Cuffed Dolman Shrug in Caron Simply Soft - Downloadable PDF

Cuffed Dolman Shrug in Caron Simply Soft – Knitting Pattern by Lorna Miser

The Cuffed Dolman Shrug is a free, downloadable PDF knitting pattern designed by Lorna Miser and worked in Caron Simply Soft yarn. This elegant, easy-to-wear shrug features a relaxed dolman silhouette with structured ribbed cuffs, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for casual and dressy occasions alike. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and is available in six sizes ranging from Small through 3XL, offering generous finished widths from 55 inches up to 60 inches and finished lengths from 20.5 inches up to 26 inches.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a bolero-style shrug with a distinctive dolman shape — meaning the body and sleeves are worked as one continuous, wide piece rather than being seamed together at the shoulder. The finished garment wraps around the back and upper arms, with side seams sewn 10 inches up from each cuff to form sleeve channels, while the center back remains open and draped. Neat 1x1 ribbed cuffs frame each end, and a picked-up edging finishes the open front and back edges for a polished look.

Construction Method

The shrug is constructed in a single, cleverly simple approach: the entire body is knitted as one long rectangular piece, beginning at one cuff and ending at the other. This top-down, cuff-to-cuff construction eliminates complex shaping and makes the pattern highly accessible to knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques but may not yet be ready for set-in sleeves or complex garment shaping. After the body is complete, minimal finishing — seaming the lower edges of each sleeve — transforms the flat rectangle into a wearable shrug.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Elongated Garter Ridges: This is the primary stitch pattern used across the wide body of the shrug. It is worked over any number of stitches in a six-row repeat. Rows 1 through 4 are worked as plain knit rows, creating the characteristic garter texture. Row 5 introduces a dramatic elongation by wrapping the yarn twice around the needle for every stitch. On Row 6, the extra wrap is dropped as each stitch is knitted, producing long, airy, elongated loops that give the fabric a light, open drape. This technique adds visual interest and a slightly lacy quality without requiring complex lace skills.
• 1x1 Ribbing: The cuffs are worked in a classic 1x1 rib — alternating knit and purl stitches across every row — which creates a stretchy, form-fitting band that hugs the wrist comfortably. The ribbing is worked on smaller needles for a firmer, more elastic fabric.
• Knit Front and Back (KFB) Increase: At the transition from the cuff to the body, stitches are doubled by knitting into the front and back of every stitch, expanding the stitch count to accommodate the wider dolman body.
• K2tog Decrease: At the opposite end, stitches are halved by knitting two together across the row, returning to the narrower cuff stitch count before the second ribbed cuff is worked.
• Picking Up and Knitting Stitches: A circular needle is used to pick up stitches around the open edges of the shrug for a neat, integrated edging finish.

Materials and Tools

The pattern calls for Caron Simply Soft, an aran weight (medium weight) yarn with a smooth, soft feel that drapes beautifully — ideal for the flowing silhouette of this shrug. The colorway featured in the pattern is Country Blue (9710). Depending on size, the project requires 2 to 4 skeins of the main color, with each skein containing 288 meters (315 yards) per 170 g (6 oz) ball.

• US Size 6 (4 mm) straight needles — used for the ribbed cuffs to achieve a tighter, more elastic gauge
• US Size 8 (5 mm) needles — used for the main body worked in Elongated