3 min read

Free Pattern: Cozy Shrug

Here's a quick and versatile garment to knit for almost any Fuzzy Mitten toy! It looks especially cute with this fabric dress, or mix and match with other toy garments.

a photos of four small garter stitch shrugs. Top left is fluffy pink, top right is bright pink, lower left is dark blue and green stripes, bottom right is marled tan and white. — Four styles from four different yarns.

The instructions below are written for worsted weight yarn, to fit my smaller size toys (~20-22 cm or 8-9" tall). However, you can easily substitute a thicker or finer yarn, with appropriate needles, to fit nearly all of my toy designs (except ones like the Bunimals, which are a different shape). For example, if your toy is closer to 15-17 cm (6-7") tall, use DK weight yarn and 3.75 mm (US size 5) knitting needles. Or, if your making the shrug for one of my large toys, try using chunky weight yarn on 5.5 mm (US size 9) knitting needles.

A photo of a knitted fennec fox doll wearing a tan shrug and a blue skirt. — This shrug is made with worsted weight yarn on 4.5 mm needles, and fits this smaller sized toy perfectly.

Another easy modification is to omit the buttonhole, and add ties with yarn or ribbon, or sew on a snap fastener.

(See the end of the post for all the links to the various toys and garments)

Cozy Shrug Pattern

Materials: 25 g of worsted weight yarn, 4.5 mm knitting needles, 4 stitch markers, tapestry needle, one small button (plus hand-sewing needle and thread to attach)

Gauge: 5 sts and 9 rows per 2.5 cm (1") in garter stitch

Size: 23 cm (9") around at chest, 6.5 cm (2.5") long

Instructions

Begin at collar. CO 27 sts.

Row 1 (WS): Knit.

Row 2 (RS): Ssk, yo, k to end. (This yo makes a buttonhole. Just knit this row if you want to omit the button)

Row 3: K5, PM, k4, PM, k8, PM, k4, PM, k6.

Row 4: [K to 1 st before M, m1R, k1, SM, m1L] x 4, k to end. (35 sts)

Row 5: Knit.

Row 6-11: Repeat Rows 4-5 three more times. (59 sts)

Row 12: K10, bind off 11 sts, k17, bind off 11 sts, k10. (37 sts)

Row 13: K9, kfbf, k16, kfbf, k10. (41 sts)

Row 14-15: Knit 2 rows in garter st.

Row 16: K10, m1R, k2, m1L, k17, m1R, k2, m1L, k10. (45 sts)

Row 17-21: Work 5 rows in garter st. (Adjust length here, if you like)

Bind off.

Finishing

Weave in yarn ends. Sew button to the front corner of the collar, opposite the buttonhole. Or, add ties with yarn or ribbon.

A knitted rabbit doll wearing a blue and green shrug and blue overalls. — This shrug is also knit with worsted weight yarn on 4.5 mm needles, but has an extra 2 rows after Row 21 of the body.

Abbreviations

[ ] x N = repeat sequence in brackets N times ("to end" means to repeat until the end of the row)

CO = cast on

Garter st = garter stitch is worked by knitting both right and wrong side rows

K or k = knit

kfbf = increase 2 by knitting into front, then back, then front of next stitch

m1L = increase 1 to the left by picking up loop between stitch just worked and next stitch, with your left needle, from front to back, and knit into the back of this loop

m1R = increase 1 to the right by picking up loop between stitch just worked and next stitch, with your left needle, from back to front, and knit into the front of this loop

PM = place marker

RS = right side

SM = slip marker, that is, move marker from left to right needle

ssk = decrease 1 by slipping 2 stitches purl-wise from left to right-hand needle, slip both stitches back to left-hand needle, then knit slipped stitches together

st or sts = stitch or stitches

WS = wrong side

YO = yarn over, made by bringing the yarn to the front, then over the right-hand needle, before working the next stitch. It makes a small hole, and increases one stitch.