Free Lightweight Summer Knit Shrug Pattern (The Halo Shrug)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
There’s something about brushed alpaca that feels like a secret. Impossibly light, impossibly soft — this lightweight summer knit shrug is the kind of piece you knit once and reach for every single day. The Halo Shrug is that piece.
The free pattern is below — or grab the ad-free, printable PDF if you’d rather skip the doomscroll.
About the Pattern
The Halo Shrug is worked as a simple rectangle — cast on across the width of your shoulders, then knit in stockinette stitch until you reach your length, sew 2 short seams at each end to create the sleeves. That’s it, really.
The magic is in how something so simple becomes something so beautiful.
Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL)
Pattern Format: Written Pattern, No Chart
Pattern Language: English
Skill Level: Beginner
PDF Format: Printer Friendly
Pattern Name: Halo
Techniques
Here are some of the knitting skills you need to know before getting started:
This pattern is knit flat on circular needles (to accommodate the stitch count), using Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk held double. The yarn held double on a US 13 needle gives you that signature hazy, cloud-like drape — lightweight enough for spring and summer, soft enough to reach for every day. Seven sizes are included, from XS through 3XL. A beginner who knows how to knit and purl can make this.
Knit Flat (not in the round)
Knit & Purl Stitches
Sew Seams
Yarn & Substitutions
Yarn Weight: Worsted Weight Yarn
Yardage: 736 – 1344 yards (673 – 1229 meters)
Suggested Yarn: Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk
Suggested Yarn Details:
Brand: Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk
Yardage: 736 – 1344 yards (673 – 1229 meters)
Color: 4 (Light Beige)
Category: Medium, Worsted (Group C)
Needle: US 8 (5mm)
Gauge: 17 sts x 22 rows 4″x4″ (10x10cm)
Weight: 0.9oz (25g)
Length: 153y (140m)
Content: 77% Alpaca, 23% Silk
Alternative Yarn Substitute Options:
Check out Yarnsub’s for more yarn substitutions.
Needles & Notions
US 13 (9mm) Circular Needles with a 40” (100cm) Cable, or longer
Gauge Guide: This visual reference can help you compare your fabric and gauge.
9 STS & 14 rows per 4” (10cm) square, knit flat in stockinette stitch, steamed, using US 13 (9mm) knitting needles.
Model Details
Height: 5’9″ (175cm). Weight: 130lbs (59kg). Bust: 35″ (88cm). Waist: 25″ (63cm)
Details
Finished Measurements, Size M:
Width across shoulders: 45″ (114cm)
Length: 33″ (84cm)
# of CO STS: 100
Weight: 5.3oz (150g)
Model is wearing size M for an oversized boyfriend fit.
Notes
- Not reversible.
- Knit top down.
- Yarn held double.
- Knit flat, back & forth on circular needles.
- Knit using the stockinette stitch.
- The CO edge is the width, across your shoulders.
- This shrug is worked as a simple rectangle, then seamed to create sleeves.
- A circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of CO stitches.
- I like to place a stitch marker after the first 6 stitches and before the last 6 stitches. It’s just a physical reminder where the pattern changes so I don’t have to count stitches.
Sizes
How to Size a Shrug Knitting Pattern
Sizing a shrug is simpler than sizing most knitted garments because there are no armholes or shaping to worry about. For the Halo Shrug, the width of the rectangle equals the width across your shoulders — so that’s your starting measurement.
Once you know your shoulder width, choose your size from the chart and then decide on your fit:
Choose two sizes smaller for a snugger fit.
Choose one size smaller for a relaxed fit.
Choose your usual size for an oversized, boyfriend fit.
When in doubt, go bigger. A shrug that’s slightly too large drapes beautifully. One that’s too small will feel restrictive. The model in these photos is wearing a size M (45″ width) at 5’9″ with a 35″ bust for that easy, relaxed look.
| Size | W” | x | L” | # of CO STS (width) | Skeins Needed | Meters Needed | Yards Needed |
| XS | 41″ | x | 29″ | 92 | 5 | 716 | 783 |
| S | 43″ | x | 31″ | 96 | 6 | 803 | 878 |
| M | 45″ | x | 31″ | 100 | 6 | 840 | 919 |
| L | 47″ | x | 33″ | 106 | 7 | 934 | 1021 |
| XL | 49″ | x | 33″ | 110 | 7 | 974 | 1065 |
| 2XL | 51″ | x | 35″ | 114 | 8 | 1075 | 1175 |
| 3XL | 53″ | x | 35″ | 120 | 8 | 1117 | 1222 |
Tip: The width listed is the measurement across your shoulders.
