Queensland Collection Rae Shrug Knitting Pattern

Queensland Collection Rae Shrug

What Is Being Made

The Rae Shrug is a knitted garment designed by Jo Allport that features a sophisticated cable panel detail. This shrug is sized to fit bust measurements ranging from 32-34 inches in the Small size up to 48-50 inches in the XX-Large size, with actual finished bust measurements from 36 inches to 52¾ inches. The length to shoulder varies from 17 inches in the smallest size to 18¾ inches in the largest size, making this a versatile layering piece suitable for various body types and proportions.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs several intermediate-level techniques to create its finished structure. Cable work forms the centerpiece of the design, using a C10F cable cross that involves slipping stitches onto a cable needle and crossing them over knit stitches to create dimensional texture. The pattern incorporates increases using the kfb (knit into front and back) and pfb (purl into front and back) methods to shape the garment at strategic points. Decreases are worked using both k2tog (knit two together) and ssk (slip, slip, knit) techniques to shape the neckline. The shrug also features selective casting on along wrong-side rows during the initial shaping phase, adding 2 stitches at the beginning of each wrong-side row to gradually increase stitch count. The pattern includes armhole shaping and neckline shaping through strategic decreasing to create the fitted shrug silhouette.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch — the primary stitch throughout the garment, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, providing a smooth, classic fabric base
• Garter Stitch — created by knitting every row, used in the cable panel selvedge stitches for stability
• Cable Stitch (C10F) — a 10-stitch cable cross worked by slipping 5 stitches to a cable needle, knitting 5 stitches, then knitting the 5 stitches from the cable needle, creating a twisted rope-like texture
• Knit Front and Back (kfb) — an increase technique that creates two stitches from one
• Purl Front and Back (pfb) — a purl-side increase technique
• Knit Two Together (k2tog) — a right-leaning decrease
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk) — a left-leaning decrease used for neckline shaping

Materials

The Rae Shrug is worked in Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran 100 yarn in shade #07 Aquamarine. Yardage requirements vary by size: the Small size requires 3 hanks of 100g each, while the Medium, Large, and X-Large sizes each require 4 hanks, and the XX-Large size requires 5 hanks. The yarn is an aran-weight yarn suitable for the specified gauge. Knitting is worked on US 9 (5.5mm) knitting needles, which produce a gauge of 16.5 stitches and 24 rows to a 4-inch square in Stockinette Stitch. A cable needle is essential for working the cable panel detail that defines this design.