I managed to cast on Juju Vail's Layering Shrug last weekend and after a bit of false start, having misread the chart, I am nearly through the first sleeve!
Let me assure you that the false start was nothing to do with the pattern, which is very simply written, just my overeagerness to go as quickly as possible and misread a purl row for a knit row in the easy peasy chart. School boy error, I know and I could've gotten away with it but I know that I would've cursed it every time I wore it. So after 2 days of knitting, I ripped the whole thing back and started again.
Mr C watched me in disbelief, asking "Are you actually enjoying this project?".
Me:"Of course" (lying through gritted teeth)
The pattern is worked from side to side with no seams or grafting and the lace is fairly straightforward, even for a novice lace knitter. I love that I was quickly able to memorise the lace pattern after a few repeats which means it's very portable. The sleeves are worked in the round and it starts with a provisional cast on so you'll need to fight off any reluctance to air your crochet hook! One size fits most, says the pattern and it looks from the gauge that the DK version will be a little looser and longer in the body than the laceweight version.
Image courtesy of Juju Vail
I'm knitting mine in BC Garn's Allino in a charcoal/green and beige colour. The yarn has a two coloured effect to it - which I'm sure has a technical name but it escapes me. It's a cotton/linen mix and is perfect for summer. I'm planning on teaming it with a vest and a pair of jeans or maybe even my long linen shorts (once I get back into them - ahem!).
I must confess that it's the first garment I've ever knitted for myself which isn't more than a pair of gloves or scarf so I'm a little nervous as to how it's going to look on me (especially as I'm no where near as skinny as the beautiful model in the picture). However, I'm sure it'll be perfect for chucking over my shoulders on a cool evening and the final fit shouldn't matter too much. If you fancy knitting it too or have knitted it already do please leave a comment below and together we can have a collective moan hopefully followed by a joyful ta-dah moment!
The pattern is available for free through Loop's blog. You must beware of all the beautiful yarns in Loop's online boutique yarn shop lying in wait to tempt you though! I just want to pet some of them!
Enjoy!
Pen x
