Inspired by the squishy warmth of a bulky-weight yarn, I wanted to design a simple capelet-style “hug-me” shrug to wear over anything- from jeans and a tee to a fancy party dress. When I tried it on for the first time, it reminded me of a sweet and tidy blackberry. Its name- Blackcap- is inspired by the local nickname for the little wild blackberries found throughout the fence rows and fields of my rural childhood. The pattern PDF includes an illustrated greeting card of a mother black bear gathering berries with her young cub. My husband Eric illustrated this card for your enjoyment- please print and use the card as often as you like.

Pattern photos by the wonderful Christa Tippmann of Christa Tippmann Photography.