As promised I finished my Knik shrug! It was a quick project and very satisfying!
I followed the pattern almost to the letter and the only difference between mine and the Berroco sample is that I blocked mine a little more aggressively – literally. I didn’t pin it, but I really shook it out and gave the ribbing a good “thwack” before laying it out flat to dry. This violates almost all the rules of how we are taught to handle our handknits while they’re damp but I’m glad I did it. The relaxed ribbing hangs with a little more drape and the fit is perfect.
Sizing for relaxed garments has always been a little intimidating to me – a shrug this style should be big, but not too big or it looks like you’ve wrapped a blanket over yourself. Too small and it just looks awkward. This particular shrug has a lot of extra room (or ease) across the shoulders but it balances that with narrow sleeves. I made the size that most closely fit my actual dimensions, which has about 4″/10 cm of ease and is perfect for these spring days when the weather is up and down.
This is such a versatile, trans-seasonal garment, that now I can’t stop thinking about shrugs. There are so many variations on the idea, you could knit one to suite any style. Sanpoku or Ari are both a bit more structured, while Minto is perfect if you like the idea of a shrug closes. I like the easy-going, open front myself, so the Amy shrug is going in my queue…how could I not, it has my name on it!
Are any of these shrugs in your queue?
Very pretty!