Shrug This - Completed

I finished my black shrug early yesterday morning, in time to wear to church. This is a quick and easy knitting project.

Shrug This in Plymouth Encore Chunky-black


I will be back later to post pictures of me modeling my new shrug. For now, here's my review. Enjoy!


Name of Pattern:
Shrug This

Designed by:
Toni Kayser Weiner (from the One Skein Wonders book)

Pattern/Garment Description:
Shrugs are all the rage and with this loosely knit version (three stitches per inch) you'll be able to "shrug" off the time investment. This shrug is worked from the neck down and there's no sewing required.

Size(s):
One size

Yarns Used:
Plymouth Yarn Encore Chunky in Black. Used less than 2 skeins.

Gauge:
Roughly 3 stitches/inch. Cast on 53 stitches.

Knitting Tools Used:
Circular needles: 24 & 29 inch size 11 needle

Techniques I learned/used:
Long tail cast on
Yarn over (YO)
Knitting from the top down (first time)
Raglan sleeves
Lengthen the body by a few rows

What I Like About this Pattern:
Quick and easy to knit. Pattern can be easily lengthened.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
Nothing to dislike.

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
I rate this pattern as Easy. A beginner with some basic knitting experience could tackle this project.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
This pattern has been on my mind since I first saw it in the One Skein Wonders book I purchased last year. Initially, I thought it would be difficult to knit. I didn't understand what YOs were nor did I understand why markers were used. Plus knitting from the top down? That sounded weird to me. Something I could not comprehend as I've been knitting from the bottom up and that basically makes sense to me.

So, I have a sweater, shrug, cardi/vest and soon to be completed shell experience tucked in my brain. I revisited this pattern and know what? The instructions started to make sense to me.

Since I did the long tail cast on, I wanted the backside (I believe will double check) to be the right side. So, I ended up I adding an extra row of ribbing at the neckline. I also added an extra row at the bottom to complement the neckline.

Tip: The only thing I might add to this shrug is sewing a piece of black ribbon along the front side edges of the cardigan. I noticed the edging wanted to curl towards the inside and while I was wearing it, I kept straightening the fronts.

Personally, I thought this Encore Chunky yarn worked well for this shrug. I have worn it to church and received many complements. The shrug kept its shape throughout the day.

Partial back/side view


Partial front/side view

I plan on making one in a longer length, similar to Trina's version.

I really like the style of this shrug. It's comfortable to wear. It's really cute!

Here's a link to the Shrug This pattern.