Today I want to share with your my review of KT and the Squid’s hand dyed yarn AND a new free pattern I created with it, the Nova Shrug!

Hand dyed yarn is my new obsession! I have never actually dyed yarn myself but I am so in awe of those who do it! To create different colorways and styles is just so amazing to me!

I recently purchased some hand dyed yarn from KT and the Squid. Katy is a fellow crochet and knit pattern designer and blogger who also hand dyes yarn! She has some of the most beautiful crochet designs I have ever seen! Her hand dyed yarn is just as beautiful!

Katy has a variety of yarns to choose from. You can choose from fingering weight to worsted weight yarn. All of her yarn bases are sourced from farms that are cruelty free and she hand dyes each and every skein herself!

I purchased 2 skeins of the colorway Pajama Pants because I instantly fell in love with the rich tones of blue, gray, and dark pink right away! I knew I wanted to design something with it as soon as I received it in the mail!

Nova Shrug

This yarn is amazing! I wasn’t sure if it would be scratchy or feel heavy from the dye, but I can honestly say it is very soft, very smooth, and not heavy at all. It’s easy to work with, and crochets up like a dream. I think it’s also worth saying, because I change my mind so often, it frogs (rip it, rip it) really well too. I started the design one way, got about halfway through it, and then changed my mind and pulled it all apart. It was still so smooth and came apart very easily. There’s nothing more frustrating than a pilling yarn that won’t come undone without getting tangled or stuck together. I can gladly say this is not the case with KT and the Squid yarn.

I’m excited to be able to offer you a discount code for Katy’s beautiful hand dyed yarns! If you use coupon code NOVA at checkout you’ll receive 10% off of your yarn purchase! The yarns HERE will be perfect for the Nova Shrug!

Now to the pattern! I knew right away I wanted to make a little shrug with this yarn! It would make the perfect accent accessory for many of my favorite outfits! The Nova Shrug is super easy to make and assemble and can easily be adjusted to fit any size. Enjoy!

You can purchase the ad-free, printable pdf version of the pattern on Ravelry or Etsy!

Materials

325-430 yards DK (#3) weight yarn
H (5.0 mm) crochet hook
Scissors
Measuring Tape
Yarn needle

Difficulty

Easy

Sizing

S 32-34″ bust, 325 yards
M 36-38″ bust, 347 yards
L 40-42” bust, 430 yards

Pattern Notes

Starting chain does not count as first stitch unless stated otherwise within the pattern.

To make larger or smaller, use multiples of 12 + 3 for you starting chain. Height of rectangle should be 2” taller than width.

Pattern is written in size Small with additional sizes in parentheses. Stitch count for all sizes in parentheses at the end of each row.

Stitches Needed & Abbreviations

ch(s)- chain(s)

st(s)- stitch(es)

sc- single crochet

dc- double crochet

RS- right side

**- repeat from

Gauge

Ch 27

Row 1 (RS): 2dc in 3^rd ch from hook, * skip 2 chs, 1 sc in next ch, ch 5, skip 5 chs, 1 sc in next, skip 2, 5 dc in next ch*, repeat from * across to end, 3 dc in last, turn. (1 shell, 2 half shells)

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in 1^st st, *ch 5, sc in next ch-5 spaces, ch 5, 1 sc in 3^rd dc of shell, repeat from * to end, 1 sc in top of starting ch, turn. (4 ch-5 spaces)

Row 3: *Ch 5, 1 sc in next ch-5 space, 5 dc in next sc, 1 sc in next ch-5 space*, repeat from * to last ch-5 space, ch 2, dc in last, turn. (2 shells)

Row 4: Ch 1, 1 sc in 1^st dc, * ch 5, 1 sc in 3^rd dc of shell, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch-5 space*, repeat across, turn. (4 ch-5 spaces)

Row 5: Ch 3 (counts as 1^st dc), 2 dc in 1^st st, *1 sc in next ch-5 space, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch-5 space, 5 dc in next sc*, repeat to end, work 3 dc in last sc. (1 shell, 2 half shells)

Swatch should measure 5” x 2.5”.

Rectangle

Ch 99 (111, 123)

Row 1 (RS): 2dc in 3^rd ch from hook, * skip 2 chs, 1 sc in next ch, ch 5, skip 5 chs, 1 sc in next, skip 2, 5 dc in next ch*, repeat from * across to end, 3 dc in last, turn. (7, 8, 9 full shells)

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in 1^st st, *ch 5, sc in next ch-5 space, ch 5, 1 sc in 3^rd dc of shell, repeat from * to end, 1 sc in top of starting ch, turn. (16, 18, 20 ch-5 spaces)

Row 3: *Ch 5, 1 sc in next ch-5 space, 5 dc in next sc, 1 sc in next ch-5 space*, repeat from * to last ch-5 space, ch 2, dc in last, turn. (8, 9, 10 shells)

Row 4: Ch 1, 1 sc in 1^st dc, * ch 5, 1 sc in 3^rd dc of shell, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch-5 space*, repeat across, turn. (16, 18, 20 ch-5 spaces)

Row 5: Ch 3 (counts as 1^st dc), 2 dc in 1^st st, *1 sc in next ch-5 space, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch-5 space, 5 dc in next sc*, repeat to end, work 3 dc in last sc, turn. (7, 8, 9 full shells)

Repeat rows 2-5 until rectangle is approximately 21 (22, 24”) long.

Trim

Round 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around working one sc in each stitch, and 3 sc in each ch space, join to 1^st st.

Round 2: Ch 1, 1 sc in each st around, join to 1^st st. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

If you need to block, do so at this point.

Assembling the Shrug

Lay your rectangle down vertically, with the wrong side facing you. Fold the top over the bottom. Using a long piece of yarn and your tapestry needle, sew each side together 12-15 stitches, from the bottom up. Do the same on the other side. This creates your armholes. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Nova Shrug