Knit a Super Simple Cozy Cowl Shrug

Just yesterday I was thinking about Fisherman’s Rib, which is a variation on 1 x 1 ribbing, so I guess it’s appropriate that I share this pattern today.

The Saturday Shrug is a lovely and really easy pattern from Jackie Rose available on Ravelry. It’s all 1 x 1 ribbing worked in the round, with a worsted weight yarn and a mohair held together to make a bulky weight yarn. So while 1 x 1 ribbing is a little slower to knit than plain stockinette, it will still go pretty fast because this project is worked on size 9 US knitting needles.

There are lots of variations you can make of this simple cowl/shrug too. The pattern page on Ravelry shows it with wide stripes of two different colors, as well as with a solid broken up by narrow stripes.

You could make it all one color, or use multicolored yarn, or bust your stash and add a bunch of wild stripes.

As meditative as this project would be to work, you might find yourself wanting to make more than one.

It looks like a great winter accessory that can stretch down across the shoulders or be worn more as a cowl (thus me referring to it as a cowl shrug because it can be both or either).

I was going to mention you could also play with the yarn weights, if you have a lot of worsted weight yarn you wanted to work through you could hold two of those together for more of a super bulky project. Then I noticed she actually has another version, called the Sunday Shrug, which is a worsted and bulky yarn held together for a super bulky gauge.

That one looks even warmer and more cozy than the first one, and would be a great way to use up a bit of stash combining yarns. These would make great gifts, or you can just make a bunch for yourself in all your favorite colors from your finished projects.

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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