A wardrobe mainstay of the 1940s and 1950s, shrugs helped ensure warmth when sleek, backless dresses were all the rage.  Because good ideas don’t go out of fashion, shrugs remain popular accessories today.  Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark worked this shrug from cuff to cuff in a two-row brioche stitch that’s more closely related to ribbing than to traditional lace.  Worked on relatively large needles throughout, the pattern takes on a lacelike appearance, especially where it stretches across the shoulders.  Mercedes worked the entire body of the shrug on a consistent number of stitches but shaped the curved lower back and neck edges by changing needle sizes.

--Description from Lace Style by Pam Allen & Ann Budd