Lana Grossa Shrug Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Shrug in About Berlin Vanity

What Is Being Made

This is a top-down knitted shrug featuring a sophisticated silhouette with arm openings. The design showcases a variegated colorway combining petrol, curry, grey green, and natural tones. The shrug is worked as a single piece from the shoulders downward, with strategic shaping that creates a refined fit. Finished dimensions and construction details are guided by a comprehensive schematic included in the pattern.

Techniques Used

Top-down construction: The shrug begins at the neckline with a cast-on of 365 stitches and progresses downward, allowing for seamless integration of decreases and pattern transitions. This method provides excellent fit control and eliminates the need for seaming the main body.

Worked flat: Despite using circular needles, the piece is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round, providing flexibility in stitch management and pattern placement.

Lace patterning: The design incorporates mesh lace elements that create an open, breathable fabric with visual interest. The lace sections are strategically placed to enhance the garment's elegant aesthetic.

Shaping through decreases: Decreases are worked as knit-two-together (k2tog) stitches at the beginning of rows, gradually reducing from 365 stitches to 161 stitches. This controlled shaping creates the distinctive shrug silhouette and arm openings.

Finishing techniques: The piece is pinned to measurements and blocked to enhance drape and definition. Arm openings are formed by folding top corners down and sewing seams over a 5 cm section, creating structured openings for the arms.

Stitches Used

• Ribbed pattern (Chart A): A foundational rib pattern worked over 3 rows initially, then rows 2 and 3 are repeated. This creates structure and elasticity, particularly at the neckline and cuff areas.
• Mesh lace pattern (Chart B): A two-row repeat that forms an open, airy fabric. The gauge for this stitch is 24 stitches and 32.5 rows over 10 x 10 cm on size 4.5 mm needles.
• Shaping chart (Chart C): Provides row-by-row guidance for decreases, ensuring proper shaping throughout the body of the shrug.
• Knit-two-together (k2tog): Used for decreasing stitches and creating decorative decreases within the lace patterns.
• Bind-off technique: The final bind-off incorporates a special finish where each purl stitch is knitted together with the following knit stitch, creating a refined edge.

Materials

Yarn: 450 grams of Lana Grossa About Berlin Vanity in the variegated colorway col 9 (Petrol/Curry/Grey Green/Natural). This yarn is composed of 54% cotton, 21% viscose, 13% silk, and 12% polyamide, with a yardage of 130 meters per 50 grams. The fiber blend creates a sophisticated drape with breathability and subtle sheen.

Needles: Size 4 and 4.5 mm circular needles in two lengths—both 80 cm and 120 cm. The longer needles accommodate the initial cast-on of 365 stitches, while the shorter needles are introduced as the stitch count decreases during construction, improving manageability and control.

Pattern Overview

The shrug measures one size and is completed in approximately 12 cm of total length (7 cm for the ribbed section plus 5 cm for the final charted section). The construction begins with 365 cast-on stitches on size 4 mm needles, working Chart A for 21 rows to establish the ribbed foundation. The needle size is then increased to 4.5 mm, and Chart C is followed while decreases are worked at the beginning of every row starting from row 3, reducing the stitch count to 161 stitches. The final 14 rows are worked in ribbed pattern on the shorter circular needle before binding off with the integrated purl-to-knit decrease technique. The finished piece is blocked to measurements (omitting the ribbing to preserve elasticity), and arm openings are created by folding the top corners and seaming.