 stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors.
Level
Intermediate.
Size after blocking
One size, adjustable: about 188 cm (74″) wide and 80 cm (31.5″) deep.
Gauge after blocking
After Row 13 the shawl is about 30 cm (12″) wide and 10 cm (4″) deep. Gauge isn’t very important here, but a different gauge changes the size and the yarn you need.
Notes
- US terms. The shawl is worked top-down in one piece, back and forth in rows. The marker shows the center st of every row.
- When you place or move the marker, put it in the last st you worked. It sits in a st, not between sts.
- Ch4 at the start of a dc row counts as 1 dc and ch1. Ch1 at the start of a sc row doesn’t count as a st.
- Rows 3–6 are the repeat. Work more or fewer repeats for a bigger or smaller shawl, and always end with Rows 3–5 before the edging.
- Other yarn weights work too, but your shawl will be a different size.
- The counts in (…) are for the whole row.
Stitches & abbreviations (US terms)
- ch chain
- st(s) stitch(es)
- sc single crochet
- BLsc back loop only single crochet
- dc double crochet
- sl st slip stitch
- sk skip
- sp space
- beg beginning
- prev previous
- rep repeat
- M marker
- PM place marker
- RPM reposition marker
- […] work the instructions in square brackets as many times as indicated
- picot ch3, insert the hook in the 3rd ch from the hook, yo and pull through the ch and the loop on the hook.
Video tutorial
Prefer to watch? The video shows the start and the 4-row repeat step by step.
Tip: To view this video tutorial properly, please disable any ad blocker you have running.
Pattern
Read all Notes before you start.
Start: Make a magic ring, or ch4 and sl st in the first ch to close the ring.
Row 1: Ch1 (doesn’t count as a st), (3sc, PM, 2sc) in the ring. Turn. (5 sc)
Row 2: Ch4, dc in the first st, ch1, sk next st, (dc, ch1, dc, RPM, ch1, dc) in the st with M, ch1, sk next st, (dc, ch1, dc) in the last st. Turn. (7 dc)
Row 3: Ch4, dc in the first st, ch1, sk ch-1 sp, [dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1 sp] until M, (dc, ch1, dc, RPM, ch1, dc) in the st with M, ch1, sk next ch-1 sp, [dc in next dc, ch1, sk next ch-1 sp] until only the ch-4 remains, (dc, ch1, dc) in the 3rd ch of the ch-4 at the beg of the prev row. Turn. (11 dc)
Row 4: Ch1, 2sc in the first st, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp until M, (2sc, RPM, sc) in the st with M, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp until the ch-4 remains, sc in the ch-4 sp, 2sc in the 3rd ch of the ch-4. Turn. (25 sts)
Row 5: Ch1, 2sc in the first st, BLsc in each st until M, (2 BLsc, RPM, BLsc) in the st with M, BLsc in each st until 1 st remains, 2sc in the last st. Turn. (29 sts)
Row 6: Ch4, dc in the first st, ch1, sk next st, [dc in next st, ch1, sk next st] until M, (dc, ch1, dc, RPM, ch1, dc) in the st with M, ch1, sk next st, [dc in next st, ch1, sk next st] until 1 st remains, (dc, ch1, dc) in the last st. Turn. (19 dc)
Rows 7–78: Repeat Rows 3–6 18 more times, or until the shawl is almost as big as you like. (Row 78: 235 dc)
Rows 79–81: Repeat Rows 3–5 once more. (Row 81: 485 sts)
Edging: Ch1, (sc, picot, sc) in the first st, (sc, picot) in the next st, [sc in next 2 sts, picot] until M, (2sc, picot, remove M, sc) in the st with M, (sc, picot) in the next st, [sc in next 2 sts, picot] until 1 st remains, (2sc, picot) in the last st.
Fasten off, weave in all ends and block the shawl.
Found a mistake? Email me at mycrochetory@gmail.com.
Made your Aprilace? I’d love to see your colors, so share it on Instagram with #mycrochetory and tag @mycrochetory.
Lost count around the marker? Ask in my Facebook Group or Ravelry Group, and we’ll sort it out together.
More top down crochet shawls
Caught the top down bug? These free shawls of mine start at the neck too, and each one grows in its own stitch.
- Kalinda Shawl, a top down triangle with back loop waves, made from one gradient cake.
- Flores Shawl, an asymmetrical top down triangle that mixes solid double crochet with a mesh section.
- Forsythia Shawl, a top down triangle from a magic ring with lace clusters and a picot edge.
- Triangle Moss Stitch Shawl, worked from the center top in moss stitch and four colors.
- Aprilis Shawl, the asymmetrical cousin of Aprilace, worked corner to corner.
Top down crochet shawl FAQ
How much yarn do I need for this top down crochet shawl?
About 1094 yards (1000 m) of fingering weight yarn for the size in the pattern. Fewer repeats give you a smaller shawl and use less yarn.
What’s the difference between Aprilace and Aprilis?
Aprilis is an asymmetrical triangle worked corner to corner. Aprilace is a symmetrical triangle worked from the top down, with a picot edge.
Do I need the stitch chart?
No, the written rows with stitch counts are enough to make the whole shawl. The chart in the PDF is handy if you like to see the full repeat at a glance.
Can I make the shawl in a heavier yarn?
Yes, any weight works. DK or worsted yarn with a bigger hook makes a larger, warmer shawl that needs more yardage, so stop after fewer repeats if you want the same size.
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