Fergus Shrug

A few years ago I discovered a crochet designer Bonnie Barker.  I love her patterns and plan to make every single one in her books.  Normally I will buy a book for just one pattern and then I move on to another, I think the Fergus Shrug is the third thing I have made from this book alone – and I am going to make a second one (this one turned out a bit big for me.)

If you want to start with something easy that you will be able to show off this is a great pattern.  You work the body in a big rectangle then create the arm holes when you do the border ribbing.  Why is that a good thing for a beginner?  For the cables the pattern lets you watch the cables develop so you can build your cable rhythm without working in shaping.  For the shrug part you only need to add the ribbing and seam the end.  There is no inset seams or sewing on sleeves that you made separately.  I am not going to sugar coat it sewing in seams and making them even is the biggest reason I don’t create whole sweaters more than once a year.

The pattern uses #3 weight yarn.  She used Cestari Montpelier Collection (cotton, wool, & silk blend).  I used Caron Simply Soft in dark gray – I love how it feels and washes.  The sizes go from XS – 3X.

I worked the pattern in 2XL and it came out true to gauge.  I picked 2XL because of my dress size, but because the shrug has nothing to do with belly coverage but relies on the shoulders it came out a bit big on me.  It worked out though I gave it to my Mother In Law and she loves it.  Now I am going to make myself another one in green probably in L.

This is my finished shrug.

My project Front.

My project Back.

 

These are the pictures from the book.

 

 

Pattern Notes

I didn’t find a single error in working the pattern.  My only suggestion is if you get the book on your kindle like I did have it open in two ways.  I have the pattern open on my Ipad where I am on the instructions, then I have my iPhone open to the special stitches so I don’t have to keep flipping back and forth.