ELODIE Shrug (Free Handspun Knitting Pattern)

MATERIALS

• Size 35 circular knitting needles, 32 inches long (we will be knitting flat using circular needles)
• 80-100 yards of textured art yarn (I used about 12 different mini skeins of yarn for this project)
• Crochet Hook
• Yarn for Seaming (this can be art yarn or a commercial yarn that blends in with your art yarn)

We will be knitting this bolero from the top down. This means by adding more stitches you will make the sleeves longer, and by knitting more rows you will make the back wider. Feel free to have a friend measure your arms from elbow-to-elbow for a more accurate cast on number, and knit more rows if you want more back coverage. The bolero in this pattern is a small/medium size. 

PATTERN:

Cast on 42 stitches 

Knit 30 rows of garter stitch

Knit 17 stitches, drop 1 stitch, knit 6 stitches, drop 1 stitch, knit 17 stitches. This will created the "dropped stitch" rows across the back of the shoulders. 

Bind off loosely using a stretchy bind off stitch

Block with Unicorn Fibre Rinse.  Gently pat dry, reshape and dry flat. I stretched my bolero to open the stitches when blocking.

Note: after blocking my piece measured 12 inches wide and 45 inches long. 

Seam the sleeves together by folding in half long-ways and crochet a chain of coordinating yarn up the sleeve.  I seamed 13 inches up each sleeve - leaving 17 inches unseamed to be worn across my back.