I’m very happy to announce the publication of the Delicate Shawl pattern, the latest addition to my current shawl collection. It’s my seventh shawl design. It is made with delicate and beautiful 100% mohair kid yarn, so it’s very soft and light.

The process of designing the shawl went smoothly; I was able to quickly achieve exactly what I had in my mind, but the yarn choice turned out to be very painful and time consuming. I had to make three versions until I was happy with the result. Actually, I was very happy with my first attempt. It looked beautiful in real life, just as I wanted, but I struggled to show its beauty in the pictures. Because the color of the yarn was so light, and there wasn’t enough contrast between the yarn and beads, the pearls were difficult to see. So, I went to my yarn shop and bought another yarn. I chose the purple color because it was dark enough to highlight the beads.

The first version of my Delicate Shawl
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There was only one problem. I don’t like purple. And when I finished the shawl and took several pictures, I decided that I didn’t like it. It wasn’t good enough for the pattern. To say that I was miserable and discouraged would be an understatement.

The second, purple version, which I edited in Photoshop. I changed the color into this brownish shade I like.

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And then, my mohair yarn arrived. It was love at first sight! I didn’t have any particular pattern in mind for that yarn; I just ordered a shawl quantity, hoping that I will figure it out later. It turned out that it was just what I needed. The delicate and thin beige mohair was perfect for the shawl’s body, and the rich burgundy red was just the right shade for the bead panel; the ideal contrast to pearl beads. So, the third version of the Delicate Shawl was born. It took me only a week to finish.

The gorgeous, luxurious yarn I used is Concept Mohair Lace by Katia. It’s 100% mohair kid, 25g/162m. Working with such delicate yarn was a real pleasure. I enjoyed every second, every stitch of it. I spent 4 skeins of 25 g of the main color (beige), and 2 skeins of the contrasting color (burgundy red).

I was a little scared to block the shawl because I had never blocked mohair before, but it went smoothly. It blocked beautifully.

The shawl is very simple to make. I used only four basic stitches: a double crochet, a chain stitch, a single crochet and a slip stitch. I love simple things. I noticed that as I’m getting older I appreciate simplicity more and more. This shawl is an example of that. There are only a few stitches packed in a simple design. That’s the kind of beauty I am drawn to.

The construction of the shawl is also very simple. You start with just several stitches, and you add stitches on both sides as you go. The pattern is repetitive and easy to remember, so crocheting is very relaxing.

The shawl is approximately 174 cm (68.5”) wide and 77 cm (30”) long, after blocking. I used 3 mm crochet hook.

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The tutorial for the Delicate Shawl is written in English using US crochet terminology. It’s very detailed, and it includes:
– a row-by-row written pattern
– a step-by-step picture tutorial for the first 5 rows
– four crochet charts
– a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to work with beads
– a tutorial on how to string beads onto yarn
– a stitch count and
– information on materials needed

You can buy the Delicate Shawl pattern in Dada’s place shop, HERE.
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You can also buy it in my Ravelry shop, HERE, and my Etsy shop, HERE.

I would really, really love to see all of your beautiful and creative versions of the Delicate shawl! Please tag me and use the hash tag #delicateshawl when you post it on social media. I will share the best ones in my Instagram and Facebook stories and on Pinterest.

Al Amal shawl is simple and elegant, and very wearable because of its clear design. But you can make it more dramatic and eye-catching if you chose some interesting, flashy yarn. You can also add pompoms instead of tassels. It would bring a completely new and modern dimension to the shawl.

I find it interesting how an idea comes to fruition. Sometimes that process goes easy and smoothly, and I manage to turn the idea into reality without any effort. But some ideas have their own will and they want to develop and grow and become something completely different. It’s a little bit like living with a needy, complicated teenager. It’s tough. Believe me, I know. I live with one.

The idea of this shawl was very easy to handle. I managed to achieve exactly what I had in my mind with very little effort on my part. So, I wanted to reward it for saving me so much trouble with a nice, proper name. Because the shawl had no name. All the time I was working on the design, I was referring to it as The New Shawl. The New Shawl was written in all my documents. And then one day when I was preparing for my English lesson, I read in an article that a space mission called Al Amal (which means “hope” in Arabic) was sent to Mars. I liked the sound and the meaning of it. So, that’s how The New Shawl has got its name.

Maybe you wonder why I made 2 versions of the shawl. The reason is my impatience. When I developed the pattern, I was eager to start on working, but my yarn shop was closed due to vacation for the next 10 days or so. 10 days are an eternity when it comes to crochet. I know that you totally understand! So, I looked at my yarn stash in search of some appropriate yarn. And I picked up this Alize Angora Gold in cream, which I’ve already used for my Weldy shawl and Into the woods blanket. I love that yarn. It looks nice and sophisticated, and it’s very affordable at the same time.

And while I was working on my first version (the cream one) I knew that I wanted to make it in some gradient yarn. So, as soon as my yarn shop opened again, I went there and picked up this mustardy-yellow cake from Alize. It is called Angora Gold Ombre Batik (color 7358). The cake was only 150 grams so I didn’t manage to make the shawl using only one cake, so I bought another one. Since I needed only about 190 grams, I was left with enough yarn to use in another project. Maybe I’ll design a hat or a pair of mittens, to go with the shawl. I’ll see.

The shawl is approximately 140 cm (55”) wide and 70 cm (27.5”) long after blocking. I always recommend blocking your shawls because it gives them that professional and sophisticated look. The shawl is the perfect size to wear as a bandanna scarf. I used my pink 3 mm crochet hook.

The pattern is very detailed and it includes:

– a row-by-row written pattern
– a step-by-step picture tutorial for the first 5 rows
– three crochet charts
– a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make tassels
– a tassel placement diagram
– a stitch count and
– information on materials needed

The Al Amal shawl is available in all my shops. You can buy it in Dada’s place shop HERE, on Ravelry HERE and on Etsy HERE.

You know that I always LOVE to see all of your creative versions of my designs, so if you make Al Amal shawl, please post it on Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tag me. The best way is to use #alamalshawl hash tag. I will post your beautiful pictures in my Insta stories and on Pinterest. Can’t wait to see what you’re up to! And which yarn you’ll be using! I find the yarn choice so interesting!

Click here to buy Al Amal Shawl pattern.