607 Lake House Shrug - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Goshen

607 Lake House Shrug – Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Goshen

The 607 Lake House Shrug, designed by Kirsten Hipsky for Valley Yarns, is a beautifully simple yet elegant women's knitted shrug that layers effortlessly over sleeveless tops, tank tops, and tee shirts. Offering gentle warmth for the arms and shoulders without the bulk of a full cardigan, this shrug is an ideal transitional-season piece — perfect for breezy lake house evenings, air-conditioned offices, or casual warm-weather layering. The pattern is rated advanced beginner, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to explore simple lace techniques.

Design and Construction Overview

The Lake House Shrug is built on a brilliantly straightforward concept: a single flat rectangle of knitted fabric that is seamed at each end to create a long tube. Only the first and last 12 inches of the piece are sewn together, leaving the center section — measuring 13 (14, 15, 16) inches depending on size — open as the back panel. This "seamed scarf" construction means there are no complicated shaping rows, no picked-up stitches, and no set-in sleeves to wrestle with. The result is a seamless-looking, wearable shrug that drapes naturally around the body.

The finished piece is worked flat on straight needles and then seamed to shape. Finished dimensions are 14.5 (16, 17.5, 19) inches wide and 37 (38, 39, 40) inches long, with four sizes available to suit a range of body types. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in the 16-inch by 38-inch size.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Goshen, a luxurious worsted-weight yarn with a distinctive fiber blend of 48% Peruvian Cotton, 46% Modal, and 6% Silk. This combination gives the yarn a silky-soft hand feel, beautiful drape, and a subtle sheen — qualities that make it particularly well suited to a lace-patterned shrug worn against the skin. The colorway used in the sample is Navy. Depending on size, the pattern requires 4 (4, 5, 5) skeins of Valley Yarns Goshen, each skein containing 50g / 92 yards.

Knitters will need US size 7 (4.5mm) straight needles. Gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in the pattern stitch, and 18 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Achieving correct gauge is important for ensuring the shrug reaches the intended finished dimensions and fits as designed.

Techniques Used

• Lace knitting: The body of the shrug is worked entirely in a four-row repeating lace pattern stitch that creates an open, stretchy, ribbed texture with delicate eyelet details. This lace structure gives the shrug its airy, feminine quality while maintaining enough stretch for a comfortable, forgiving fit.
• Worked flat: The entire piece is knitted back and forth in rows on straight needles, making it accessible for knitters who prefer flat construction over working in the round.
• Seaming: After knitting, the cast-on and bind-off edges are joined using the long yarn tails left at the beginning and end of the work. Only the outermost 12 inches on each end are sewn together, forming the sleeves, while the center remains open for the back.
• Blocking: A light block after finishing helps even out the lace pattern and allows the natural drape of the Goshen yarn to fully express itself.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) and Purl (p): The foundation of the pattern stitch, creating the ribbed columns that frame the lace motifs.
• Purl 3 Together (p3tog): A decrease stitch worked on wrong-side rows that draws three stitches into one, forming the compressed base of each lace repeat.