Sizing Rectangular Shrugs

There are quite a few different predominant styles of shrug going on right now, I'm going to discuss the easiest-the rectangular shrug. This shrug is made of simply... a rectangle. The length is determined by the back waist length, and the width, by the size of the person and length sleeves desired. First, let's find a picture of what I'm talking about, and a source of measurements.

Child's rectangular shrug with rectangular skirt

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/childsize.html

Aha! here we are. This is a shrug and skirt set I designed many years ago, but it will suffice for our discussion. If you will notice. The sleeves are long, the knitting is running side to side, and there is ribbing around the shrug opening. If the shrug were laid folded with the opening edges together, it would look like a rectangle that is half the length of the shrug. For length, I am discussing the length from neck opening to bottom edge, and for width, it will be wrist to wrist.

The link given is for the CYCA yarn standards website. It may be reached this way, or by typing in yarnstandards.com, which is easier to remember and what I generally do. This site has body measurements (for sweaters and tops mainly) as well as hook/needle sizing guidelines, yarn wpi guidelines and quite a bit of other information. The guide to ease is invaluable as a designer.

Back to our discussion:
For this child's shrug, the length is about 9 1/2 inches prior to ribbing. This is the back waist length. The ribbing is added after this 9 1/2 inches, making it slightly longer, but with the stretch involved with wearing a shrug, we can assume about 9 1/2 inches is the finished wearing measurement. It is important to realize that the back waist length should be the FINISHED STRETCHED measurement, if the shrug is tight. If the shrug is looser, this length can be longer, but the width has to also be long enough to accommodate this length. So, If the shrug is looser, both the width and the length need to be adjusted.

For the width of this shrug, I used the center back neck to cuff measurement, times two, with again, a bit taken out for stretch across the back. This amount of ease is purely determined by your stitch pattern, your yarn, and your desired fit, so I cannot give an exact measurement, except to say that for this shrug, about 2 inches was taken off. This 2 inches will not be adjusted for in any other part of the pattern, namely the shrug opening.

The measurement I use for the shrug opening is the cross back measurement, shoulder to shoulder. This is not adjusted by any other measurement for a closely fitted shrug. For this shrug, remember we took out 2 inches for stretch across the back. Some might think the opening should be 2 inches smaller, but, for this shrug, the actual cross back is already stretched while wearing, by that 2 inches. That is to say, when the shrug is worn, it is stretched those 2 inches, so it does not need to be accommodated.

While deciding on measurements, be sure that the sewn portion, the sleeve length, is the sleeve length desire or the sleeve length mentioned on the measurement page. This all works together to create a shrug that fits.

SO for an adult:
The back length for a fitted shrug should be the back waist length or the upper arm measurement, whichever is greater. Take into account stretch at this point, as the back will be not stretched lengthwise, while the sleeve will be. In general, I would take about 2 inches off the upper arm measurement for larger sizes, in determining the back length. It is a balancing game. But if the upper arm does not fit, it cannot be worn, while there is some "give" in the back length.

The opening measurement should be again the cross back measurement, with the knitting only slightly stretched, as the actual wearing measurement will be stretched further than this measurement.

The sleeve length is as desired, or the sleeve length to underarm measurement for long sleeves.


For this style of shrug, the total length is the first measurement discussed above, and the total width is the opening measurement plus 2 x sleeve. Ribbing be either added or subtracted from this measurement while knitting, depending on the width/length of the ribbing, and is a design decision.

The measurements used above are for a closely fitted rectangular shrug. For a looser shrug, the opening width should be adjusted, the back length can be adjusted, but the sleeve length is pretty standard.

Please discuss any likes/dislikes of this method!