Another Tanit-Isis Shrug...

I love my houndstooth shrug immensely, even with it's imperfections, so I was ready to cut into my "real" fabric.

This is a lovely piece of mohair/silk knit that my mother gave me. I believe she picked it up at Waechter's Fine Fabrics while on a visit to North Carolina. It is absolutely divine, and I wanted to make it into something special, but not so special that I wouldn't wear it often.

And that I why I chose this pattern. I think it works as well with jeans and a tee shirt as it does with a black pencil skirt and red lipstick. This time I left the sleeve length as drafted (this is the size medium). It's definitely a little longer than a 3/4 sleeve, more like bracelet length. I like it.

For the closure, I again didn't want to risk a buttonhole in this fine knit, so I sewed on a wee snap and attached a pretty lace covered vintage button over the snap. The color of the knit is quite unusual - lilac in some lights and pale pink in others - so I was surprised to find this button that coordinates so well, both in color and style.

I am completely thrilled with this shrug and I know it will get a lot of wear, but there will be more to this story... I still have a yard of this knit, and while I was considering finishing options, I posted my conundrum on Facebook and Ann suggested facing the edges with silk chiffon, rather than using the bands as per the pattern.

I tried out a few options and I really like the look of the chiffon facing, particularly with some crystal seed beads decorating the edge. I'd like to make this again, in a more special occasion version, doing just that.