FREE Chunky Knit Shrug Pattern {so cozy!}

Are you in need of a warm & chunky knit shrug this fall? Looking for a little cocoon shrug to wrap around your shoulders?  When the air gets crisp and the coffee mugs get hot, there’s no better feeling than snuggling up in a knit shrug that you made yourself. If you love to knit and seek classic style, a simple cable knit shrug pattern may be just for YOU.  So… how do you knit a shrug?  Keep reading for this simple chunky knit shrug pattern.  The stitches are repetitive, so you can work on the shrug anywhere once you get the hang of it! 

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Free Chunky Knit Shrug Pattern

How do you make an easy shrug?

The knit shrug is straightforward to knit once you get the hang of the cable stitches.  After 4 rows of knit 2, purl 2 ribbing, eight rows of stitches are simply repeated throughout the length of the shrug. Additionally, the pattern gives specific instructions on how to join the corners of the shrug to make sleeves.

You will need the following supplies to make the cable knit shrug:

Supplies

• Size 15 (10.0 mm) circular knitting needles, at least 29” length
• Two skeins, approx. 320 yards from each, of Medium weight (size 4) yarn to make 1 shrug.  (640 yds total) I used Big Twist acrylic yarn in color ‘Soft Grey’ (each skein has 380 yds, so I had enough to make both the shrug and an ear warmer).
• Thick cable needle (or thick crochet hook).  I used size ‘P’ crochet hook for my cable needle.
• 2 Stitch markers (I used scraps of contrasting white yarn)
• scissors, tapestry needle

Find similar supplies here:

Abbreviations

K – knit stitch                                                           P – purl stitch

Sts – stitches                                                            Rep – Repeat

RS – Right Side (side that faces you when finished)                          

PM – Place marker (place a stitch marker on needle)

PATTERN INFORMATION

The free pattern for the cable knit shrug is provided below.

• but you can also get the ad-free, printable pdf pattern for both the shrug and coordinating ear warmer as part of a bundle in the ETSY SHOP!  The pdf has tutorial photos included.

NOTES: First you will be knitting the shrug as a rectangle to start, then joining the corners to form the sleeves.   You will be using two strands of yarn to knit, from two different skeins of yarn.  This will ensure the shrug has a chunky weight.

It is strongly recommended that you count the stitches on your needle during the cable rows (Rows 7 and 11 in the pattern).  You want to make sure there are always 12 sts between the stitch markers.

This pattern is written for size Small-Medium, which measures approximately 26″ long by 30” wide when the shrug rectangle is knitted. The cable stitches will appear vertically at the back of the shrug, while the ribbing will appear at top & bottom.

You can expect the cable shrug rectangle to take about 11-12 hours to knit.  It is a great idea to time yourself knitting Rows 5-12 and estimate your finished time from there.

Special Knitting Stitches:

C4B – “cable 4 back” – slip next 2 sts onto the cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left hand needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.

C4F – “cable 4 front” – slip next 2 sts onto the cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next 2 sts from left hand needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.

(photos of these cable stitches are provided in the pdf pattern file on Etsy)

How to make a cocoon shrug

Knit Shrug rectangle

Gauge: 4″ x 4″ = 14 rows by 10 sts

Beginning with the size 15 knitting needles, cast on 76 sts using 2 strands of yarn from both skeins.  (essentially, each stitch will be double-stranded) 

Shrug Ribbing – bottom

Rows 1-4: K2, p2.

Cable Shrug Pattern

Note: once you place the stitch markers after 32 stitches (before & after 12 cable stitches) in rows 7 and 11, it is no longer necessary to count the 32 stitches before or after the cable pattern.

Row 5 (RS): Knit.

Row 6 (and all even rows): Purl.

Row 7: K32, PM, c4b, k4, c4f, PM, k32.

(note – the pdf pattern bundle contains step-by-step photos of these cable stitches)

Row 9: Knit.

Row 11: K32, PM, k2, c4f, c4b, k2, PM, k32.

Row 12: Purl.

Repeat Rows 5-12 nine times more for a total of 84 rows.

After row 84, the top of your piece will look like this:

Shrug Ribbing – top

Rows 85-88: Repeat Rows 1-4, making sure to remove the stitch markers during row 85.

Bind off as presented (in ribbing pattern).

Weave in loose ends with a tapestry needle.

Join Shrug corners to make sleeves

How do you make a shrug out of a rectangle?  Follow these steps…

Fold your shrug rectangle, wrong sides together, so that the top and bottom ribbing are aligned.

Beginning at the ribbing edges, use an invisible seam to join the edges 5” inward. 

The resulting open gap creates a ‘sleeve’.

Likewise, use an invisible seam to join the edges at the other side, 5” inward.  This creates the second sleeve.

(step-by-step photos of this are included in the pdf pattern bundle)

How to wear your chunky knit shrug

Next, slide your arms into the open gaps to wear.  The shrug is like a cozy cocoon sweater that will keep you warm during cool fall days.  It looks pretty both coming and going!

I just adore the cable stitching down the back…

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to knit a cable shrug.  Once you get the hang of rows 5-12, the project will become repetitive and simple.  I found it to be such a relaxing knitting project to work on, as I dreamt of the cozy fall days ahead. 

You can find more cozy KNIT PATTERNS for SCARVES & COWLS on the blog.

Don’t forget that the cocoon shrug knitting pattern is also available in a pdf pattern bundle with this coordinating ear warmer.  The cable stitches are the star of the ear warmer, too!  Grab the bundle in my Etsy shop.

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