When creating this pattern, I was actually inspired by two things. First I was inspired by the look of a Spencer jacket, the cropped puffed-sleeve jacket paired with empire-waisted dresses during Regency times. I always loved the outfits worn by Elizabeth Bennett—the “Lizzy” in the pattern title—on the BBC production of Pride & Prejudice. I was also inspired by the great variety of sweet sundresses made by eBay and Etsy sellers, in particular Erin Green of “Cupcake Cutie Pie” designs. What if I could create a pattern that would compliment a sundress and take it from summer into fall?

Once the simple shrug jacket was designed, I could picture it with longer sleeves or a cute ruffled hem, extending the use of a sundress all the way into fall and festive events!

I hope you will find the pattern fun to work up, with less finishing work because of the top-down design!

This knitting pattern can help you create a puffed sleeve shrug or long-sleeved sweater like the ones pictured here. The sweater may fit a variety of 18” dolls, but is specifically fitted to American Girl dolls. The sweater is knitted from the top down, with raglan sleeves. You may finish the sweater or shrug with an optional button closure.

Supplies
* Lightweight fingering yarn--I used “Palette,”
or “Stroll” , available from www.knitpicks.com. The short sleeved shrug will use 1/3 or less of a 50 gram (231 yard) ball. The long sleeved ruffled version will use more.

• Knitting Needles sized 0 and 1 (2 & 2.25 mm)
• four place markers
• four 3/8 inch buttons for closure

Gauge
* With size 1 needles in stockinette stitch, 17 stitches & 23 rows in a 2 x 2 inch (5.1 cm) square.