Sunday 19 September 2010

Extra post - shrug pattern for the knitters!

There is nothing terribly amazing about this but so many shrugs have a bulky increase after the cuff that I find gets in the way so I shaped it slightly. The yarn I used was something I was asked to try - a very fine Korean yarn but any laceweight would do and anyone with even just a little knitting experience can play around with the pattern.
Here you are.

SHRUG
A shrug should be made to fit the intended wearer. Measure the person (or get someone to measure you) by getting them to hold their arms out and measure from wrist to wrist. That will be the length needed.

Materials:
Two balls Muse. Unless you are very tall this should be enough to make a shrug for someone up to 170cms ( 5’ 10”) in height.

One pair 2.25mm needles for the bands
One pair 3.75 needles for the main part.

Abbreviations: sts – stitches
k – knit
p – purl
k1bf – knit into the back and the front of the stitch to increase 1 stitch.

Tension : Not vital – the body of the shrug should feel loose and elastic in both directions. This will make it comfortable to wear. Muse is not an elastic yarn. Please make sure you cast on and cast (bind) off for a comfortable fit.

Directions:

Using 2.25 mm needles cast on 60 (66) sts.
Row 1: *k1 p1 repeat from * to end
Repeat first row 27 times. S
Row 28: Change to 3.75 mm needles. Increase 26 (20) sts across the row. You should now have 86 sts.

Now start the pattern for the main body of the shrug.

Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit wrapping the yarn twice around the needle
Row 3: knit dropping the extra loop off the needle
Row 4: k1bf knit to the last stitch k1bf (88sts)

Repeat the last four rows and increase 14 more times (116 sts)
Measure the length and keep a note of it. You will need to decrease at the other end!

Continue to repeat the four pattern rows without any further increases until the shrug is as long as you want it less the length of increases. (e.g. If you want the shrug to measure 160 cms and the length from the first row of ribbing to the end of the increases is 20 cms you will stop when your knitting measures 140 cms and then start to decrease. See diagram.)

Now decrease at each end ofon every 4th row until you have 86 sts again.
Next row decrease evenly to 60 (66) sts
Knit 27 rows of k1p1 rib as before and cast off.

Sew the wrist bands and the seams to the end of the decreasing.

7 comments:

Ann said...

At the moment I am coming to end of a knitted coat. Then I must finish the shawl I am making for my daughter for Christmas and the infant matinee coats. But I am going to print out this pattern and make it for another Christmas present. So thank you. To many projects. I do wish there were more hours in a day.

catdownunder said...

You're knitting a coat in summer Ann? I put the pattern up because of a request from someone on Jean's knitting blog - and for the others over there likely to read it but it is nice to know someone else can use it too.

Susan said...

Hello there,
I hopped over here from Jean's blog.
The words "stash busting," "shrug" and "lace weight" all in the same sentence will always get my attention.
Thanks for posting this,
~Susan

catdownunder said...

You are most welcolme Susan - and I found you on Ravelry - awesome work!

Alison said...

Hi Cat,

Many thanks for responding to requests & making your shrug pattern available.

I, too, found you via Jean's blog and now you are both daily required reading. Thanks for such an interesting, thoughtful perspective: you give me much to think about.

catdownunder said...

Hello Alison, nice to virtually meet you!

Anonymous said...

G'day, Cat

Thanks for the speedy posting of the shrug pattern.

I hope everyone who makes one will report it back here, so we can marvel at the amount of stash used, worldwide!

(I tried to thank you for the pattern soon after you made it available, but that message - like several others - disappeared. Such is life.)

LMcC