Gala shrug- super furry

I was invited recently to a gala Christmas celebration and decided to wear a little beaded strappy number to this , in navy as I figured everyone would either be in black: ie all men and most of the ladies or red( ladies only).

Then just before the event I had a run of rushed jobs at work got tired and stressed out and my arms were covered in an eczema outbreak.......ooh la la, soooo not good.

I usually wear long evening gloves for this kind of emergency and I have them in cream- kid leather, black velvet and silver lame but I wanted navy......!!!

Could I get any at all in November/December 2006 in navy????No of course not.

Then while shopping for something entirely different I spied a batch of navy Sirdar funky fur : or an eyelash yarn for USA readers, and had the idea for a navy furry shrug instead.

I had less than 1 week to go but managed to make it just in time - crocheting all the way in the car to the hotel where it was held and it was a great success!

I made the pattern up as I went along using a 4.5 mm hook and a mesh stitch to keep it more open and cooler but still very furry: 1 chain, 1 treble ( or dc for the USA) and working each subsequent treble into the chain space instead of into the top of the previous row treble thus speeding it up as I didn't have to grope and search for the correct stitch loop all the time.

Exact pattern I can provide on request but it's a simple set of 2 spirals ( tubes)worked in the round from the cuff to the shoulder with a connecting panel across the back.

The completed shrug weighs 230 grammes so it took about 4 to 5 balls of 50g eyelash yarn.

A bonus was that it was very comfortable and not too hot at all, in fact it didn't come off until the dancing got us so hot it was inevitable!

And so much easier to dine in than long evening gloves!