14 One Skein Shawls

If you have one ball of DK-weight yarn with at least 377 yards, this is the pattern for you. We love this shawl pattern because it's super simple to knit up, with a no-brainer garter stitch construction, and the classic eyelet increases give it a traditional look. Since the pattern is so simple, we recommend this for variegated or striped yarn.

Yes, you can knit a shawl with one skein of bulky yarn! For this pattern, you'll need at least 355 yards of it. This pattern offers a little more intrigue in its construction, so you can get away with using a single-colored yarn, but you could absolutely use a multicolored yarn and still end up with a stunning piece. The lace detail adds a healthy dose of femininity to this shawl.

You might not know this, but some skeins of yarn are designed specifically to allow you to finish a large shawl project in just one skein! That much is the case with this shawl pattern, which uses a skein of 1,100-yard super fine yarn, strategically colored to give your shawl a deliberate, multi-skein look. Nobody will believe you only used one ball of yarn for this shawl!

This is the perfect shawl pattern for that fancy yarn we were talking about earlier. The incredibly easy-to-follow instructions will allow you to put any yardage of any weight of yarn to good use in an uncomplicated pattern that shows off the unique qualities of your yarn... hence the name! This pattern is perfect for letting the yarn itself shine rather than the pattern.

For less than 400 yards of worsted weight yarn, which you probably have sitting in your stash right now, you could make this Knit Alnwick Shawl. The magic of this one skein shawl pattern is the detailed edging, which gives an otherwise simplistic pattern a recognizable flair. This shawl is really perfect for that skein of worsted weight yarn you've been trying to get rid of for years.

This shawl is another worsted weight beauty, but you never would have guessed it based on how delicate and detailed it looks! You only need 243 yards of any type of weight class 4 yarn here, but this piece will really shine if (pun intended) you use a silky, quality yarn that will glimmer in the sun. This shawl really has a million-dollar look to it.

Looking at the picture, you would never believe that this pattern takes just one ball of yarn, but it absolutely does! This is yet another case of single skeins of yarn being manufactured specifically for the creation of a single shawl, and this yarn does it expertly, utilizing three drastically different shades that appear as though they're all different skeins

One ball of yarn? Check. No purling whatsoever? Double check! If you dread purling almost as much as you dread joining skeins of yarn together, this is your next pattern. This project is perfect if you have over 400 yards of sock weight yarn—perhaps that one skein you've been planning on using for actual socks but have been procrastinating on for months.

This shawl is a personal favorite of mine. The colorway of the lace yarn used in this one skein shawl is like a roaring fire, and the stunning cable edging that carries from the start to the finish of this pattern helps give it a bit of complexity. You can wear this shawlette as a scarf for a more casual look, as well.

If you're on the hunt for a full-sized shawl rather than a shawlette, you'll need a single skein with a bit more yardage. This shawl uses about 656 yards of worsted weight yarn, and while this particular yarn has been discontinued, there are plenty of jumbo-sized skeins of worsted weight yarn out there for you to turn into an incredible, lacy, tasseled shawl like this one.

Looking for something a little more complicated? All this shawl needs is one skein of sport weight yarn, or about 383 yards. The size on this one is a little smaller, but the lacy construction gives this shawlette a really elegant and refined look, despite being slightly miniature. We love this shawl with tonal yarn to give the piece a little bit of extra visual intrigue without taking away from the breathtaking lace pattern.

This is the pattern for you if you're looking to utilize one skein of handpainted DK-weight yarn. As lovely as they are in the skein, it's sometimes hard to utilize handpainted yarn in an elegant way, but this shawl does it. An easy pattern, even beginning shawl knitters can figure this one out.

If none of the other worsted weight shawl patterns are doing it for you, perhaps this one will! This garter stitch knit has all the simplicity you're looking for, while the single ball of yarn used does all of the striping work for you. We love this shawlette for big personalities and statement-makers.