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.

When I discovered Kate Atherley’s book Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond, I wasn’t sure there was enough to say about circular knitting to fill a book. It’s a pretty short book (144 pages) and includes 10 patterns to practice working in the round on small projects, and it provides a decent introduction to the various ways of working in the round.

The book covers using double pointed knitting needles, flexible double points and circular knitting needles with cables. It talks about working using the full circumference of a circular needle and various ways to work smaller circumference projects, such as using DPNs, magic loop and knitting with two circular knitting needles.

In addition there’s a discussion of preventing problems like twists and ladders, swatching in the round without actually swatching in the round, grafting, blocking and weaving in ends.

More specialized techniques likes knitting from the center out, stranded colorwork, helical knitting and jogless stripes are also explored, as well as working pieces like socks or mitts two at a time.

There’s also some information about seamless sweaters, including the different sweater designs that can be worked seamlessly (and why you might want seams in your sweaters) and how they are worked from the top down or the bottom up.

There are 10 patterns in the book, including a basic stockinette stitch cowl and one with a deliberate twist, wrist warmers, mitts and a pair of colorwork mittens, a hat worked in a solid color or in helical stripes, toe up and top down socks and a beret. It would have been nice to have a basic sweater pattern, too, since the book does talk about working larger garments with circular needles, but it’s still a nice collection of basic patterns worked in the round.

If you’re already comfortable working in the round in different ways, I’m not sure there’s much for you to learn in this book, but it is a good reference for people learning circular knitting or who maybe haven’t tried all the techniques yet or need skill building projects to try.

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 10 patterns. Published 2026 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

Comments

Have you read?