Fiber Monday 236: Shrug

I've finished the Shrug i was working on as a side project

So when I'm working on something, I've usually got a few side projects going. It's one of the reasons things can take... ages. I've had the lovely Yvonne yarn from a local yarn maker for years, but I only recently started working on a project with it in earnest. The rich purple merino-silk blend makes this shrug one of the softest things I've ever made, while the pattern is one that is so simple I'll probably be using it for many other items - including, perhaps, the pumpkin set I'm planning to make next...

The pattern is based off of a pattern called "Fika" by CJ Brady designs, so if you're looking for instructions, I'd strongly suggest going to Ravelry and checking it out there. I really liked the way the stitching was kind of a shell but also kind of not, so it looked really cool!

As you can see, I made a long rectangle. here it is shown folded in half.
It's about 15" high by 30" wide (or 38cm x 76cm) with 5" (13cm) sewn in on either side for sleeves.

I loved this pattern. I don't wear cowls or infinity scarves, but boy if I did, this would be how I made it. It's so airy, but it's also so warm! This is perfect for a short-sleeved dress in early spring, or a cold-shoulder dress when it's a bit too cold for one. I would have needed a third ball of Yvonne to finish this as a long-sleeved shrug, or to add a proper edging around the inside, but sadly, Yvonne is out of manufacture, so I will have to content myself to its current state.

Which isn't hard. It's fantastic.

I stitched the sleeves shut inside out with a simple single-crochet row binding the edges together.
Then I turned the garment right-side-out to edge the sleeves!

Measuring the other sleeve before committing to the single-crochet.

The actual speed of making this whole shrug was shocking. Seriously, if I'd just worked on it every day, I probably could have made this within a week, which is incredible for a snail like me.

Finished before edging.
I had to do the finishing in the hall upstairs, since there was no room at the table
and I work better sitting in front of the project than with it up near my face.

I finished the edging on my bed.
The edging was a repetition of the Fika pattern proper, which is simple and fun!

The hardest part, however, was trying to get this thing on camera. I'm not much of a photographer to begin with, so I had to balance on tiptoe and try to snap this in the mirror awkwardly...

Well, you can see it. Mission accomplished?

It really is awkward, trying to photograph oneself without exposing one's face...

I did get a good detail on the sleeve, though!

In the end, I've settled on laying the finished shrug on the stairs to give you some idea of its wear.

Which, unfortunately, the flash completely botched - lol!

If you were wondering what a shrug was this whole time (and the photos aren't clear enough, for which I apologize), it's basically a tiny sweater that consists of a tube that's only sewn along the bottoms of the sleeves, left open in the middle, and worn to keep the upper arms toasty. Or fashionable.

I hope my experiments with this shrug have intrigued you enough to check out CJ's pattern on Ravelry so you can make your own garments based off of it!

Go Enjoy Something!
FC