Evening Shrug: The Pattern

 

Gauge

5 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch in the round (see our Circular Gauge Tutorial)

Finished Sizes

Circumference of Upper Sleeve: 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) inches

Length of sleeve and width of back are adjustable. 

The Cuff

Cast on 42 (48, 54, 60, 66) stitches to a 12 inch circular needle. Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches. 

Round 1: Knit.

Round 2: Purl.

Round 3: Knit.

Round 4: *K3, yo, slip 1 - k2tog - pass the slipped stitch over (psso), yo, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 5: Knit.

Round 6: *Yo, slip 1 - k2tog - psso, yo, k3, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 3-6 2 more times. 

Knit 1 round.

The Sleeve

Decrease Round: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (35 [40, 45, 50, 55] stitches)

Knit 4 rounds, ending the last round 1 stitch before the marker, make 1 right (m1r), k1.

Next round: k1, make 1 left (m1L), knit to end of round. (37 [42, 47, 52, 57] stitches)

Repeat the last 5 rounds six more times. (49 [54, 59, 64, 69] stitches)

Knit 6 rounds, ending the last round 1 stitch before the marker, m1r, k1.

Next round: k1, m1L, knit to end of round. (51 [56, 61, 66, 71] stitches)

Repeat the last 7 rounds two more times. (55 [60, 65, 70, 74] stitches) 

Continue to knit evenly until the sleeve is as long as you want. Fit the sleeve fairly snugly into your armpit. (I knit my sleeve for 4 inches beyond the final increase).

 

The Back

With a measuring tape, measure the distance from one armpit across your back to the other armpit (my measurement, for example, is 17 inches). You will knit the back until it measures half of this distance (for me, 8 1/2 inches). To do that:

Turn the work so that the purl side is facing you.

 

Purl across all the stitches, turn the work and knit back the other way.

Continue to work stockinette stitch back and forth until the flat piece is half the width of your back.

 

Place these stitches on a spare knitting needle, and make another sleeve and half a back. 

Assembling

There are at least two ways to attach the final two pieces together. Grafting them with the Kitchener Stitch is seamless and invisible, but maybe a little tricky with the rather unforgiving tension of the bamboo. Using the Three Needle Bind Off is, perhaps, easier, but does result in a seam.

For the Kitchener option, start by holding the pieces with the wrong sides facing each other. For step by step instructions on how to proceed, please see our Kitchener Stitch Tutorial.

For the Three Needle Bind Off option, hold the pieces with the right sides facing and the needles parallel. With a third needle, knit 1 stitch from the front needle together with 1 stitch from the back needle.

 

Do that 1 more time so that there are 2 stitches on the right needle. Then, pass the first stitch over the second stitch and off the needle (just like a normal bind off!)

 

Continue to bind off in this way until all the stitches are bound off.

Here's what the seam looks like:

 

Weave in the ends, gently block and you're done!

Comments

[Rebecca]

This is really lovely, Whitney, and such a fab solution to a summer wedding dillemma!

[Clare]

The shrug looks beautiful!

I just had a question about bamboo's 'eco-friendly-ness'. I know the initial bamboo is a sustainable choice, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the manufacturing side of things. How does bamboo stack up against other natural and artificial fibers in terms of the chemicals required to process it into something usable?

[Debbie]

I love the shrug (for my daughter). She is a personal trainer, so her muscle tone is a problem, sometimes, to fit her the way she likes. Her arm's circumference is 17", but she wants this to fit her snuggly. She told me to make the smallest size. I think that will be too small for her. I'm using Classic Elite Bamboo, and I'm getting gauge on a size 6 needle.

I was wondering what you thought about my dilemma, and also, what size is the one in the picture? That will help me a lot!
Thanks!
Debbie
P.S. I love this blog!

[purl bee]

Hi Debbie,

I agree with you that the smallest size would probably be too small. For reference, my upper arm measures 10 inches and I made the 13 inch size. So the picture shows what 2 inches extra looks like.

If your daughter wants it a little tighter, you could make it 16 inches or if she wants it a lot tighter you could go down to 15 inches. Or even 14 if she insists! Just remember that bamboo, like cotton, doesn't have the same kind of give that wool has, so I don't think I would go any smaller than that.

Thanks for your questions and for wanting to make the shrug!
Whitney

[JenniKnits]

I love this shrug. I have a wedding coming up and have been looking for a shrug pattern. I love this one and can't wait to get started.

[Cablequeen]

Thanks so much for the pattern! I love all the pictures you've included as well. Very helpful!

[Samantha]

I was just given a bunch of cream-colored skeins from The Natural Collection from Classic Elite, 80% Cotton 20% Linen. Would this fiber work well for a more casual shrug instead of the bamboo? Any particular concerns that I should be aware of?
Thanks!

