Gaia Shrug in Adriafil Charme - Downloadable PDF

Gaia Shrug Knitting Pattern in Adriafil Charme – Downloadable PDF

The Gaia Shrug is a beautifully simple, cosy knitted bolero worked in Adriafil Charme, a super chunky yarn that creates a luxuriously thick and warm fabric. This free downloadable PDF pattern produces a stylish shrug with neat ribbed borders and open sleeve holes, making it an ideal project for knitters who want a quick, satisfying make with minimal shaping. The finished garment is worked as a single flat piece, which is then seamed and finished with picked-up sleeve borders — keeping construction straightforward and accessible.

What Is Being Made

The Gaia Shrug is a classic bolero-style shrug designed to wrap around the upper body, covering the shoulders and upper arms while leaving the front open. It is available in three sizes: 44, 46, and 48, making it suitable for a range of adult figures. The design is elegant yet understated, relying on the rich texture of the Adriafil Charme yarn and the contrast between the central knit stitch panel and the ribbed borders to create visual interest.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Adriafil Charme in petrol green, shade no. 95 — 450 g total
• Knitting needles: size no. 8
• Tapestry needle for casting off and seaming

Adriafil Charme is a super chunky weight yarn, which means it works up quickly on larger needles and produces a thick, cosy fabric with excellent stitch definition. The petrol green colourway gives the shrug a rich, contemporary feel that pairs well with a wide variety of outfits.

Tension and Gauge

The stated gauge for this pattern is 9 stitches and 13 rows over 10 x 10 cm in knit stitch, worked on size 8 knitting needles. Checking your tension swatch before beginning is strongly recommended, as achieving the correct gauge ensures the shrug will knit up to the correct dimensions and fit as intended across all three sizes.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting — the entire main body is worked as a single flat piece from cast-on to cast-off
• Picking up stitches along side edges to create the sleeve hole borders
• Seaming — the sides and sleeve border edges are sewn up using a tapestry needle to complete the shrug shape
• Casting off in knit stitch using a tapestry needle — a technique that creates a stretchy, neat bound-off edge, ideal for ribbed sections

Stitches Used

• K1/P1 Rib Stitch — used for the beginning and ending borders of the main piece, providing elasticity and a tidy edge
• P1/K1 Rib Stitch — used for the central section of the main body and for the sleeve hole borders, creating a stretchy, textured fabric across the majority of the garment
• Knit Stitch (Stocking Stitch panel) — worked across the central portion of the piece, between the ribbed borders, giving a smooth contrast to the surrounding rib texture
• Elastic Rib — referenced specifically for the final rows before casting off on both the main piece and the sleeve borders, ensuring maximum stretch and comfort around the openings

Construction Overview

The shrug begins with a cast-on of 73 (77–81) stitches and opens with 4 rows of rib stitch as a border. The work then continues in p1/k1 rib stitch until the piece measures 11 cm, at which point it transitions into knit stitch for the main body panel. At 63 (67–71) cm from the initial border, the end border begins with a return to k1/p1 rib stitch, continuing until the total length reaches 105 cm