Hammam Shrug Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Hammam Shrug in Juniper Moon Farm Neve

What Is Being Made

The Hammam Shrug is a versatile, season-spanning cardigan-style shrug designed by Kathleen Dames as part of The Moroccan Collection. This intermediate-level knitting project is worked back and forth from one cuff to the other, creating a garment with finished upper arm circumferences of 12, 14, or 16 inches and cuff-to-cuff widths ranging from 30 to 42 inches depending on size. The shrug features a charming two-color stripe sequence reminiscent of Turkish towels found in traditional hammams, with contrasting cuffs that frame the striped body.

Techniques and Construction

This shrug employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive design. The garment is constructed using a cuff-to-cuff method, meaning knitting begins at one cuff and continues across the entire width to the opposite cuff. The construction includes ribbed cuffs worked in a 2x2 rib pattern to create elasticity and structure at the edges. The main body features a combination of Garter stitch edges and Stockinette stitch in the center section, with slipped stitches at the beginning of each row to create neat, finished edges. Markers are placed to define the transition between the edge stitches and the central striped section. The stripe sequence repeats over 24 rows, alternating between the contrast color and main color in a specific pattern: 16 rows of contrast color, 2 rows of main color, 4 rows of contrast color, 2 rows of main color, and then the sequence repeats. After the striped body is complete, the final cuff is worked in matching 2x2 rib before binding off. The shrug is finished by seaming the sides of the cuffs together to form tubes, weaving in ends, and blocking to finished measurements.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k) – the fundamental stitch used throughout the garment
• Purl stitch (p) – used in combination with knit stitches to create texture
• 2x2 Ribbing (k2, p2) – creates the elastic cuffs at both ends of the shrug
• Stockinette stitch – the primary stitch pattern for the main body, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side
• Garter stitch – used for the edge stitches to create a finished frame around the striped center
• Slipped stitch (sl) – worked at the beginning of each row for a polished edge finish

Materials and Specifications

This project uses Juniper Moon Farm Neve, a season-spanning yarn available in multiple colorways. The pattern calls for 1 to 2 100-gram skeins of Neve in color 46 Azalea as the main color (MC), depending on size, and 1 skein of Neve in color 41 Chardonnay as the contrast color (CC). Knitting is worked on US 7 (4.5mm) circular needles measuring 24 inches long, which provide the necessary length for working back and forth across the full width of the shrug. A tapestry needle is used for seaming the cuffs and weaving in yarn ends. The gauge is 20 stitches and 32 rows per 4 inches when worked in Stockinette stitch, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Size Options

The Hammam Shrug is available in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. Small features an upper arm circumference of 12 inches and cuff-to-cuff width of 30 inches. Medium offers an upper arm circumference of 14 inches and cuff-to-cuff width of 36 inches. Large provides an upper arm circumference of 16 inches and cuff-to-cuff width of 42 inches. Yarn requirements vary by size, with Small and Medium requiring 1 skein of main color and Large requiring 2 skeins.