Bower Bird

Bower Bird Knitted Shrug by Belinda Harris-Reid

What Is Being Made

The Bower Bird is an intermediate-level knitted shrug featuring an encompassing collar designed as a grand statement piece. Inspired by the elaborate displays of bower birds, this floaty garment combines lacy, intricate detailing with wearable elegance. The shrug is worked in the round, beginning with a cast-on of 55 stitches and expanding significantly through increases to accommodate the dramatic collar construction.

Knitting Techniques

This design employs several intermediate knitting techniques that create its distinctive aesthetic:

• Lace knitting — The primary decorative technique, featuring yarn-overs and decreases that create open, delicate patterns throughout the garment
• Circular knitting — Worked in rounds using stitch markers to maintain pattern repeat sections
• Increases and shaping — Strategic increases expand the stitch count from the initial 55 stitches to 274 stitches in the lacy pattern section, creating the floaty, voluminous silhouette
• Ribbed cuffs — Knit and purl combinations create structured edges that contrast with the lacy body

Stitches Used

The Bower Bird incorporates fundamental and decorative stitches to achieve its sophisticated design:

• Knit stitch (k) — Forms the base fabric
• Purl stitch (p) — Creates ribbed cuff sections and textural contrast
• Yarn-over (yo) — Generates the open lacework characteristic of the pattern
• Slip, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over (sl1, k2tog, psso) — A centered double decrease that shapes the lace motifs
• Slip marker (sm) — Used to denote pattern repeat sections in circular knitting

Materials and Yarn Options

The pattern provides three distinct yarn alternatives, each producing a different aesthetic while maintaining the same stitch structure:

Original Version: 4 x 100g skeins of Light Silky yarn (262m/100g), comprising 80% Peruvian alpaca and 20% silk. This combination creates a luxurious, lustrous fabric with excellent drape.

Floaty Version: 2 x 100g skeins of Stratus yarn (450m/100g), made from 70% British alpaca and 30% wool. The higher yardage per gram produces an airier, more ethereal garment with increased loft.

Soft and Flowing Version: 2 x 100g skeins of Warm Moonshine yarn (400m/100g), blending 70% Peruvian alpaca, 20% silk, and 10% cashmere. This option adds softness and warmth while maintaining fluidity.

All versions are worked on size 6mm or 5mm needles, with needle selection dependent on the chosen yarn and desired finished size. The 4-ply yarn weight ensures that the lace pattern remains clearly defined while the alpaca and silk content provides the characteristic drape essential to the shrug's design.

Pattern Structure

The garment begins with ribbed cuffs worked in knit and purl combinations over 8 rows, establishing a fitted edge. The pattern then transitions into the lacy pattern repeat section, where yarn-overs and centered decreases create the signature open lacework. The stitch count increases substantially to 274 stitches, allowing the fabric to expand into the floaty, voluminous collar that defines this design.