Some of my family members really like to play D&D (Dungeons and Dragons)… I’m not a huge fan of the game, because I’m terribly at the role-playing aspect, BUT I do love the dice. D&D uses a bunch of different dice with different numbers of faces rather than just the regular standard die (D6, in D&D vernacular, because it has 6 sides). So I was messing around with some cool dice one day and inspiration struck. What if I let the dice decide my crochet pattern? I toyed around with a few different ways this could work and finally landed on the Roll for Color shawl. I love it, and each one will be a little different depending on your dice rolls. So if you’re feeling adventurous and want to go on a little shawl ‘quest’ with me, read on! This pattern is completely free, including video tutorial, or you can purchase an ad-free PDF from Etsy or Ravelry.
*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase I may, at no additional cost to you, earn a commission. Read full disclosure here.
Supplies
- Any DK weight yarn, 12 50g balls. I used Knitpicks/WeCrochet Capra 85% fine merino wool, 15% cashmere (see my color choices below). You don’t necessarily have to use 12 colors, and my shawl/scarf ended up using about 375g total (but you can certainly make it wider and use more yarn). (Just a side note – this is the first time I’ve used this yarn, and I LOVE it. It’s very soft! Might be my new favorite…)
- Size G crochet hook
- D&D Dice (or you can use a random number generator, but there are relatively inexpensive dice available online, and the dice are the funnest part, in my opinion. 🙂 I specifically used a D20 and a D12. See instructions below for modifications!
- Yarn/Tapestry Needle for weaving in ends.
Stitch Abbreviations
- ch chain
- st(s) stitch(es)
- sk skip
- sc single crochet
Finished Size and Gauge
10 sc (20sts including chains) and 19 rows in 4 inches, in pattern (moss stitch)
My shawl/wrap measured 6’10” long and 1′ wide measured at the longest and widest points. This pattern is very easy to adjust for size, so if you want a more traditional wider shawl, that is very easy to do!
Pattern Notes
This fun little shawl/wrap features simple moss stitch and a fun choose-your-own adventure color scheme.
None of the color changes for this shawl are indicated in the instructions below because they should be different for each person. You can check out the video for detailed instructions on choosing your colors, or read on for more info. If you’d like your shawl to look just like mine, I also show my color changes in notes below for reference.
Before getting started, you need to pick your colors – you can choose as many colors as you’d like (it’s a great way to use up some scrap yarn). I chose 12 colors so that I can use a 12 sided die to choose my color. If you’re using physical dice, it’s best to choose a number of colors that matches one of the die (typically 6, 8, 10, 12, or 20). If you’re using a random number generator, you can pick any number, or if you’re using dice and don’t have the exact number, just treat some rolls as ‘re-rolls’ and carry on.
Grab a note card or paper – write the name of each color and tape or tie a small sample of that color onto the paper for reference to make it easier. Number each color on your list. I punched holes in my notecard to make it easy to attach yarn samples.
Now grab your dice – you’ll need a D12 (twelve-sided die) and a D20 (20-sided die). You can also use a random number generator or a die with a different number of faces. The first die should have as many faces as the number of colors you chose, and the second die should go up to whatever is the largest number of rows in one color section you’d like to have. For me, I have 12 colors, and am willing to go up to 20 rows in one color, so I’m using a D12 and a D20.
All you have to do now is roll the dice! Whatever number shows on the D12 tells you which color to use, and whatever number shows on the D20 shows you how many rows to make of that color. Whenever you get done with that many rows, roll again for a new color! (Or you can be like me and pre-roll a few colors, write them down, and then start working!)
*If you roll the same color twice in a row, just re-roll so you don’t end up with a huge section of the same color. If you use up all of one color, skip it and re-roll if you roll that number again.
A note about the edging
You can adjust how deep the zig zags on the edging are. I made mine by stopping a row 10 sc early. For deeper, less frequent zig zags, stop even earlier. For shallower, more frequent zig zags, stop later. Make sure you also adjust the number of rows between decreases so that you do not increase or decrease the overall width of the shawl (for example, if you stop after 6 zig zags, you would decrease every six rows). Make sure your zig zags stop early by an even number of sc so that your next zig zag will start at the correct side.
Colors I used (WeCrochet/Knitpicks Capra DK):
1-Angelite Heather
2-Eclipse Heather
3-Carbon
4-Adriatic Heather
5-Hemlock Heather
6-Lost Lake Heather
7-Forage
8-Loganberry Heather
9-Pinot Heather
10-Tansy Heather
11-Pinecone Heather
12-Morel
My colors and # of rows:
Color 2 – 14 rows
Color 4 – 19 rows
Color 12 – 5 rows
Color 6 – 6 rows
Color 11 – 6 rows
Color 3 – 6 rows
Color 2 – 1 row
Color 5 – 3 rows
Color 4 – 19 rows
Color 7 – 3 rows
Color 2 – 5 rows
Color 3 – 15 rows
Color 7 – 2 rows
Color 9 – 15 rows
Color 6 – 15 rows
Color 9 – 6 rows ** I rolled for 11, but ran out!
Color 1 – 10 rows
Color 5 – 6 rows
Color 6 – 5 rows
Color 11 – 12 rows
Color 7 – 4 rows
Color 8 – 13 rows
Notice that I never even got to use color #10 – I was a little bummed, because I loved that yellow shade! But all’s fair in a game of chance, and I just never rolled a 10. There are other colors that I completely finished. You never know what will happen!
Roll for Color Video Tutorial
How to Make The Roll for Color Shawl
- ch6, sc in 4th ch from hook, ch1, sk1, sc in next st (last st of starting ch6)
- ch2, turn, sc in ch1 sp, ch1, sk sc, (sc, ch1, sc) in ch-sp created from initial turn ch (see video for help).
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1) in first ch1 sp, sc in next ch1 sp, ch1, sc in turn ch sp.
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1) in each ch1 sp across, working (sc, ch1 sc) in turn ch sp.
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1) in first ch1 sp, (sc, ch1) in each ch sp across, sc in turn ch sp.
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1), in each ch1 sp across, working (sc, ch1, sc) in turn ch sp.
- Repeat rows 5-6 until shawl is desired width (I did about 70 rows before continuing)
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1) in first ch1 sp, (sc, ch1) in each ch sp across, ending with sc in ch1-sp 10 spaces before turn ch sp (it can be helpful to place a stitch marker in the indicated stitch before beginning the row to make sure you stop at the right place **see note about edging**
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1) in each ch1 sp across, working (sc, ch1, sc) in turn sp.
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1, sc, ch1) in first ch1 sp, (sc, ch1) in each ch sp across, sc in turn ch sp.
- ch2, turn, (sc, ch1) in each ch1 sp across, working (sc, ch1, sc) in turn ch sp
- Repeat 10-11 three more times (10 rows in this edging section)
- Repeat 8-12 until the shawl measures desired length
- Finish off, weave in ends.
If you like this design, you may also like the Wide Colorblock Scarf or the X’s and O’s Fingerless Gloves.
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