Berroco Sweetgrass Shrug Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Berroco Sweetgrass Shrug

What is Being Made

The Sweetgrass Shrug is a short, cropped cardigan-style garment designed by Donna Yacino. This intermediate-level knitting project features a sophisticated construction with separate front pieces that are joined to a back section worked from the top down. The finished shrug offers seven size options, ranging from 33" to 57" bust measurements when closed, with lengths varying from 12" to 16" depending on the selected size. The garment shown in the pattern is the 41" finished bust size.

Techniques Used

The Sweetgrass Shrug employs a seamed, worked flat construction method, which is a traditional approach for structured garments. The pattern uses a provisional cast-on technique to begin the front pieces, allowing for later joining and seamless integration with other sections. The fronts are worked separately from bottom to top, then strategically joined with newly cast-on stitches that form the center back neck. The back section is subsequently worked downward from this joined point. Sleeves are picked up along the armhole edges and worked downward to completion, creating a cohesive finished garment. This multi-directional construction approach requires careful attention to shaping and stitch placement.

Stitches Used

The Sweetgrass Shrug features a distinctive pattern stitch that repeats over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3. This textured stitch combines knit and purl elements with yarn overs and decreases to create visual interest:

• Row 1 (Right Side): Knit 2, then repeat the sequence of purling 3 stitches together, yarn over, then purling the same 3 stitches together again, followed by knit 1, across the row with modified edge stitches
• Row 2: Purl across
• Row 3: Knit 4, then repeat the same decrease-yarn over-decrease sequence with knit 1 between repeats, with modified edge stitches
• Row 4: Purl across

These four rows form the complete pattern repeat. The stitch combines decreases (p3tog), yarn overs (yo), and basic knit and purl stitches to create an openwork, textured fabric with elegant drape.

Materials and Gauge

The Sweetgrass Shrug is designed to be worked in Berroco Modern Cotton DK yarn, a lightweight DK-weight cotton blend. The yarn requirements vary by size, ranging from 2 hanks to 4 hanks of the 100-gram skeins, with the pattern shown using color #6616 Elms. The recommended gauge is 24 stitches and 20 rows over 4 inches in pattern stitch, and the pattern emphasizes the importance of checking gauge before beginning to ensure proper finished measurements.

The needle requirements include straight needles in size 9 (5.50 mm) for the main fabric work and a 36-inch or longer circular needle in size 7 (4.50 mm) for working the neckline and other sections requiring larger stitch counts. Additionally, two double-pointed needles in size 7 (4.50 mm) are needed for specific construction steps. A stitch holder and waste yarn for the provisional cast-on technique complete the required notions.