[purl bee]

Hi Samantha,
The only real concern would be the gauge of the yarn you're mentioning. In order for the pattern to work for you you should make sure you can get the correct gauge (5 stitches per inch in stockinette). Check the manufacturer's label on your yarn and then test your gauge in a swatch to find the correct size needle for you. If you have questions about working a gauge swatch check out this tutorial:
http://www.purlbee.com/swatch-tutorial/

[Tamara]

May seem to be a silly question but do we slip knitwise or purlwise in this pattern? Thanks in advance.

[purl bee]

Hi Tamara,

Not a silly question!

Slip purlwise.

It is considered standard to always slip stitches purlwise unless directed in the pattern to do otherwise.

[Maartje]

Thanks so much for the pattern! Your evening shrug looks so beautiful and yes...Bamboo is a charming yarn!

[Laura G.]

Thanks so much for this pattern I am very excited about it. I have been looking all over for a knit in the round shrug I abhor seaming. So out of curiosity why not just work backward for the other sleeve rejoining in the round for the other side? Maybe I'm Missing something but it seems like it would allow you to skip a step.
L

[Purl Bee]

Hi Laura,

You could definitely keep knitting down the other sleeve. I didn't because I thought it would bother me visually to have increases on one sleeve and decreases on the other. If you're less finicky than I am, go for it! Save yourself a step!

Whitney

[jenny]

Hi, I cannot wait to make your beautiful shrug! But I have a question, if you could help me. I'm a bigger boned girl so I'm going to make the size for the 15" arm, as well my back is 22" across. I was wondering if you think the 600 yards of bamboo will be enough for the extra back width (I would like the sleeves a little longer too). I'm going to knit it with the Alchemy Bamboo, and 5 skeins will give me 690 yards...do you think I should spring for a 6th skein or is 5 plenty?
Thank you so much for your help...and the beautiful pattern!

[purlbee]

Hi Jenny,

I think I would get a sixth skein. Not only is the sizing going to take more yarn, but also the Alchemy bamboo is quite a bit thinner than the Farmhouse, so that too demands more yarn. And since Alchemy is hand-dyed, different dye lots can look very different, so you don't want to run out!

Also, remember that if you don't wind the sixth skein, you have six months to send it back for store credit.

I hope you enjoy making the shrug and thanks!

Whitney

[Karin]

Hi,

I love the shrug. I am almost ready to knit the back section. I am confused how to start the back (going from in the round to straight for lack of a better word).

Thanks.
Karin

[Jenny]

Hi,
I had a question about changing over from the sleeves to the back as well...when taking the armpit to armpit measurement, where on the armpit do you measure to? Right to the middle/center of your underarm, or just to the "edge" (where your back turns into your armpit)?

[purlbee]

Hi Karin,

At the end of the last round of the sleeve, instead of continuing to work around and around, turn the work so the purl side is facing you. Purl the next row, then turn the work so the knit side is facing you and knit the next row.

This is just like normal flat knitting, except it may be the first time you have knit flat with circular needles. Just knit a row, purl a row, turning the work in between each row.

I hope this helps!
Whitney

[amanda]

maybe this is a silly question...but it seems like the lace pattern calls for making three and only decreasing two. am i missing something?

[purlbee]

Hi Amanda,

The lace pattern increases two with two yarn overs and decreases two with the slip 1, k2tog, psso. I'm not sure how you're counting three increases, but please let me know your thinking, and I can help to further clarify.

Thanks!
Whitney

[Amanda]

Just having a temporary brain cramp. I was somehow missing the the psso. Got it now! Thanks for your help and the lovely pattern.

Amanda

[Heather]

Thanks for this great shrug pattern! I knit it for a city cousin's wedding last fall (I'm the country cousin; all stereotypes apply), and received many enthusiastic and sincere compliments, and was the object of some envy. Also wanted to add that I didn't experience many of the "unforgiving tension" problems that people talk about with bamboo; due to unforeseen circumstances, I found myself knitting up the back of the shrug with plastic coffee stir sticks just 2 hours before the wedding, and it all worked out just fine.

[Katie]

This shrug is gorgeous - and I so want to knit it. However, I'm wondering if a 16" circular needle would work, or do I really need to buy the 12"? (I'll be making the 12" or 13" size.) Please advise - and thanks for this lovely tutorial!

[purl bee]

Hi Katie,
The 16-inch may be a bit long for the sleeve. You could use double points, or one long circular and do the magic loop method. Here is a link to a good magic loop tutorial:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques
Hope this helps!

[Samantha]

A year and a half later, and I finally did it! After a false start or two, it came out great and is a perfect fit. I ended up calculating down a size in this pattern, after seeing that the sizes in the pattern are different by 5 stitches each. Maybe I should have gone out and bought smaller needles but I thought I'd test out my way first. :)
Finished with kitchener and it's an invisible seam. Only question now is about the rolling along the edges on the back - it gives the shrug the appearance of riding up on my back. Is there anything I can do at this point to flatten out some of that rolling?

Thank you for a great pattern!

Samantha