A smokescreen
| a ruse designed to disguise someone’s real intentions or activities |

In the early stages of the design process for this shawl, a name nestled in my mind and wouldn’t shift. Smokescreen. Russia had just invaded Ukraine. The Western press expressed their horror in barely-veiled anti-Black and anti-muslim terms, while European governments opened their arms wide to millions of (white, Christian) Ukrainian refugees. At the same time, they continued to let African, Middle Eastern, and Asian refugees drown in the Mediterranean and the Dover Channel.
I don’t for one moment want to suggest that Ukrainian refugees do not need or deserve the help they have received. They do, and more. What I find deplorable is that our compassion and humanity is somehow still dictated by a sense of “us” versus “them”, and that our politicians continue to come out with racist statements barely disguised as “economics” or “welfare” policies.
SMOKESCREEN. 15% of the individual sale proceeds for this shawl will be donated to Refugee Support Europe

ONE SIZE
Width at widest point - approx. 170cm / 70”
Depth - approx. 81.5cm / 32”

CONSTRUCTION
Smokescreen is an asymmetrical trapezoid; A rectangle with one long, pointy side. It’s worked sideways, starting from the shortest edge and increasing along the diagonal edge to the tip. The size is easily modified - just work fewer or more pattern repeats on the body of the shawl.
Note: Knowing how to read charts will make it easier to get the hang of the increases.

YARN
Honer och Eir Nutiden (fingering/sport weight; 100% unspun wool) in BERTAGEN (dark grey sample) or OMGE (dark blue sample)
Quantity - approx. 300g
Note on the featured yarn: Nutiden is an unspun wool (also sometimes referred to as “pencil roving”) for which length/metre information is not available. This is because each batch is unique and density, thickness and length all vary. I have therefore provided information on how many grams of Nutiden are needed per size. Tips on working with this yarn are given in the Appendix. To substitute for a different yarn, please see “yarn alternatives” and “yardage required” below.

Yarn Alternatives
This shawl is designed for a heavy fingering/sport weight yarn. To obtain similar results to the featured yarn, use a lofty, woolen-spun, non-superwash wool (a few suggestions are given in the Appendix). Alternatively, anything with a natural halo (i.e. something that looks a bit fuzzy or hairy) and which will bloom with blocking will also work. For example, you could use alpaca, a rustic and untreated wool, or either of those held together with a strand of mohair. The shawl will feel significantly heavier if made in a plant-based fibre such as linen or cotton, or in a yarn containing silk.

Yardage required
Approx 1200 m / 1320 yds of heavy fingering/sport weight yarn.

FABRIC TYPE
Smokescreen is worked in a single strand of unspun sport weight yarn to a medium tension. The overlapping nature of the stitches create a sturdy, highly textured fabric that has a medium amount of drape and is very warm indeed.

HOOKS, NEEDLES + NOTIONS
3.5 mm hook, or as required to obtain gauge
2 removable stitch markers
Wool needle
Recommended but not essential: blocking wires

GAUGE
15 sts x 9 rows = 10 cm / 4” over main patt
15 sts x 9 rows = 10 cm / 4” over simplified waffle st
All swatches should be measured after wet blocking. Obtaining precise gauge is not crucial, though bear in mind that differences in tension may affect the quantity of yarn required. This shawl is intended to be blocked aggressively.

TECHNIQUES TO ENJOY
Front and Back Post sts
A simple shell stitch
Increasing
Picot stitch

PATTERN INCLUDES

• Clear written instructions in UK terms
• Colour-coded stitch diagram
• Professionally tech-edited & test crocheted instructions
• UK to US term conversion chart

SPECIAL THANKS
My deepest gratitude to my editor Elly and all the lovely testers who gave their time.

SHARING IS CARING
Share your makes using the #smokescreenshawl and #emmyandlien hashtags, and tagging @emmyandlien on social media.

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