Sway Wave Shawl – A New Crochet Pattern Inspired by the Sea

Sway Wave Shawl: Inspired by the Sea

At the moment, I’m diving into at least four new shawl designs, and the very first one I’ve finished is the Sway Wave Shawl. I feel so inspired to keep creating — shawls, wraps, scarves — each with its own little story and source of inspiration.

For the Sway Wave Shawl, my inspiration came from the sea. I’ve always loved being near the water; it feels both peaceful and humbling. The sound of the waves, the shifting colours of the water, the patterns in the sand, the wind on my face — all of it feels magical. I wanted to capture even a little bit of that rhythm and movement in a shawl.

That’s why I chose wavy stitches for this design. Two different wave patterns alternate across the shawl, each wave slightly different, just like the sea itself. And the colours — a soft ombre from purple to grey — echo the water’s moods, with purple being one of my favourite colours.

About the Sway Wave Shawl

The Sway Wave Shawl is a generous rectangular shape, but you can easily adjust it to any size — instructions for that are included in the pattern. It combines two alternating wavy stitch patterns that flow beautifully together.

I used a soft fingering-weight yarn — Scheepjes Whirl and Whirlette — which gives it a lovely drape, but the pattern is versatile enough to work in slightly heavier yarns too.

Skill-wise, I’d place this pattern in the adventurous beginner to intermediate range. If you’re comfortable with single, double, and triple crochets, plus a few special stitches, you’ll pick up the rhythm quickly. The instructions are written clearly in bullet-point format, and there’s even a handy table translating US to UK crochet terms, so you can follow along with ease.

Styling & Use

What I love most about the Sway Wave Shawl is its versatility. Even though it’s rectangular, it can be worn in so many ways. Draped loosely, it has an effortless elegance; wrapped snugly, it becomes a cozy shield against chilly nights.

I’ve included a few photos below to show some of my favourite ways to drape it. Each way highlights the gentle waves in the stitches, and I love how the shawl seems to move with you as you wear it.

This shawl also makes a thoughtful, handmade gift — a piece that feels timeless because it’s inspired by nature. I hope it brings the same quiet joy of the sea to anyone who wears it.

Hello :) It's me wearing the Sway Wave Shawl. I know you can't see much of it, but is shows the colours wonderfully. It's a selfie and I couldn't stretch my arms any further :)

 

Pattern Release

The Sway Wave crochet pattern is now available on Etsy and Ravelry. If you enjoy it, I’d be so grateful if you gave it a favourite, queued it, shared it with a friend, or pinned it for later. I can’t wait to see your versions — whether in ombre colors or in shades and yarn weight of your own choosing.

 

Here are some pinable images. It would mean a lot to me if you could pin some of them. 

Thank you :)

More of My Shawl Designs

I've been designing shawls, wraps, scarves and cowls for a few years now and I always try to make my patterns as meditative as possible. Relaxing stitch patterns with their own rhythm and not too complicated to make. I also try to add some kind of quirky twist to keep the project interesting. This twist can be in the yarn, the shape, the edging or the way to wear it. 

Below you can see some of my designs.

The Yarn

My favourite shawl yarn is Scheepjes Whirl and Whirlette. For the Sway Wave Shawl I used:

Whirl 758 Lavenderlicious x 1 yarn cake

Whirlette 855 Grappa x 1 yarn cake

Where to shop for Scheepjes Whirl, Whirlette and other yarns

Scheepjes yarns are available from WoolWarehouse (International shipping) and Caro’s Atelier (The Netherlands, International Shipping). If you purchase yarn through the affiliate links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!*

Click on the link and it will take you to the shops where you can search for the yarn you’d like:

UK Wool Warehouse: http://shrsl.com/17owu

NL Caro’s Atelier:

https://caros-atelier.webshopapp.com/tracking/tradetracker/redirect/?tt=27390_12_296927_&r=%2F

Or shop at other Scheepjes stockists.

*Affiliate links.
The affiliate links in this post support giveaways, free patterns, discounts and the running of this blog. By purchasing yarn through these affiliate links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Thank you to Scheepjes for providing the yarn for this project.