lacy shrug

Sorry, haven't posted any patterns in, well, months, since my first one. Whoops, I'll get better, really!





This shrug can be made with or without the optional crocheted collar. I was wearing this to the yarn event thing today, and a few people wanted the pattern, so here it is
Sized for medium, large and extra large

Supplies: Bulky weight yarn, about 250 (300, 350)yards (I used crystal palace merino frappe with a strand of kid merino)
size 13 needles
3.5 sts/inch

FLUFFY BRIOCHE: From Barbara Walker's second treasury
Row 1: (wrong side)*yarn over, slip one with yarn in back, knit 1* repeat from * across
Row 2: *Knit 1, Knit 2 together(the yarn over and slipped stitch from previous row)* across
Row 3: Knit 1, *yarn over, slip one with yarn in back* end with knit 1
Row 4: Knit 2, *Knit 2 together(the yarn over and slipped stitch from previous row), knit 1* across

Provisionally cast on 38 (42, 46) stitches
Work Fluffy Brioche stitch for 24 inches (or half the distance from one elbow, across your back to the other elbow) End with a wrong side row
RIGHT SIDE
*Knit 2, yarn over* across, ending knit 2

*Purl 2, knit 1* across, ending purl 2
*Knit 2, purl 1* across, ending Knit 2
Repeat these two rows for about 5 inches (or half the distance from your elbow to your wrist)

next row(WS): *purl two, yarn over, knit 1* across, ending purl two
continue in knit two, purl two ribbing till sleeve is desired length. End with a wrong side row
Bind off as follows(on the right side): *knit two, pass first stich knitted over second stitch, drop next two stitches (the purls), yarn over twice, pass second knit stitch over the 1st yarn over, pass first yarn over over second yarnover* bind off last two stitches as normal.

Basically, what you are doing is binding off your knit stitches normally. Those purl stitches only exist to be dropped, so you are dropping them, BUT, to keep your bindoff loose, you need to make extra stitches, so just add stitches by yarning over (or you could do it by e-wrap cast on) In an ideal world, you would in fact have started at the cuff, and worked to the center and grafted, since that makes dropping stitches much easier, but I didn't decide that I wanted dropped stitches until I'd already done the body. You could simply reverse these directions and graft the middle.

Now go back and unravel your provisional cast on. Put the stitches on your needle and repeat the instructions from the beginning! Fold in half lengthwise, and sew your sides closed, leaving an opening for your back (I usually start at the cuff so you can see how far to sew).Voila, you have a finished shrug!!

Optional crochet edging, which makes the collar:
Single crochet around back opening of shrug . Work in the round for 5 rows, or to desired collar depth. Turn back one side to be the collar, leave the other flat to be the back. It's completely symetrical, so you can wear it either way!