Knitting Abbreviations
*– * – repeat between the asterisks
BO – bind-off in pattern
CO – cast-on (long-tail cast-on method)
K – knit stitches (K1 means to knit 1 stitch)
P – purl stitches (P2 means to purl 2 stitches)
RS – right side
STS – stitches
WS – wrong side
Save it for Later
- Want a printable version? Grab the ad-free PDF here and knit cozy anywhere — no scrolling required.
- Save it to your Ravelry Library!
- Pin-it to Pinterest for later.
Save this pattern for later!
We'll email this page to you, so you can come back to it later!
Download & Print this Pattern
Do you enjoy working from a paper copy? Get the downloadable, printer-friendly PDF completely ad-free.
That way you can have lifetime access to it and download it to any device and view it from anywhere, without ads.
Pattern Instructions
Cast on the number of stitches for your chosen size.
CO: XS (92), S (96), M (100), L (106), XL (110), 2XL (114), 3XL (120)
Row 1 (WS): *P* (Purl all the stitches in this row.)
Row 2 (RS): *K* (Knit all the stitches in this row.)
Repeat rows 1-2 approx.:
XS: 29″/74cm, S & M: 31″/79cm, L & XL: 33″/84cm, 2XL & 3XL: 35 1/2″/90cm
BO loosely, on a right side row, in all knit stitches.
How to create the sleeves:
Lay it flat, with the right side up.
On one side, bring the CO & BO edges to the center. Sew the sleeve seam 5″ (6″, 7″, 8″) from each end toward the center on each side.
Sew from the corner inward approx.:
XS–M: 5–6 inches
L–XL: 6–7 inches
2XL–3XL: 7–8 inches
Repeat on the other side.
Weave in all your ends.
Steaming:
Don’t skip this step. Steaming really pulls everything together, turning it into something you’ll feel proud to wrap up in again and again.
Lightly steam the finished piece to even out stitches and encourage a relaxed drape. Steaming helps smooth out uneven tension, soften the fabric, and allows the garment to relax into its final shape and measurements before wearing. This final step gives the piece its signature drape and finish, transforming it from handmade to beautifully finished.
Why Mohair Yarn Makes the Perfect Summer Knit Shrug
Mohair might feel contradictory at first sight. It looks warm and billowy, so it’s easy to assume it belongs only in fall and winter. But mohair — especially brushed alpaca — is actually one of the best fibers for transitional and summer knitting. It’s incredibly light. The halo of fiber traps warmth without creating weight, which means you get that cozy, wrapped feeling without overheating.
For a shrug specifically, that lightness is everything. You want something you can layer over a sundress on a cool evening or drape over your shoulders in an air-conditioned room without feeling bundled up. Mohair does exactly that. It’s also forgiving to knit — the halo softens any tension inconsistencies, so your finished piece always looks polished.
The Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk used in this pattern takes it one step further. The silk content adds a subtle sheen and incredible softness against the skin, making it as pleasant to wear as it is to knit.
What’s the Difference Between a Shrug and a Bolero?
A bolero fits more like a cropped jacket with defined front panels and a knit shrug drapes softly across your shoulders and arms with no shaping required — and often, that effortless look is exactly what you were after anyway.
If you’ve been searching for a knit bolero shrug pattern and landed here — this might be exactly what you were looking for.
Ready to Cast On?
The Halo Shrug is one of those rare knits that earns its place in your wardrobe immediately. You finish it, you steam it, you put it on — and you don’t take it off. Beginners will love how approachable it is. Experienced knitters will love how quickly it comes together.
Share your Halo Shrug
When you finish yours, we want to see it! Tag your photos with #TheHaloShrug and give us a follow at @bromefields on Instagram and Facebook — there’s nothing better than watching this little shrug show up in all its different colors and fiber combinations. Your finished knit might just be the thing that inspires someone else to pick up their needles.
Want More Patterns Like This?
Join the BFF Knitting Club — Brome Fields’ monthly membership with new patterns and slow cozy content delivered directly to your inbox every month. It’s a quiet little corner of the internet just for knitters. Come join us.