eponymous

Two sleeves, done. I'm happy to report the color shifts are not this drastic in person. The more subtle shadings seem to be sleeping in today. Better photos when its completed, I promise. Only the tiny back, cast on, left to go.
Will it soon be done?
I guess that's why its called a shrug.

This one's been the source of amusement lately. I've been dragging it around in progress to end of summer gatherings. So far, no male has ever heard of one. Most laugh at it. Do I have unfashionable friends or are knitbloggers the only people who discuss shrugs without then saying "you-know-I-mean-like-a-shawl-but- it-has-sleeves-but-no-front-so-less-than-a-sweater-just-a-little-thing".

One friend suggested I make a dickey to go along with it, that way my sister would have a modular sweater gift. I didn't want to admit to him this could work. In a deconstructionist punkish kinda way. Its all yours, Teva Durham. Seriously, she could pull it off. By me, it'd just be weirdness.

But my inner designer's been tickled. I had a quick browse at knitting books and found some real inspiration. Alterknits by Leigh Radford was full of good ideas, like a tubular oversized scarfy/shawl pattern that was so simple you wonder (well, I did) why I couldn't think of it myself: knit Kidsilk Haze in a large tube, then run some sheer silk fabric in the same shade through it, embellish edges with beads or other trinkets. Other than the boredom of knitting an enormous tube in stockinette, what a great gift it'd make. Also, sweaters with ribbon crocheted into the edges for a finish. If this sounds ugly in a "kutesy krafty" way, take a look at the book, it works. It wasn't so much the patterns as her way of looking at & using the materials that got me going.

Then, a Nicki Epsteins book was all about the patterns. Or rather, parts of patterns. This one full of edges and borders fired me up. Instantly I thought of simple sweaters with funky edgings and colors. ooh ooh ooh. On to the fall knitting!