I created this pretty lace and cable handknitted shrug for my book A Handknit Romance. I wanted to recreate the beautiful clothing of the early 20th century using fine knit. The shrug is actually based on an original Victorian knitting pattern for a garment known as a ‘hug-me-tight’ which would have been worn under a jacket for extra warmth. Knitted in a gorgeously soft silk/alpaca yarn, the shrug could be worn with a pretty summer dress or, as photographed, as a decorative alternative to a shawl or cardigan.

Yarn:

The original sample was knitted using 2 ends of a laceweight yarn: Classic Elite ‘Silky Alpaca Lace’  (70% alpaca, 30 % silk 402m/440yd – 50g) in French Vanilla 2416

Sizes & yarn quantities:

The pattern gives instructions for sizes 32 – 44ins/81.5 – 112cm bust

-2 (3, 3) balls of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace

Tension: 30sts and 40 rows to 10cm/4ins in stocking stitch using 2 ends yarn

Needles etc: 3mm (US 2/3) & one 3mm double-pointed needle.

(June 2019 – I reknitted the shrug using Erika Knight British Blue DK wool in blue. See the Ravelry page for more info)

For more information and to purchase the pattern as a PDF download follow the link below to the Ravelry page (membership of Ravelry not required)

FREE  press button to link to Ravelry page

Photos: Nick Sargeant & Jennie Atkinson