Finished!

The extended shrug, adapted from the One-Skein Wonders book (Shrug This) is complete! I ended up frogging the first sleeve after I made it, as it didn't have any shaping and just looked loose and baggy. So, I figured out how much to decrease to get it to the tapered width I wanted and also added a few more inches in the length to make it a 3/4 length. I was nervous I would run out of yarn but I had just enough with a tiny ball of yarn left to spare!



One thing I learned in doing the decreases is that even though I did it on dpns, and decreased one stitch every other row, it would've been better to decrease 2 stitches on either side of my marker every 4th row, so that I had even decreases (The way I did it the decreases tended to work themselves around the sleeve a bit). Still, I am happy with how it turned out. I chose a pearly looking button and made a button closure by crocheting a little chain loop from where I cast on.

Also, the alpaca tends to stretch a bit where it hangs, and if I'd used another yarn that had a bit of wool or other fiber it probably would've retained its shape a bit better. Still, it is soft and warm and, though it is about zero degrees outside right now I am toasty and warm wearing it around the house!