Knitting Patterns – Shrugs to Knit for Mom

It’s almost Mother’s Day in the United States, so I thought it would be fun this week to look at some gift knitting projects that would be great for moms, women graduating high school or college, or any other gift-giving opportunity you might have coming up soon.

This time of year I love a shrug and have one in my bag pretty much all the time. Of course I’m usually carrying one I designed myself like the Women’s Lacy Shrug or my long-sleeved Fitted Shrug, but there are lots of other great options out there. Here are some highlights.

If you’re looking for something really quick, easy and basic with a twist, check out the shrug fast effect from Wiolett. It’s mostly stockinette with crocheted edging and can be whipped up in a flash, particularly if you happen to have a knitting machine. Shrug This is another quick and easy one, worked in a bulky yarn like a top-down raglan sweater, as is the Movie Night Shrug from Did You Make That?, which is a combo of bulky yarn and eyelets that will be finished in a jiffy.

The One Skein Shrug by Kirsten Hipsky uses a cropped sweater shape and a little bit of lace at the edges. Her long-sleeved Sunrise Shrug is pretty and easy as well.

For something a little fancier, check out the Gratuitous Cables Shrug by Inner Child Crochet or Vera Sanon’s gorgeous Something Lacy Shrug.

Want long sleeves? Try Kristiina V.’s Quicksilver Lace Shrug or the Purl Bee’s simple but really pretty Evening Shrug.

How about shrugs that look like vests? I like the Circular Shrug pattern by Julia Allen and Just Jessica’s Vesty Shrug.

See anything you like? I’d love to hear about it. Or let me know what you’re knitting for mom this year.

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I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks.

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks.

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more.

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel.

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options.

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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