Lace Shrug (in detail)

I picked up this gorgeous yarn while I was visiting Salem, Mass. last Summer. I began several projects with it, just to end up frogging them. The yarn was begging me to find a project worthy of it.

While browsing patterns I came across a few shrugs and boleros that were okay, but were either too heavy for Summer wear, or used too much yarn, or both. It was easy enough to figure out how they were all constructed. A shrug is basically a rectangle that is as wide as you are from shoulder to shoulder, and as deep as the measurement from the nape of your neck down to the top of your bra strap (after blocking!). For me, this was 15" by 10". Then, you edge that rectangle with a row of sc stitches. Add a loop to each of the short ends that will fit around your arms (40 stitches with this yarn and hook, but I could have gotten away with 35 as it did stretch), then add a border that goes around the neckline, under the arms and around the back. Add a border around each arm hole, and, voile, a shrug. It was so easy, I could have cried! Of course, not using a pattern, I somehow ended up with one arm hole being exactly 5 stitches larger than the other. I swear that I counted! It screwed up my border a bit, but, I'm guessing no one will be examining my garment for flaws, and it will go unnoticed by everyone but me. And, I really don't care as it didn't make a difference in how it fits me.

I did learn a little lesson about dye transfer, though. I made the mistake of wearing this before I washed it, and the combination of sweat, deodorant and fiber dye left me with funny-looking armpits. Like the time I went to an Aerosmith concert in Chicago and wore a pair of new jeans. It was much hotter than I had expected it to be, so I stopped and bought a skirt. When I went to change, my legs were blue! Luckily, a bit of soap saved me from too much embarrassment (on both occasions).