Ode to LIZZIE

I am currently obsessed.  Obsessed with Lizzie.  You see, Lizzie is a shrug.  And I don't mean the "shrug" you you give your husband when he asks you about the 20 missing from his wallet.  No, I mean a garment.  A sweater of sorts.  An original house pattern from Stitch Therapy, and might I say one of the best shrug patterns I have ever had the experience to knit.  It is a well constructed, beautifully shaped piece of clothing.  If I could, I would make a hundred of them at once, and just give them out to everyone I know and like.  I would make one of every color, just in case.  This pattern has been around not long after the inception of Stitch Therapy in 2004.  I, however didn't experience the glory until just last year, when I decided I should make something for myself.  So last year I finally made myself the shrug that I loved and admired for quite sometime.  I had long since bought the yarn, and had it in my stash for about a year and a half or more before I finally knit it up.  I have since worn the daylights out Lizzie, who is holding her own.

 And so when the annual Mother/Daughter Brunch (a yearly function hosted by my daughter's school) was on the horizon, it was that time to think about suitable and appropriate gear for cute girl child.  Lo and behold, a beautiful sea green dress, with a cream mesh flower lace overlay caught my eye.  It was perfect.  But it was missing something.  The quaint braided spaghetti strap dress begged for a delightful elegant vintage like wrap to up the anti in sheer elegance.  My almost 6 year old will not tolerate a wrap.  No, that would end up under the front seat of our car with footprints all over it, and my daughter staring up at me with a look of confusion when I ask where it is, but a shrug?  I decided that was the way to go.  A sleek garment that functions as a half sweater, providing warmth and cover for bare shoulders, while accenting, and even accessorizing beautiful dress for cute girl child.  I began to look around for a nice relatively simple and quick shrug pattern.  Unfortunately, or fortunately I was unable to find anything that I loved.  And if I was going to take the time to make it, I have to love it.  It needed to look handmade, not homemade, or anything resembling something that can show up on a fugly website.  When it dawned on me that I was looking for something that looked and was shaped like the Lizzie, I decided I should make the Lizzie for my daughter. I knew there had to be a way.  Lizzie was written for the adult female, ranging in sizes extra small, to extra large along with several yarn suggestions that are in line with the use of a 8, 9 or 10 needle.  I ended up using a finer yarn, than the pattern suggested, and went down to a size 6 needle.  And Voila, a shrug for Gia.  I wish I had some complicated mathematical formula, along with some insane illustrations of thoughtful sketches that are frighting and intimidating to share as to how I came up with the sizing for small girl child, but I don't.  Truth be told, I just winged it.