Patch Heart Cuff Knit Shrug No. 2 — Emerald Ribbed Bolero with Double-Knit Blush Heart Patches

Introduction

If you have never knitted a stitch in your life, this is the perfect first "real" project to fall in love with. This shrug is simply one big rectangle of cozy 2x2 ribbing, folded in half and seamed at two short ends — that's it for the body. The finished piece is a short, shoulder-hugging bolero in a deep cold emerald green, with two little blush-pink heart patches stitched flat over each cuff for a bold, mid-century graphic line. It feels soft and matte in worsted cotton, with a gentle stretch that settles over your shoulders like a warm hug. And because the two heart patches are worked separately in double knitting (a clever trick that makes a two-sided square), you can practice the fancy part on its own small square before attaching it. Nothing here is rushed, nothing is complicated, and every single step is spelled out below.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (CYC 4) cotton, approximately 560 yds / 512 m total.
  • Main color (MC): cold emerald green — approx. 420 yds / 385 m.
  • Contrast color (CC): blush pink — approx. 140 yds / 128 m. (Double knitting uses roughly twice the yarn of single-layer knitting; 140 yds covers two 4-in squares plus tails.)
• Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) straight knitting needles, plus one spare US 7 (4.5 mm) needle (straight or circular) for the double-knit patches.
• Tapestry needle (a big-eyed, blunt-tipped needle) for seaming and stitching the patches.
• Stitch markers (small plastic or metal rings that clip onto a stitch to mark your place).
• Stitch holder or waste yarn (a short length of scrap yarn used to hold stitches you're not working right now).
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Measuring tape and a ruler for checking gauge.

Finished size (after blocking, relaxed): Body rectangle 40 in / 102 cm wide x 22 in / 56 cm tall. Finished shrug: 20 in / 51 cm from cuff to cuff across the back, 22 in / 56 cm deep from shoulder to lower edge, with a 14 in / 36 cm open front. One size fits women's XS–L comfortably as a short shoulder shrug. Each heart patch is a 4 in / 10 cm square.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every abbreviation used in this pattern is listed here. Read this list once before you start — you'll be surprised how quickly it becomes second nature.

• k — knit. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from left to right, wrap the yarn around, and pull a loop through.
• p — purl. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from right to left, wrap the yarn around, and pull a loop through.
• st(s) — stitch(es). One loop on your needle is one stitch.
• MC — main color (the emerald green).
• CC — contrast color (the blush pink).
• RS — right side. The "public" face of the fabric that will show when you wear it.
• WS — wrong side. The "inside" face of the fabric.
• sl — slip. Move a stitch from the left needle to the right needle without working it.
• sl 1 wyif — slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front. Hold the yarn on the side of the work facing you, then slide the stitch across without knitting it.
• sl 1 wyib — slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in back. Hold the yarn on the far side of the work, then slide the stitch across without knitting it.
• rep — repeat. Do the instruction again.
• * ... ; rep from * — the asterisk marks the start of a group of stitches. Work the group once, then keep working it again and again until you reach the end of the row.
• k2tog — knit two stitches together. Insert the needle through two stitches at once and knit them as one, which decreases your stitch count by one.
• cast on — the very first step: creating the starting loops on your needle.
• bind off — the last step: locking the stitches so the edge doesn't unravel.
• long-tail cast-on — a beginner-friendly cast-on that uses two strands of yarn (one over your thumb, one over your finger) to create a neat, stretchy edge.
• 2x2 rib — a pattern of two knit stitches followed by two purl stitches, repeated across the row. It makes a stretchy, textured fabric.
• double knitting — a technique where you hold two yarns at once and work every stitch in pairs, creating a two-layer, reversible fabric with a mirror image on the back.
• pair — in double knitting, one MC stitch plus one CC stitch worked together as a unit.
• mattress stitch — an invisible seaming technique that joins two edges with small horizontal stitches.
• whipstitch — a simple over-and-over stitch used to attach one flat piece to another.
• blocking — dampening and pinning your finished knitting to its final measurements so it dries flat and even.

