I have this utterly lovely red and black dress, but it’s sleeveless. It’s not strapless, but it still calls for some sort of cover up, just in case I get chilly while wearing it.
Unfortunately, my Tina shawl is exactly the wrong shade of red, and besides, I’d really prefer something plainer. The dress, not the coverup, needs to be the highlight of the outfit.
So, I knit a bolero…
Pattern: Fiery Bolero by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Cavern
Needles: US5 / 3.75mm Clover bamboo circulars
Which looks like it could be perfect, except… it’s really not. It’s significantly too big in the back.
At least it’s not as noticeable with the dress. But it’s pretty clear with a more fitted top like my Demeter Camisole here.
How did this happen? I think it’s a combination of two things – wrong size, and a deceiving swatch. I used the size that corresponded to my full bust size, rather than the one with the right cross-back measurement. Not only that, but the yarn grew even more than the swatch led me to think it would. (I partially blame the cotton content. Though I probably should’ve knit both swatch and bolero a little bit tighter, to try and compensate for cotton’s tendency to grow wider.)
So… whoops.
I haven’t frogged this yet because I suspect this may fit my sister. Though I’ll probably donate it if it doesn’t fit her, because I can’t think of another project I want to use this yarn for. (That’s not a knock on the Cotton Fleece, by the way. Because Cotton Fleece? Perfectly nice yarn. I’d use it again, but I’d rather use a different color.)
So I guess I have to knit another coverup now. Maybe not from this pattern, though. I think I’d rather have this bolero in a different color, and I do have some lovely Manos languishing in my stash…
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