Friday 27 February 2015

Easy Knitted Shrug in Garter Stitch

At our recent Simple Living Toowoomba Rag Rug Workshop one of our very talented knitters brought along her shrug which she made last winter and I was amazed once again at how easy it looked to knit up. The whole shrug is knitted in garter stitch.


All you have to do is knit a rectangle measuring 76.2cm (30in) x 96.5cm (38in) and if you want a warmer one then add on a couple of inches.



I asked Margaret what yarn she used and she had a look at Spotlight to see if they still sold it but it is discontinued. You can see what it is like in the photo though. She used 5.5mm needles and cast on 120 stitches and the stitch count is 14 to 10cm. She used 3 and a bit 50g balls.

She added that 'a standard 8 ply is 20 stitches to 10cm and calls for 4mm needles. Best thing is to do a test square of stitches and needle size from ball band then if it is too "stiff" and not soft and drapey go a few needle sizes bigger and measure again to get the stitch count (which will be less) which will be multiplied by ten to give you the number of stitches to cast on.You would probably need 4 of the 50grm balls of standard 8 ply'. 



When you have knitted your rectangle then fold it over and sew up a seam to about half way up on each side. 'The 38-40 inch width (cast on) will become the sleeve lengths plus across your back, mine drapes nicely from knitting it that way and the length (30 inches) goes from your neck to your lower back. Keep in mind that knitting on fatter needles will sometimes give a bit of stretch and knitting tends to stretch more in the length than the width, you could suss this out when you make your test square for tension'.


This is what the back of the shrug looks like. Margaret is the model.



This is the front. All the info about the tension is a bit over my head but I can do knit a rectangle in garter stitch so might give it a try when I find some wool I like. Margaret's wool is light and fluffy and it makes up beautifully. This is such a simple to make shrug and I am sure that beginners will have no trouble with it. If you have any questions Margaret will be along to answer them I am sure. She is an expert knitter. You should see her beautiful socks she is always knitting. I was so inspired I borrowed a book from the library on how to start knitting socks but, once again, it was a bit over my head. LOL!


Have a relaxing weekend everyone. I hope that any of my readers who are in the cyclone affected area have your power restored ASAP. I heard on the news last night that it should be connected up by tomorrow so I hope that is the case. You are in my thoughts and prayers.



16 comments:

  1. I love the idea of doing a garter stitch project. I knitted some little jumpers for my nephew almost 20 years ago and haven't knitted anything since.

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    1. Garter stitch is good, Sherri! Nice and easy for me and I don't have to worry about trying to work out a pattern.

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  2. Nanna Chel I love shrugs and cardis. I could do this!
    Gorgeous flowers too.
    You are making me wish I lived nearby to attend all these good things (and swap succulents with you too!)xxx

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    1. Annabel, you would love the workshops we have. Yes, we could definitely swap succulents if you lived nearby :-) We have lots of them.

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  3. I admit that sometimes I look at things and love them and then look at the pattern and it all becomes a different language!!! That really is a beautiful shrug and a really pretty yarn. Almost you make me want to pick up the knitting needles...maybe not! Your group sounds like so much fun though! Have a great weekend!

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    1. This one is just a rectangle, Kathy. No pattern as such. You won't need a shrug soon though as your spring is on its way.

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  4. Love the idea of the shrug. Have some wool left over from another project so will definitely be giving this a go.

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    1. Let me know how it goes, Jane. If you have any questions I can ask Margaret to sort them out.

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  5. This would be perfect for those evening out on the deck. Thanks for sharing this idea with us. May have to whip one up before spring gets here.

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    1. I can tell everyone in the Northern Hemisphere is excited about the coming spring. It must have been a long and cold winter for you all.

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  6. Now that does sound simple Nanna Chel.

    I have a shawl here that I started to knit many moons ago. It is in garter stitch and in the shape of a triangle. I haven't finished it because my needles weren't long enough to hold all the stitches. You have to increase as you go along. So it is three quarters finished and there it sits lol! This one sounds good, but I might need to invest in longer needles me thinks.

    Have a lovely weekend,

    xTania

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    1. Hmmm, I hadn't thought about the length of the needles, Tania. I just presumed the stitches would fit. I keep meaning to pick some more needles up at the Op Shops as they always have heaps of them there.

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  7. Shrugs are so 'in' now Nanna Chel, so thankyou for this! I had no idea they were such an easy project. My daughter will love making one...Mimi xxx

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  8. Mimi, I didn't realise they were popular at the moment. I will have to get my skates on and made one before the cooler weather arrives although the nights are already starting to cool down here on top of the mountain.

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  9. Nanna Chel,
    Not that I want to add knitting to the list of things I want to do, but that shrug sure did look easy enough to do and very practical too.
    -Shiralee

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    1. Hi Shiralee. I think Margaret would make anything look easy as she is such an expert knitter but this does seem to be an easy project.

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