Rivulet

Rivulet Shrug by Andrea Marquis

What is Being Made

Rivulet is a versatile, collared shrug designed by Andrea Marquis as part of the Topografie Series. This knitted garment features a sophisticated silhouette that can be styled in multiple ways: worn with wide or narrow draped lapels, or wrapped around the body for different aesthetic effects. The shrug offers three size options with finished front lengths of 18, 19 1/8, and 20 1/4 inches measured from the back-neck bind-off point.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to achieve its elegant design. The construction begins with shaping the front and back pieces, with the fronts terminating at either Row 1 or Row 5 depending on the desired length. After binding off both fronts, knitters pick up stitches along the front edges and back-neck bind-off in a specific ratio—picking up and knitting one stitch for every two rows along the front edges and one stitch in every bound-off stitch along the back neck. This pick-up method requires careful stitch counting and adjustment to maintain proper proportions. The shrug is finished with a ribbed edging that frames the front opening and neckline.

Stitches Used

The ribbed front edging features a textured stitch pattern worked over a multiple of 7 stitches plus 3. The ribbing sequence is worked as follows: slip 1 stitch, knit 2, then repeat a pattern of purl 4 and knit 3 across to the end. This creates an alternating knit and purl texture that provides elasticity and a polished finish to the garment edges. The ribbing is worked for 8 rows on the smallest size, 12 rows on the medium size, and 16 rows on the largest size, allowing the edging to scale proportionally with the garment.

Materials

Rivulet requires 800, 1000, or 1200 yards of worsted weight yarn depending on size selection. The pattern calls for US 7 (4.5mm) circular needles or the appropriate size needed to achieve the designer's specified gauge. The shrug is finished with JUL Patent Leather Pedestal Buttons with Colored Centers—small and medium sizes are required. A notable design feature is that no buttonholes are necessary, as the pedestal buttons are designed to work with the shrug's construction. The sample shown in the pattern was knitted in Schaefer Laurel yarn.