I’ve transitioned from my recent shawl binge to a shrug binge. Do you knit like that? I find myself captivated by a particular shape or construction method, and then work variation upon variation on it until I feel as if I’ve made it “mine.”
Several years ago, when I was a much newer knitter and just starting to work in the round, I went through this process with hats: lace hats, cabled hats, hats with ribs in Fibonacci sequences, pointy hats, slouchy hats, hats with all sorts of designs worked into them in K/P combinations.
Now it’s shrugs.
This is my version of Lacey from Knitty. I used malabrigo instead of mohair (no surprise there).
My modifications to the pattern:
• knit on dpns, then a circular, rather than using magic loop method
• shortened the cuffs (to 4.5″)
• worked wrist-to-wrist based on my measurements (this took three skeins—one for each sleeve and one for the body)
• worked the body-opening ribbing using my remaining skein of yarn and just kept going until it was done
What I love about this pattern is that it involves no seaming at all: just round and round for the sleeves, back and forth for the body, pick up the ribbing, bind off and—voilá—you’re done.
Next came the Interweave Knits Sugarplum Shrug.
Their version:
Mine (knit in Ella Rae Angora Extra that I got on sale from—where else?—Little Knits):
My modifications:
• K wrong-side rows so that lace pattern has a garter stitch base, rather than stockinette
• rather than knitting lace border separately and attaching it, I sewed the side seams, then picked up stitches at the wrists and body opening and knitted a ruffle in modified feather-and-fan
As you can see, I am so pleased with the results that I am starting to go all Berroco…
Now I’m working away on an Aran Cabled Shrug for my sister in Lamb’s Pride Bulky (on sale at Discontinued Brand Name Yarn).
The pattern is a bit frustrating, as the two cables are knit over different repeats, so I did a lot of cut and pasting of print-outs until I had them both centered satisfactorily. My gauge is also bigger than theirs, so I’m using the pattern, but knitting to my sister’s measurements, rather than following the recommended number of repeats.
Coming up next?
I’m thinking about Nashua’s Unstructured Shrug in Noro Transitions.
Or perhaps this somewhat frivolous little number from Drops.
I’m sure to have enough malabrigo…