Free preview · full pattern in the Vintage Crochet Stoles & Shawls
La Louisian Square Shawl (1951): vintage crochet pattern
A large square shawl worked in rounds from the center, with blue double crochet bands striped with rayon single crochet rounds and sand-colored cluster rounds, finished with a double row of knotted fringe. Originally published as "La Louisian" in Stoles and Shawls: Hairpin Lace, Knitted, Crocheted (Star Book No. 86) by American Thread Company in 1951, it is.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Reviewed · Editorial policy
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Reviewed September 14, 2026 under our editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Yarn weight | Fine (#2) |
| Yardage | 14 oz (400 g) sport yarn plus rayon thread (as printed; yardage not given) |
| Hook | 3.75 mm |
| Gauge | No gauge printed. Suggested check: after round 6 each side should have 22 dc and lie flat. |
| Finished size | Square; size not printed (22 dc per side after round 6, 54 dc per side after round 16) |
| Time | about 11 hours |
Materials
- Fine (CYC #2) sport yarn — the original sport or sock & sweater yarn: 12 oz (340 g) blue and 2 oz (57 g) sand; yardage was not printed, so check your yarn label
- Rayon (viscose) crochet thread for the contrast rounds: 5 balls Buttercup, 2 balls each Red and Black — check ball yardage
- Crochet hook (original: plastic hook No. 4 or F)
- Cardboard for winding fringe
- Hook: Start with 3.75 mm (US F-5) and change size if your square ruffles or cups
Abbreviations (US terms)
Notes before you start
- Source: "La Louisian", Stoles and Shawls: Hairpin Lace, Knitted, Crocheted (Star Book No. 86), American Thread Company, 1951. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY "DAWN" PERMANENT "CRIMP SET" NYLON; or; "DAWN" BRAEBURN SPORT YARN; or; "DAWN" SOCK & SWEATER YARN; 12 ozs. National Blue or Med. Blue.; 2 ozs. Sand.; and; "STAR" RAYON CROCHET, Article 700; 5 balls Buttercup.; 2 balls each Red and Black.; Plastic crochet hook No. 4 or F.. Gauge: Not given.
- Modernisation note: Original is written in US crochet terms; kept as US terms (sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet).
- Modernisation note: Spaced period abbreviations (s c, d c, sl st) written as modern sc, dc, sl st; words spelled out where the original was ambiguous.
- Modernisation note: "Cut yarn" / "cut thread" / "break off" written as "fasten off"; "attach" written as "join".
- Modernisation note: Long printed paragraphs split into one row, round or step per line; stitch order unchanged.
- Modernisation note: The original numbers these as "rows" though they are worked in joined rounds; written as rounds (Rnd). Numbering unchanged.
- Modernisation note: Corner groups written with brackets: "2 d c, ch 2, 2 d c in next d c" → "(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next dc".
- Modernisation note: "Repeat last row 3 times" written as "Rnds 4–6: Rep Rnd 3 three times"; stitch count (22 dc on each side) as printed.
- Modernisation note: The 2-dc cluster definition, printed inside Row 26, moved to its own line before Rnd 26.
- Modernisation note: Check: Rnd 12 does not say to join or fasten off Blue at the end; the printed Rnds 13–16 continue in Blue and end "cut yarn". Transcribed as printed.
- Modernisation note: Check: Rnd 46 is followed by "Repeat the 19th to 46th rows once" and then Rnd 75, which matches 46 + 28 = 74 rounds before the last round.
- Modernisation note: No gauge or finished size was printed; the flat-square check is our suggestion.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions added.
Center
- Rnd 1: With Blue, ch 4, join to form a ring, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc on every round) and work 11 dc in ring, join in 3rd ch of ch-3.
- Rnd 2: Ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, *(2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next dc (corner), 1 dc in each of next 2 dc; rep from * twice, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next dc, join in 3rd ch of ch-3.
- Rnd 3: Ch 3, 1 dc in each dc, working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the ch-2 loop at each corner, join in 3rd ch of ch-3.
- Rnds 4–6: Rep Rnd 3 three times. Fasten off (22 dc on each side).
Continue this pattern
The rest of the La Louisian Square Shawl (1951) pattern is in the Vintage Crochet Stoles & Shawls
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Stripes
- Last round
- Finishing
Included with 14 patterns for $12 — $0.86 per pattern.
Errata
No corrections have been published for this pattern. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will log the fix here with a date.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the La Louisian pattern from?
It was published as "La Louisian" in Stoles and Shawls: Hairpin Lace, Knitted, Crocheted (Star Book No. 86) by American Thread Company in 1951. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the La Louisian?
Rayon crochet thread (contrast rounds). Not printed — 14 oz (400 g) sport yarn plus rayon thread; check the labels
What hook should I use?
Start with 3.75 mm (US F-5) and change size if your square ruffles or cups Gauge: No gauge printed. Suggested check: after round 6 each side should have 22 dc and lie flat.
