Blue Textured Circle Shrug with 4 Modifications
I was inspired to knit Stephanie Japel’s Textured Circle Shrug by the knitted sample in the Lion Brand Studio in New York City. I am impressed by the innovative activities that Lion Brand and its studio are offering. They have made the Textured Circle Shrug into a Knit Along (KAL) run by Stephanie Japel. While I’m late to the party which hasn’t deterred me in the past, it’s a great reference for understanding how to approach this garment.
The Textured Circle Shrug is a combination of a top down cardigan sweater without the front panels. Stitches are then picked up and knit in a circle, hence the name, to create the collar and front panels. It uses three different stitches–a textured stripe, a simple knit purl rib and seed stitch for an edging.
The ability to try on the completed garment on was the deciding factor for me. While I liked the fit, I didn’t like the way that the textured rib cause me (and my knitting buddies) to look like we had a humped back. As a result, I am making the following changes to the pattern:
- Substituting stocking knit stitch for the textured stitch. It will simplify the look.
- Extending the sleeves to full length since I am always cold.
- Adding a long ribbing section to the sleeves to emulate the circular ribbing on the main part of the shrug. Looking at the finished garments on Ravelry, I think that the sleeves look unfinished since the textured rib stitch just ends. Since it’s a short sleeve that ends at the largest part of the arm, there’s no ribbing.
- Finishing the sleeve with a seed stitch ruffle to emulate the main part of the shrug.
I am going to knit it with the Tess Designer Yarns Superwash Merino that I bought last May at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I have two skeins (1,160 yards in total) which will be sufficient.
Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief