Mar
okay so the virus shawl thing
I made my first one in spring 2022 when I was basically avoiding actual responsibilities and just wanted something repetitive to do with my hands. The circular version is honestly easier than it looks once you get the rhythm down but nobody tells you that the first three rounds are gonna feel totally wrong.
So you start with a magic ring which I know some people hate but just deal with it because starting circular patterns any other way is messier. Chain 5 for your first space then do 3 double crochets into the ring. That’s your first shell basically. Then chain 2 and repeat that whole thing—3 dc, chain 2—seven more times so you have 8 shells total around your ring. Slip stitch to the third chain of your starting chain 5 to close the round.
The thing that annoyed me SO much about this pattern is that everyone explains it differently and half the tutorials skip over how you’re supposed to know where the “V” stitches go versus the shell stitches. Like they just assume you can see it in the diagram but when you’re actually holding the yarn it all looks like a blob for the first few rounds.
Round Two is Where It Gets Real
Chain 5 again to start. You’re gonna work into those chain-2 spaces from the previous round. In the first space do 3 dc, chain 1, 3 dc—that’s a V-stitch technically but it’s really just two shells with a tiny space between them. Then chain 2 and in the next chain-2 space just do a regular shell which is 3 dc, chain 2. Keep alternating like that around. V-stitch in one space, chain 2, regular shell in next space, chain 2, and so on.
I used Red Heart Super Saver for my first one because I wasn’t gonna waste good yarn on something I might screw up and honestly it worked fine. The Warm Brown color. It was scratchy at first but after washing it got better and the pattern still looked good even with cheap yarn.
Understanding the Virus Part
The reason it’s called virus is because the pattern spreads outward in this organic way that kind of looks like cells dividing or something? I was watching some documentary about ocean stuff while crocheting and kept thinking it looked more like a sea creature than a virus but whatever. The points that form are what makes it look special.
Round three is where you start seeing the actual shape happen. Chain 5 to start like always. Now you’re working into both the V-stitch spaces AND the regular chain-2 spaces but differently. When you come to a V-stitch section from the previous round you’re gonna put a shell in that little chain-1 space in the middle of the V. Then chain 1, and another shell in the same space. So that’s two shells in that one tiny space with a chain between them.
Then chain 2 and work a V-stitch into the next chain-2 space from the previous round. The pattern is basically expanding—what was a V-stitch becomes two shells, and what was a regular shell becomes a V-stitch. That’s how it grows outward in that viral spread way.
Keeping Track of Where You Are
Use a stitch marker or you WILL lose your place. I just used a safety pin because I couldn’t find my actual markers and it worked fine. Mark the beginning of each round because once you get to round 5 or 6 everything starts looking the same and you’ll be sitting there like wait did I already do this section or…
The pattern repeat becomes: two shells (with chain 1 between) in the V-stitch spaces, then chain 2, then a V-stitch in the chain-2 spaces, then chain 2, and repeat. Every round adds more stitches but the logic stays the same.
Yarn Choices That Actually Matter
For my second one I used Caron Simply Soft in that Persimmon color during summer 2024 and it was SO much better than the Red Heart. Not even scratchy and it draped really nicely which matters for a shawl obviously. I think I used a 5mm hook for both? Maybe 5.5mm for the Caron one because it’s slightly thicker.
You want something with decent yardage because this eats up yarn faster than you think. I used probably 800 yards for a medium sized shawl that was like 60 inches across. Could’ve gone bigger but my cat kept attacking it every time I laid it out to measure so I just stopped when it seemed big enough.
The Rounds Start Blending Together
After round 4 or 5 you kinda zone out which is actually the best part if you need to just turn your brain off. Each round takes longer obviously because you’re adding more stitches but the pattern is so repetitive that you can watch TV or whatever and your hands just know what to do.
One thing I gotta mention—your tension matters more than usual with this pattern because if you crochet too tight the whole thing won’t lay flat and it’ll cup up weird. Ask me how I know. My first attempt in round 7 started looking like a bowl and I had to rip back three rounds and redo them looser. So frustrating but it did fix the problem.
When Things Go Wrong
If you miscount shells it becomes obvious pretty fast because the points won’t line up. Like you’ll be going along and suddenly you have this weird gap or extra stitches bunching up. Just rip back to the previous round and recount. I know people say oh just fudge it but with this pattern it actually shows.
The chain spaces are important too—don’t skip them or make them too tight. They’re what gives the pattern that lacey open look and if you skip one or make it too small the whole thing gets dense and loses the virus effect.
