"Carina Shrug" - Rug Knitting Pattern For Women in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

Carina Shrug Knitting Pattern by MillaMia – Beginner Cable Knitting for Women

The Carina Shrug is a beautifully simple knitted shrug pattern designed for women by MillaMia. Worked as a single rectangle and finished with attached cuffs, this pattern produces a lightweight, versatile bolero-style garment suitable for all seasons. Its clever construction makes it an ideal introduction to cable knitting, while the elegant result is sophisticated enough for confident knitters to enjoy as a quick and satisfying project.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a women's shrug — sometimes called a bolero — that wraps around the shoulders and upper arms. Once the main rectangle is knitted, it is folded and seamed together to create the shrug shape, with cuffs attached to finish the sleeves. The design is intentionally compact and manageable, making it a practical choice for knitters who want a stylish layering piece without committing to a large or complex project.

The pattern is offered in five sizes, fitting dress sizes 6–8 through 18–20. The length to back neck ranges from 40 cm to 53 cm (approximately 15¾ in to 21 in), and the sleeve length ranges from 5 cm to 7 cm (approximately 2 in to 2¾ in), keeping the cuffs neat and understated.

Construction and Techniques

The Carina Shrug is constructed using a worked flat (back-and-forth) method on straight needles, meaning it is knitted in rows rather than in the round. The main body is a single rectangle — a beginner-friendly construction approach that avoids complex shaping and allows the knitter to focus on the cable detail. Once the rectangle is complete, it is seamed to form the shrug silhouette, with the cuffs added as a finishing step.

The defining technique used in this pattern is cable knitting. Two cables run through the length of the rectangle, adding texture and visual interest without overwhelming a newer knitter. Cables are created by temporarily placing stitches on a separate cable needle, working the next stitches from the main needle, and then working the held stitches — this crossing action creates the characteristic twisted rope or braid appearance associated with traditional cable knitting.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) — the primary background stitch, formed by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, creating a smooth fabric.
• Cable stitch — C16F (Cable 16 Front) — the signature cable used in this pattern. Slip the next 8 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of the work, knit 8 stitches from the main needle, then knit the 8 stitches from the cable needle. This creates a bold, front-crossing cable panel.
• Garter stitch (g-st) — referenced in the abbreviations, likely used in border or cuff sections to provide a neat, non-curling edge.
• Rib stitch — referenced through abbreviations such as rib2tog, suggesting ribbing is used in the cuff construction for a snug, elastic finish.
• Standard knit and purl stitches, increases (m1, m1pw), and decreases (k2tog, skpo) are also referenced within the pattern's abbreviation list.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino yarn, a sport weight yarn celebrated for its softness and stitch definition — qualities that make cable patterns appear crisp and well-defined. The sample shown uses Snow (shade 124), a clean, classic white. The quantity required is 4 to 6 balls of 50g/1¾oz depending on size.

Alternative colourways suggested by MillaMia include:

• Plum (162)
• Putty (121)
• Fawn (160)
• Berry (163)

In terms of needles, the pattern requires a pair of 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles as the primary needle size, with a