Breakers Shrug in Tahki Yarns Coronado - Downloadable PDF

Breakers Shrug in Tahki Yarns Coronado – Knitting Pattern by Joan Beebe

The Breakers Shrug is an elegant knitted shrug designed by Joan Beebe and published as a downloadable PDF pattern by Tahki Yarns. Classified as a bolero or shrug, this garment is worked at an intermediate skill level and is a beautifully wearable accessory that drapes across the shoulders and upper back, leaving the front open. Its construction spans cuff to cuff, creating a seamless, flowing silhouette that flatters a wide range of body types.

Sizes and Finished Measurements

The Breakers Shrug is offered in six sizes to suit a broad range of wearers:

• Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2X, and 3X
• Width, cuff to cuff: 50½ (52½, 54½, 56½, 58½, 60½) inches / 128.5–153.5 cm
• Length at center back: 15 (16¼, 17½, 18½, 19¾, 21) inches / 38–52.5 cm, excluding the border

The generous size range and cuff-to-cuff construction make this shrug an inclusive and adaptable design for knitters of many sizes.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a shrug — a garment that covers the shoulders, upper arms, and upper back while remaining open at the front. Shrugs of this style are typically worked from one cuff across the back to the opposite cuff, then seamed or finished along the lower edges to form the sleeve openings. The Breakers Shrug features a back panel as a central design element, complemented by decorative stitch patterns and a finished border. The result is a lightweight, refined layering piece well suited to warmer seasons, given the fiber content of the recommended yarn.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several knitting techniques that place it firmly in the intermediate category:

• Cable knitting – Cables are a signature technique in this design, requiring a cable needle to cross stitches over one another and create twisted, rope-like or wave-like textural effects. Cables add visual interest and a sense of structure to the fabric.
• Worked in the round – Portions of the shrug, including the border, are worked in the round using circular needles or double-pointed needles, producing seamless, tubular fabric.
• Back Panel construction – A dedicated back panel section is worked separately and forms the central structural element of the shrug.
• Gauge swatching and blocking – The pattern specifies a blocked gauge, making wet or steam blocking an important finishing step to achieve the correct dimensions.
• Stitch marker placement – Markers are used throughout to track pattern repeats and shaping, a standard intermediate technique.

Stitches Used

• Body pattern stitch – The main fabric is worked in a specified body pattern stitch, which establishes the overall texture of the shrug.
• Back Panel pattern – A distinct stitch pattern is used for the back panel section, adding a focal point to the garment's center.
• Cable stitches – Cable crossings worked with a cable needle create the decorative twisted motifs characteristic of this design.
• Border pattern – A border is worked in the round as a finishing element, framing the edges of the shrug with a cohesive stitch detail.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Tahki Yarns Coronado, a luxurious DK weight yarn with a fiber composition of 90% cotton and 10% silk. This blend gives the finished shrug a soft, breathable drape with a subtle natural sheen — ideal for a garment intended to be worn in warmer conditions or as an elegant layering piece. Each ball contains approximately 121 yards / 112 meters and weighs 50 grams. The pattern sample is worked in color #01 white.

Yardage requirements by size: