shrug patterns

[sugarcoatedlie.livejournal.com]

One of the knitting projects I've been working on for the last couple of months was a shrug for my 14-year-old daughter. She's kind of a tomboy and wouldn't wear a really girly shrug, but she really liked the Eternal Embrace shrug on The Anti-Craft website, so that's what I was making her. But I finally finished it last night and it totally doesn't fit. I don't understand why. I checked and rechecked my math before starting, and I did gauge swatches on 3 different sizes of needles to be sure I was going to get a perfect fit. I was meticulous about counting rows and things. I'm not sure where I went wrong. The sleeves fit perfectly, but the area between the shoulders is loose and bunchy and looks terrible on her. I thought maybe I'd just take it, but it's even too big on me. Bummer.

So, besides sharing that woeful story with people who can understand my pain, my real problem here is that my daughter is bummed now. She has some tank tops that she loves but isn't allowed to wear to school without a cover, and wanted the shrug to wear over them. And although I really don't want to try the Eternal Embrace shrug again, I would like to find another pattern to try instead. It can't be too girly, and if possible, I'd like something knitted on larger needles, maybe an 11 or 13, so that I can get it done before it gets too hot for her to even wear it. Also, she won't wear 100% wool. Too scratchy. I was wondering if anyone knew of any patterns that might work? Free is best, because I'm pretty broke, but I'd pay a little if I found a perfect one.