Looking for a free crochet shrug pattern? Wondering what a shrug is and why you'd want to crochet one, anyway? You've come to the right place.
What is a Crochet Shrug?
A shrug is sort of like a cropped jacket. You could also think of it as a wrap with sleeves, or a short cardigan with no buttons.
You might find crochet shrug patterns including terms such as "bolero," "cropped jacket" or "cropped sweater." I've even seen a classic crochet shrug pattern from the 1940s called a Shoulderette.
Sometimes the line between shrugs and sweaters gets a little blurry, but I tend to define a shrug as something that is cropped and a sweater, cardigan or jacket as something the hits at or near the waist.
Whatever the name or description, crochet shrugs are great projects for beginners. They are a little fancier than plain old wraps, but they don't require a lot of complicated shaping or advanced techniques. There are a ton of different patterns that you can make your own by changing the color, the yarn or the embellishments (adding fun fur or a metallic thread, for example).
Crochet shrugs are also very popular right now in the fashion world. Not since the poncho came back with such a vengeance a few years ago has a crafty trend taken the fashion and craft worlds by storm.
Shrugs are fun, playful, can be elegant or casual and can be stitched up pretty quickly.
Crochet Shrug Pattern List
There are many places you can find crochet shrug patterns online because they are such a hot thing to crochet right now. Here are a few of the best sites and patterns:
- Crochet Pattern Central, one of my favorite sources for crochet patterns, has a small but growing list of really cute shrugs and boleros from all over the web.
- Berroco Yarns has a lot of great crochet patterns, including a couple of shrugs and a bunch of ponchos.
- Planet Shoup has a wonderful pattern for an open and airy summer shawl that is a breeze to crochet in lacet stitch.
- Or, if you're looking for a truly basic, quick and easy shrug, check out the Rosebud Shrug at Crochet Me. This shrug is a simple and small rectangle, and the sleeves and "sewn" together with ribbon so you don't even have to make a seam (of course you could stitch the seams closed with yarn if you want. For instant gratification or a quick gift for your favorite teenaged girl, this little shrug can't be beat.
Wearing a Crochet Shrug
Once you make a shrug, or even before you decide to make one, you might be wondering how and when you would wear such a thing. The beauty of shrugs is that you can wear them just about any time, with just about any thing, depending on the type of shrug you have stitched. They are ideal for spring and fall, when you might want just a little something extra to throw on over your T-shirt for warmth. Lighter, airy version are perfect over a tank top in the summer.
Once you start making and wearing shrugs, you'll wonder what you ever did without them!