How Big Should You Make It
I stopped mine at round 18 which gave me a decent shawl size but you could keep going forever technically. Some people do like 25 rounds for a blanket which seems insane to me but okay. Each round adds maybe 3-4 inches to the diameter depending on your yarn and hook size.
You can try it on as you go which is actually helpful—just drape it around your shoulders and see if it feels right. I did that probably every 3 rounds just to check. My dog thought I was playing with him every time I stood up with yarn draped everywhere which was… distracting.
Color Changes If You Want
I didn’t do this but a lot of people change colors every few rounds and it looks really cool with the virus pattern because you can see each section clearly. Just finish your round, tie off, and start the new color at the beginning of the next round. I might try that next time with some Paintbox Yarns cotton—they have good color ranges.
The join is just a slip stitch at the end of each round to the top of your starting chain. Nothing fancy. Some people do an invisible join but honestly for this pattern the regular slip stitch is fine and way easier.
Blocking Is Gonna Be Necessary
Yeah so after you finish you really need to block it or it’ll look kind of sad and crumpled. I just got it wet, squeezed out the water, and pinned it out on those foam mats on my floor. Let it dry overnight. The pattern opens up so much more after blocking and the points actually look pointy instead of rounded.
If you used acrylic you can’t steam block it obviously unless you want melted yarn so just wet block. Cotton or wool you have more options but wet blocking worked for both my shawls.
The Actual Pattern Summary
Just to put it all in one place because I realize I’ve been jumping around:
- Start with magic ring and 8 shells separated by chain-2 spaces
- Round 2: alternate V-stitches and regular shells
- Round 3 and beyond: put two shells where V-stitches were, put V-stitches where regular shells were
- Keep expanding outward using that same logic
- Chain 2 between all major stitch groups
- Mark your rounds so you don’t lose place
Variations People Do
Some folks add beads in the chain spaces which I haven’t tried but it looks fancy in photos. You’d have to thread them onto your yarn before starting which seems like a pain but maybe worth it for a special occasion shawl.
There’s also a version where you can make it more rectangular instead of circular by basically working back and forth instead of in the round but that changes the whole construction and honestly seems more complicated. The circular version works better as an actual shawl anyway because you can wear it as a triangle.
Finishing the Edge
I didn’t do anything special for the edge—just finished my last round and tied off. Some people add a border with like picots or shells or whatever but the virus pattern is already decorative enough that it doesn’t really need it. Plus adding a border means more time and more yarn and at some point you just wanna be done you know?
If you do want a border though just work single crochets around the entire edge first to even things out, then add whatever decorative edge you want. That gives you a clean base to work from.
How Long Does It Take
My first one took probably 15-20 hours total? But I was learning and ripping back mistakes. The second one was more like 12 hours because I already knew what I was doing. If you crochet fast and don’t make mistakes maybe 10 hours for a medium shawl. The early rounds go super quick but rounds 15+ take forever because there’s so many stitches.
I worked on mine in chunks—like an hour here, two hours there. Trying to do it all at once would make your hands cramp up anyway with all those double crochets.
Is It Actually Wearable
Yeah actually it is which surprised me because some crochet shawls are too stiff or weird shaped. The circular virus shawl drapes nicely especially if you used softer yarn. You can wear it as a triangle over your shoulders or fold it and wear it more like a scarf situation. I wore mine to a thing in fall 2022 and got compliments which was cool.
It’s not super warm though because of all the holes in the pattern so more like a spring/fall accessory or something to throw on in air conditioning. If you want warm you’d need to use thicker yarn and a tighter gauge but then it wouldn’t have that lacey virus look.
Common Mistakes I Made
Counting the starting chain as stitches when I shouldn’t have—this threw off my count in like round 4 and I had to figure out where I went wrong. The starting chain-5 counts as a dc plus chain-2, not as separate stitches to work into.
Pulling the chain stitches too tight which made everything pucker. Keep them loose and stretchy.
Not checking if it was laying flat until I was way too far in. Check every few rounds by laying it on a table—should be completely flat not cupping or ruffling.
Using a hook that was too small which made my stitches tight and the fabric stiff. Go up a hook size if yours is looking too dense.
Would I Make Another One
Probably yeah. It’s one of those patterns that looks impressive but isn’t actually that hard once you get the rhythm. Good for gifts too because people who don’t crochet think it looks super complicated and fancy. I’m thinking about trying one in a gradient yarn next time—Lion Brand Mandala or something—because I feel like the color shifts would look cool with how the pattern spirals out.
The pattern is flexible too like you could stop at any round depending on how big you want it or how much yarn you have left. Not like some patterns where you have to finish a specific repeat or it looks unfinished.
