Feminine Lace Bolero to Knit Now

I knit this glamorous lace bolero up in a few hours once I had got used to the changes in thickness in the yarn . 

Its a super quick knit with a feminine finish. Great number to throw in to your suitcase for a holiday by the sun or to glam up your party frock. And why not knit in white or cream for a lovely wedding accessory.



Today I'm sharing the pattern for a medium size bolero. I'll include some tips at the end for making this in a smaller or larger version.

The yarn I used was : 1 x 100g ball of King Cole Opium (54% cotton , 42% acrylic).  There is approx 273 yards / 250 metres to each 100g ball.

I needed 3 sets of needles:
5.5mm straight needles
7mm straight needles
5.5mm circular needles

Instructions

With the 5.5mm needles cast on 35 stitches

Row 1 *K2, P2,* repeat from * to * to the end of the row ending with P1
Row 2  K1, *P2, K2 * repeat  from * to * to the end of the row

Change to 7mm needles  and work in this simple lace pattern until the work measures 20"

lace pattern:
K1, *YO, K2 tog* repeat from * to * to end of row

Change to 5.5mm needles and work 2 rows as follows

Row 1 *K2, P2,* repeat from * to * to the end of the row ending with P1
Row 2  K1, *P2, K2 * repeat  from * to * to the end of the row.

Bind off in the rib pattern.

OK , so you should now have a piece of work measuring approx 12.5" (wide)x 20" (long).  

folded in half

Fold the piece of work in half lengthwise (there is no right and wrong side to this piece of work) and sew together 1" at either end of long edges. 

This will make the armholes.

before the ribbed edging

Now for the ribbed edging.

Using the 5.5mm circular needle pick up and knit 128 stitches evenly around the circular long edge, being careful not to twist the stitches as you join the round. 

Work in rib K2 , P2 for 2". 

Bind off using the 7mm straight needle. 

Weave in all the ends.

So what do you do if you want smaller or larger versions of this? 

Well I would say:

Small - cast on 6 stitches less , so that's 29 stitches and only knit until the work is 17"

Large - cast on 6 stitches more , so that's 41 stitches and knit until the work is 23".

Hope you have fun knitting this lovely bolero. The main thing is that it can be knitted in any cotton dk yarn, is knit up super quick and only takes 100g! 

"Life Covers" Harris Tweed covers etc that you will treasure for life!

This blog posting has been written as a BIG HUGE thank you to Sally @ LifeCovers for inspiring me to start working with Harris Tweed. She supplied me with her off cuts to make my well liked heart garlands and she told me where to go to find the weaver's when visiting Harris. 

I could see the versatility of the woolly fabric just by viewing the products in her on-line shop and I know 1st hand that her sewing skills are superb. 

Below are just a few of her more feminine products.

And here are the answers to some of the questions I've been wanting to ask Sally for ages.......

Who are you?

My name is Sally and I live in the beautiful countryside of East Lothian, Scotland. But not always, I grew up in Oxfordshire and have spent a number of years in the United States.

What's been your career? 

Yes, I've had a few interesting jobs; shoe seller, garden designer, yacht charter consultant, project manager and chef. However, my best job description has to be 'Cat Socialiser and Adoption Counsellor'. 

Most famous moment?

I was in a movie with Richard Gere. 

When did you start up your business?

 I retired (very early!) in 2009 after a stressful time working as a Project Manager. After 3 months of leisurely lunches, I knew I wasn't ready for retirement and got out my sewing machine. I had always secretly envied those handmade goods at local Craft Fairs. 

Why Harris Tweed? 

It's totally unique which sounds a bit of a cliché. I love the history and the fact that the whole process is carried out from start to finish on the Islands. Regardless of the world's economy, Harris Tweed is here to stay. 

Advice to new businesses?

 'Just do it!' Running a small business requires more skills than you can imagine and there are some jobs that are always at the bottom of the pile. Don't waste time procrastinating, get them out of the way first. 

What next? 

In the past few months I explored the possibility of moving onto larger projects for the home and attended an upholstery course. I like the idea of being able to buy greater quantities of Harris Tweed.

To find Sally, just visit

http://www.lifecovers.co.uk

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LifeCovers

PS, Please ask in the comments if you just NEED to know which Richard Gere movie Sally was in. 

Scrumptious Harris Tweed / Mohair Pillows

I fell in love with these pillows when I made the purple/ black combination one a few months back.

A wonderful lady from Canada purchased a set of 4 and wiped me out of my purple / black Harris Tweed for now. 

Anyway I set to and knit the back of the pillow for a gorgeous stunning pink tartan Harris Tweed. 

This pillow is larger than normal size , it's 17" x 17" and the price reflects this , sorry but its £55. 

I can make theses cushions up in a range of Harris Tweed and mohair colours and obviously sizes too. 

Interested? just contact me 


Sandra