Ribbed Shrug Bolero Knitting Pattern

Ribbed Shrug in Plymouth Yarn De Aire

What Is Being Made

This is a knitted bolero-style shrug designed to fit average ladies with a finished width of 28 inches from sleeve to sleeve and an approximate finished length of 18 inches. The shrug features short sleeves measuring 4 inches from the underarm, making it an ideal layering piece for adding warmth and style over dresses or tops.

Materials and Yarn

This shrug is crafted using Plymouth Yarn De Aire in color 3360. The pattern requires 4 skeins of 100g each, providing ample yardage for the complete garment. De Aire is a lightweight yarn suitable for creating delicate, breathable knitwear.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for US size 13 and US size 15 knitting needles. The gauge is critical for proper fit: 9 stitches and 13 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch on size 15 needles, while 3 stitches equal 1 inch on size 13 needles when working the cable pattern. Achieving the correct gauge before beginning ensures the finished shrug will meet the specified measurements.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The shrug incorporates several essential knitting techniques and stitches:

• Stockinette Stitch (st st): Forms the main body of the shrug, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Cable Pattern: A decorative stitch worked over a multiple of 9 stitches plus 2, creating textured columns that frame the design. The cable pattern involves knitting into the back and front of stitches in a specific sequence, then slipping both stitches off the needle to create the characteristic twisted effect
• Knit and Purl Stitches: The foundation of all knitting, alternated throughout the cable pattern to create visual interest and texture
• Increases: The pattern uses kf&b (knit into the front and back of the next stitch) and m1 (make one) techniques to add stitches strategically
• Decreases: K2tog (knit two together), p2tog (purl two together), and k3tog (knit three together) are used to shape the garment
• Casting On and Binding Off: The shrug begins with 101 stitches cast on for the collar and ends with a bind-off in knit for a finished edge

Construction and Design Details

The shrug is constructed in distinct sections. The collar is worked first on size 13 needles in cable pattern for 4 inches, establishing the decorative stitch pattern. A decrease row then reduces the stitch count to 45 stitches, after which the needles are switched to size 15 and stockinette stitch is worked for 4 inches.

The sleeve sections are created by casting on 9 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows, bringing the total to 63 stitches. Stockinette stitch is then worked for 18 inches, creating the length of the shrug body. The sleeves are shaped by binding off 9 stitches at the beginning of the following two rows, returning to 45 stitches.

An additional 4 inches of stockinette stitch is worked before an increase row restores the stitch count to 101 stitches. The shrug concludes with another 4-inch section of cable pattern, mirroring the collar for symmetry, and finishes with a knit bind-off.

Finishing and Assembly

After blocking to the specified measurements, the shrug is folded in half with wrong sides facing each other, aligning the cast-on and bind-off edges. The sleeve underarm seams and shrug side seams are then sewn together to create the finished garment. All yarn ends are woven in to complete the piece.