Gauge

Body gauge: 18 sts and 24 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in 2x2 rib, gently relaxed after blocking.

Patch gauge: 18 pairs (36 sts) and 24 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in double knitting; each visible face reads as stockinette.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is how many stitches and rows fit into one inch of your knitting. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern expects, your shrug will come out too large; if they're smaller, it will be too tight. Checking gauge first saves you hours of re-knitting.

How to make a gauge swatch: With MC, cast on 30 sts. Work in 2x2 rib (k2, p2 across every row) for about 5 in / 13 cm. Bind off. Block the swatch, let it dry, then lay a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 4 in / 10 cm. If you have more than 18, go up one needle size; if you have fewer, go down one. Repeat until you match. For the patch, work a small double-knit square the same way and count pairs across 4 in.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count your cast-on twice. 180 stitches is a lot to count, so count in groups of 10 and place a stitch marker every 20 stitches. It's much easier to fix a mistake at the very start than 100 rows in.
• Don't pull your yarn tight. New knitters often tug each stitch, which makes stiff, cramped fabric. Let the yarn flow loosely and evenly — ribbing needs a little breathing room to stretch.
• Use stitch markers to track your ribbing. Place a marker after every 4 stitches (one full k2, p2 repeat) so you can instantly see if you've lost your place. Ribbing is reversible, so just knit the knits and purl the purls as they present themselves.
• Practice the patch on scrap yarn first. Double knitting feels strange at first because you're holding two yarns. Work one practice square before committing to your blush pink.
• Keep both yarns loose on the patch sides. When you turn at the end of each double-knit row, carry both yarns up the side without pulling — snug, not tight, or the edges will pucker.
• Measure as you go. Lay your body rectangle flat every 20 rows or so and check it against 22 in / 56 cm. Stop when you hit the measurement, even if your row count differs slightly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (worked flat in 2x2 rib)

Math check: 40 in wide x 18 sts per 4 in = 180 sts cast on. 22 in tall x 24 rows per 4 in = 132 rows.

With MC, cast on 180 sts using the long-tail method. (180 sts)

Row 1 (RS): *K2, p2; rep from * to end. (180 sts)

Row 2 (WS): *K2, p2; rep from * to end. (180 sts) — the ribbing is reversible; knit the knits and purl the purls as they present.

Rows 3–132: Repeat Rows 1–2 sixty-five more times (132 rows total). (180 sts)

Your piece should now measure 22 in / 56 cm from the cast-on edge, ending after a WS row. Bind off all 180 sts in rib pattern, not too tightly. Do not weave in ends yet — leave long tails for seaming.

Double-Knit Heart Patches (make 2, identical)

Note: Double knitting creates a two-layer, reversible square. The RS face is blush pink with an emerald heart; the reverse face is the exact mirror (emerald background with a blush heart). Both yarns are held together throughout; every stitch is worked in pairs (one MC, one CC). Work flat on straight needles, turning at the end of each row and carrying both yarns loosely up the side.

Two-color long-tail cast-on: Hold MC and CC together and make a slip knot with both yarns; place it on the needle. *Bring MC over your thumb and CC over your index finger (as for a standard long-tail cast-on), cast on one stitch with MC, then one stitch with CC; rep from * until 36 sts are cast on (18 MC sts + 18 CC sts alternating). (36 sts)

Set-up row (WS): *Sl 1 MC wyif, k1 CC; rep from * to end. (36 sts)

Row 1 (RS): *K1 MC, sl 1 CC wyib; rep from * to end. (36 sts)

Row 2 (WS): *Sl 1 MC wyif, k1 CC; rep from * to end. (36 sts)

These two rows form the double-knit fabric. Now work the chart below, reading RS rows right to left and WS rows left to right. Each square = 1 pair of stitches (one MC + one CC). The chart defines the RS face: M = emerald stitch on the RS face (blush hidden on back); C = blush stitch on the RS face (emerald hidden on back). The reverse face is automatically the color inverse.

