Macaw wings shawl TCAL - Tunisian crochet along

During the Macaw wings shawl TCAL event that will span over two months, you’ll get the whole pattern as free blog posts and will be able to share your project and win prizes along with other people who also love Tunisian crochet.

This article includes affiliate links, which may make me a small commission at no cost on your part, if you make any purchases using my links.

About the Macaw wings shawl pattern

This Tunisian crochet pattern is inspired by the wonderfully colorful macaws and their magnificent wingspans. It looks best in a symmetrical gradient or even in a lightly speckled yarn.

This is an intermediate/advanced lace crescent-shaped shawl with feather-like sections, worked from one tip, through the wider middle and toward the other tip.

The pattern consists of 13 sections and is fully written, with charts for each section. You will need to read each row of the pattern to make this, as each section is different from the one before.

Macaw wings shawl 6 jpg — Full view of the Macaw wings shawl, showing the color changes and the lacy stitches that create the illusion of feathers.

If you want to read about the design process for this pattern, here’s the full story, including photos, charts and tester projects.

The regular written pattern PDF has 36 pages of instructions, charts and photo tutorials. The written instructions are printer-friendly and take up 18 pages on two columns.

Macaw wings shawl Pattern preview jpg — Preview of the PDF pattern with written instructions, charts and photo tutorial

The charts are also available separately in a bigger file with A3 sized sheets. The charts are high quality, for extra crisp printing.

The easy read PDF version has 117 pages in total, 76 of which consist of instructions only, in a single column. You can also use the easy read version on your phone, as it is mobile-friendly with the large font and big pictures in the tutorial at the end.

Where to buy the PDF versions

You can find the PDF pattern here with both versions, the big charts and a cheat sheet, if you don’t want to wait for the end of the event to get the whole pattern:

About this Tunisian crochet along

This event will start on Monday, January 20th 2023 and will last until March 24th.

One or more sections from the instructions will be published on the Friday of each week, at around 5 PM CET (that’s Central European Time).

I will send out an email update at the same time to my email subscribers and you can subscribe to my emails if you want to receive this notification. The email will include other news as well, as this will not be a separate list.

At around the same time every week, I will also make a post in the Advanced Tunisian crochet Facebook group about that specific week’s section(s).

How to participate in the Macaw wings shawl TCAL

You can make a project and post about it in the comments here, on the weekly blog posts, in the Facebook group, under the weekly post.

You can also ask questions or ask for help if you get stuck and I will do my best to help you get through.

In the Facebook group there will also be other people who can help, some who have already tested the pattern and are great at spotting any issues because they already had to go through them.

Schedule of the Macaw wings shawl TCAL

See the calendar pages below for a detailed release schedule for each part of the pattern.

January 20th – Event launch with sections 1 & 2
January 27th – Sections 3 & 4
February 3rd – Section 5
February 10th – Section 6
February 17th – Section 7 and bonus extra long section 7
February 24th – Section 8
March 3rd – Section 9
March 10th – Sections 10 & 11
March 17th – Section 12 & 13
March 24th – Wrapping up, photos, prizes

TCAL resources

This blog post will include all the necessary details you need to know before and during the event, as well as links to each new blog post as they get published.

You will also find below:

a list of notions or materials required to make the Macaw wings shawl;
a list of abbreviations;
all the observations relevant to this pattern;
instructions for the gauge swatch;
links to the photo tutorials for any tricky stitches you might encounter;
the video tutorial for some of these stitches.

Each blog post with the different sections will include:

the full instructions for that week’s section(s);
a chart (with watermark) for each section;
the list of abbreviations;
a link back to this page;
a link to the previous section;
a link to the next section, where applicable, for easy navigation.

Notions to make the Macaw wings shawl

Yarn: about 960-1000 meters or 480-500 grams of yarn of your preference in DK or size 3 weight at 200-220 meters per 100 grams;
Hook -Tunisian crochet hook, 5.5 mm or hook that gets you gauge; 4 mm regular crochet hook.
Tapestry needle, scissors, tape measure
Optional: stitch markers, tools for blocking (iron with steam or other steamer), blocking mats and pins.

Sample made in DK Advent pack from Pook Yarns (200 m per 100 g).

Pook yarns advent yarn for Macaw wings shawl 1 — Yarn dyed by Rachel from Pook yarns for this pattern.

Abbreviations used in the Macaw wings shawl pattern

Ch – chain;
Ls – last stitch: insert hook behind the two vertical bars at the end of the row, YO and pull up a loop;
M1 – make 1 Tss: insert the hook in the next horizontal space, YO and pull up a loop;
M1P – make 1 Tps: YU, insert the hook in the next horizontal space, YO and pull up a loop as if to make a Tps;
R – regular return pass: Ch1, Rep [YO and pull through 2 loops on hook] until 1 loop remains;
Rep – repeat;
Sc – US single crochet, UK double crochet;
Sl St – slip stitch;
SRR – short row return pass: Rep [YO and pull through 2 loops on hook] until 1 loop remains on the hook;
St(s) – stitch(es);
Tps – Tunisian purl stitch: YU, insert the hook under the vertical bar of the next St, YO and pull up a loop; for Tps in eyelets, see detailed instructions on page 33;
Tss – Tunisian simple stitch: insert hook under the vertical bar of the next St, YO and pull up a loop
Tss2Tog – Tunisian simple stitch 2 together: insert the hook under the front vertical bars of the next 2 Sts, YO and pull up a loop;
YO – Yarn over;
YU – Yarn under: bring the yarn under and to the front of the hook.

