May 15, 2013

Easy Crocheted Shrug

I've found that I need more shrugs & cardigans in my life. In winter, I noticed I've started to get sweat stains that need covering, and now that it's 90+ degrees, I'm wearing tops that, while otherwise work-appropriate, show my bra straps. Not cool when you're a doctor. So I went hunting for a shrug pattern to crochet. I decided to start with the Easy Shell Shrug on Ravelry. Here's how it turned out!

Necklace from TotusMel. Go get one! :)


This pattern is more of a set of guidelines, than a precise recipe. Basically, you’re making a rectangle of fabric, stitching the ends together to make sleeves, then finishing it with a collar. You can use any stitch you’d like. I made mine with the shell stitch in the pattern.

Edits to the original pattern:

I started with a row of foundation sc, to have a bit more give than a foundation chain would. I worked the fsc until I reached my desired length. (I wanted mine longer sleeved than the original.) I then worked the shell pattern until the fabric became tall enough to comfortably go around my arm & shoulder while wearing a short sleeved shirt.

The row of fsc is at the bottom of the shrug. I like having more give around my neck than my back, so it worked best oriented this way.

The collar as-written curled wildly, as the picture below shows. The original has Row 2 as: 2 sc in ea sc of row 1. I frogged the collar, & did row 2 as: 1 sc in ea sc of row 1. I worked all other rows of the collar as written. Came out perfectly, & just as pictured.


Finally, I wanted a more finished look to the ends of the sleeves, so I did one row of sc on each sleeve.

Overall, very happy with this project. :D

See my Ravelry project page over here.