How to work each square: To work a C square on a RS row: k1 CC, sl 1 MC wyib. On a WS row: sl 1 CC wyif, k1 MC. To work an M square on a RS row: k1 MC, sl 1 CC wyib. On a WS row: sl 1 MC wyif, k1 CC.

Heart Chart (18 pairs wide x 24 rows tall):

• Row 1: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 2: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 3: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 4: M M M M M M M C C M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 5: M M M M M M C C C C M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 6: M M M M M C C C C C C M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 7: M M M M C C C C C C C C M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 8: M M M C C C C C C C C C C M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 9: M M M C C C C C C C C C C M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 10: M M C C C C C C C C C C C C M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 11: M M C C C C C C C C C C C C M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 12: M M C C C C C C C C C C C C M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 13: M M C C C C C C C C C C C C M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 14: M M C C C C C C C C C C C C M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 15: M M M C C C C C C C C C C M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 16: M M M C C C C C C C C C C M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 17: M M M M C C C C C C C C M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 18: M M M M M C C C C C C M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 19: M M M M M M C C C C M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 20: M M M M M M M C C M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 21: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 22: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 23: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)
• Row 24: M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M (18 pairs)

After Row 24, bind off both layers together: *k2tog (one MC + one CC), pass first st over; rep from * to end. Fasten off, leaving a 20 in / 51 cm tail on each patch for stitching. Block each patch to 4 in / 10 cm square.

Assembly and Finishing

1. Block the body rectangle to 40 in x 22 in / 102 cm x 56 cm. To block: dampen the piece with a spray bottle or a cool soak, lay it flat on a towel, and gently pat it into the correct measurements. Let it dry fully.
2. Fold the rectangle in half widthwise with RS together, aligning the two 22 in / 56 cm short ends. The fold becomes the center back; the two open short ends become the cuffs.
3. Seam each short end from the outer edge inward for 8 in / 20 cm, leaving the inner 14 in / 36 cm open at the front. Use mattress stitch with MC: lay the two edges side by side, and with your tapestry needle, pick up one horizontal bar from the left edge, then one from the right edge, working back and forth in a ladder pattern. Pull gently every few stitches to close the gap. These are the two side seams that form the armholes and the open front.
4. Turn the shrug RS out.
5. Center one heart patch flat over each cuff seam, with the heart upright and the patch spanning the seam evenly (2 in / 5 cm on each side of the seam). Pin in place.
6. Stitch each patch flat to the cuff with small whipstitches around all four edges, using the patch tails and matching yarn. Work over-and-over through the patch edge and only the surface of the ribbed fabric so the stitches do not show on the inside. Keep stitches small and even, and do not pull tight, to avoid puckering the ribbing.
7. Weave in all remaining ends. Thread each tail onto your tapestry needle and run it back and forth through the wrong side of the fabric for about 2 in, then trim. Lightly steam the cuffs and patch edges to set them flat.

Care: Hand wash cold, reshape, and dry flat.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the emerald and blush for any two-color pairing you love — navy and cream, mustard and rust, or charcoal and lilac all keep that mid-century graphic feel. Just keep one color dark and one light so the heart reads clearly.
• Adjust the size: To make the shrug wider or narrower, add or subtract stitches in multiples of 4 (one full k2, p2 repeat). Each extra 4 stitches adds about 1 in / 2.5 cm of width. To make it longer, add rows in multiples of 2.
• Substitute the yarn: Any worsted weight (CYC 4) yarn works — acrylic for easy care, wool for warmth, or a cotton-blend for drape. Always re-check your gauge, since different fibers behave differently.
• Make the patches bigger or smaller: Work the heart chart on a larger multiple of pairs (add background M squares evenly on both sides) for a bolder patch, or work just the heart rows without the plain background rows for a smaller square. Keep the patch centered over the cuff seam when you stitch it down.