Observations

This shawl is worked sideways from one corner to the middle and then to the other corner.
The shapes are created by using short rows and appear symmetrical because of the construction.
You need to follow all the instructions in order to create the whole shawl. You can use the charts along with each section of the pattern, all charts are added at the end of the pattern.
The charts are available for all 13 sections and include special stitches that are not usual for Tunisian crochet, but are explained in the legend and the instructions accompanying the charts.
There is a photo tutorial at the end for tricky stitches, such as working a Tps in a YO space.
There are also video tutorials for some of these stitches, see page 2 for links.
At the beginning of the project, you will work into a chain as if to make short rows.
You will pick up stitches in the chain at the end of each row as if working regular short rows, except you will be working into the back bumps of the chains (see photos).
When working short rows and you encounter a decrease at the end of the short row (example Row 32), you decrease only across full stitches, not taking into account the end of a short row (see photos).
When you encounter an eyelet and need to make a Tss, insert the hook through the eyelet and draw up a loop.
When you encounter an eyelet and need to make a Tps, bring the yarn to the front of the hook, insert the hook under the front loop of the eyelet (the YO on the previous row) and draw up a loop (see photos).
All sections are worked continuously, even if the instructions are divided into sections for ease of referencing the charts.
At the end of each section, a small chart is shown so you know what the piece you just worked on should look like.
After the middle of the shawl, the first short row return is highlighted in a bold font in each section.
For this shawl, gauge is very important. Make a swatch and check the yarn consumption to make sure you have enough yarn.
When you reach the end of the middle section, you should have half of the yarn left. If you have less than half of the yarn, you need to adjust your gauge or get more yarn if you don’t want to redo the first half.
After a YO, you don’t skip a stitch unless specifically instructed.
In sections 8-13, when working Tps over the ends of short rows, you will work into the stitches below the last stitch on each short row, regardless of type. For example, in eyelets you will work as before, making a Tps in the front part of the eyelet, or in Tss2Tog you work around the two vertical bars of the Tss2Tog stitch, as if it were a Tss.

Gauge swatch

To make sure you will get the recommended size, make a gauge swatch by following these instructions.

R1. Ch19, pick up 19 loops in the back bumps of the chains, R

R2. 18Tss, Ls, R

Repeat R2 14 more times for a total of 16 rows. You should have a 10 by 10 cm (4″ by 4″) square. If the square is larger, go down a hook size (0.5 mm), if available. If the square is smaller, go up a hook size (0.5 mm), if available.

Photo tutorials for tricky stitches

You should consult the photo demonstrations if you have trouble locating the stitches you should work into.

I’ve created a separate blog post for these tutorials so they are easier to load and find.

They are presented in the order that you are most likely to encounter them while working on the shawl:

Eyelets in a foundation row.
Short rows in the foundation chain – how to make short rows and how to work subsequent short rows in the same foundation chain, short rows in Tps.
Simple stitches (Tss) and purl stitches (Tps) in eyelets.
Decreases and eyelets.

Video tutorial for tricky stitches

Along with the photo and written tutorials linked above, you can also watch a video demonstration for some of these skills.

The video shows:

how to work short rows in a foundation chain;
how to increase when working in the foundation chain;
how to find and work in eyelets;
how to make Tps (Tunisian purl stitches) in eyelets.

The video also comes with a left-handed version.

I am working on adding captions to these two videos.

Prizes

There will be prizes for those who finish their project by March 24th and send me at least one finished photo with permission to publish it in the final post of the TCAL.

Since I’m in Germany and participants are probably all over the world, I will offer digital prizes.

Grand prize: A copy of my Gradient shawls collection, which includes 9 patterns, 6 regular crochet and 3 Tunisian crochet + a coupon code for any pattern from my shops.
Second prize (x2): Two coupon codes valid for any pattern from my shops.
Third prize (x3): One coupon code for any pattern from my shops.

As you can see, there are 6 prizes in total and these will be awarded on the last day of the event, by a random draw of all participants who shared a finished photo.

Finalists

Here are the projects completed during the even. There are more projects ongoing, so when those are finished I will update the gallery.

My pink Flamingo wings shawl

I worked on the shawl during the TCAL, together with all the participants.

I used two cakes of Alize Angora Gold Ombre Batik (affiliate US link) and the shawl came out looking like a very smooth gradient.

Here’s a gallery of the finished shawl.

Where to buy the PDF versions

You can find the PDF pattern here with both versions, the big charts and a cheat sheet, if you don’t want to wait for the end of the event to get the whole pattern:

Final remarks

I hope you enjoyed this pattern and that you will share your beautiful Macaw wings shawl. Please feel free to give your project any other name, of a bird or anything else this pattern inspires for you.

Please share your project with me and everyone else in the TCAL either in the comments or in the Facebook group. You can also tag me Andrea Crețu in the Advanced Tunisian crochet Facebook group, if you share the project there.

I’m @yarnandy on Instagram and you can tag me or use #MacawWingsShawl and I will follow the tag and share your photo if you do. You can also explore the tag to see what others are making.

Here are some more Tunisian crochet patterns for you to try out and make sure you subscribe to my emails if you want to know when I publish new patterns, videos, testing calls and so on. Email subscribers also get exclusive coupons.