Knitted Colourful Bolero

Oh, a knitted colorful bolero sounds like a delightful addition to any wardrobe! Just imagine how it could bring a pop of joy to any outfit with its vibrant hues. The intricacy of the knitting design must be truly impressive, showcasing the skill and dedication that went into creating such a charming piece of clothing. It's the perfect mix of cozy and stylish, ideal for adding some extra flair to your ensemble. Wearing a knitted colorful bolero is sure to turn heads and spread some cheer wherever you go!

Materials

• 3 ply yarn: 1 oz in main shade (M) plus 1oz each in 5 different shades of the same wool, or odd balls of different colours to make up this amount.
• [Editor's note: Looking at the photo and instructions, presumably one of these colours needs to be white.]
• Pair each No 10 (3¼mm) and No 12 (2¾mm) needles.

Tension

32 stitches to 4 ins on No 10 (3¼mm) needles.

Size matters

• To fit chest 33-35 inches;
• length from top of shoulders: 18½ inches;
• sleeve seam: 5½ inches.

Abbreviations

• Twist A: Knit into back of 2nd stitch on left-hand needle, then knit into front of 1st stitch, drop both stitches off needle together.
• Twist B: Knit into front of 2nd stitch on left needle, then knit into front of 1st stitch on left needle, slip both off together.
• k2tog or p2tog: work 2 sts together to decrease.

Instructions.

Instructions for one size.

The pattern stitches are given below.

Try out a piece of the pattern for practice by casting on 24 stitches.

Pattern:

1st row (wrong side facing): Purl.

2nd row: * k2, p4, k1, p4; repeat from * ending row k2.

3rd row: p2, * k4, p1, k4, p2; repeat from * to end.

4th row: k1, * twist A, p3, k1, p3, twist B; repeat from *, ending k1.

5th row: p3, * k3, p1, k3, p4; repeat from * all along, ending p3.

6th row: * k2, twist A, p2, k1, p2, twist B; repeat from * ending k2.

7th row: p4, * k2, p1, k2, ending p6; repeat from *, ending row p4.

8th row: k3, * twist A, p1, k1, p1, twist B, k. 4; repeat from *, ending k3.

9th row: p5, * k1, p1, k1, p8; repeat from *, ending p5.

10th row: k4, * twist A, k1, twist B, k6, repeat from *, ending k4.

Change to white yarn.

11th row: purl.

12th row: knit.

Repeat these 12 rows throughout.

Back

The bolero is knitted sideways.

With No 10 (3¼mm) needles, cast on 90 stitches and work 5 rows of the pattern.

Now increase at the beginning of the next and end of every following row at this side until there are 108 stitches, and 23 rows are done.

On to the end of this row cast on 37 stitches to complete the armhole shaping.

Work straight until 2 more complete patterns are done, and then work 1 row of the next pattern, which brings you back to the top of the shoulder.

Cast off 16 stitches for the back neck insert (to be knitted later).

Finish this pattern and work 5 more patterns, and then 9 rows of 6th.

At the beginning of the 10th row cast on 16 stitches, and then finish the shoulder to correspond with first side, casting off 37 for the armhole and decreasing on every row thereafter until 90 stitches remain.

Finish off with 5 rows straight.

There are 15 patterns in total across the back, omitting the last 2-row white stripe.

Left front

Work as for back, but cast off 26 instead of 16 stitches on the shoulder.

Then work straight, finishing this pattern and 3 more, but omit the last white stripe.

Cast off.

Right front

Work to correspond with left front.

[Editor's note: They are assuming rather a lot here and expect you will work this out for yourself. You could continue to work the in the same sideways direction: as you have just cast off at the centre front, so you could cast on for the right front at the centre front which would mean casting on 119 stitches - then casting on 26 at the shoulder, and completing the shaping as you did for the back.

Or,

You could work exactly as you did for the left front but reversing all the shapings - so you would be doing the armhole increasing at the end of the rows and you would cast on the 37 stitches at the same edge and casting off the 26 stitches at this same edge.]

Neck Ribbing

Join back and front shoulder seams.

With No 10 (3¼mm) needles, and front of work facing, pick up and knit 80 stitches across the back of the neck. Work in k1/p1 rib, decreasing at each end of every alternate row 5 times.

Change to No 12 (2¾mm) needles and continue in rib, decreasing as before until 48 stitches remain. Cast off fairly tightly in rib.

For each front section pick up and knit 44 stitches in the same way, and decrease 5 times on alternate rows at the side edge before changing to No 12 needles. Then decrease as before until 22 stitches remain.

Cast off in rib.

For each shoulder piece pick up and knit 42 stitches across each shoulder and then shape as for back, casting off the remaining 10 stitches.

[Editor's note: It may or may not be obvious here but you are knitting on the sides of a rectangle here and decreasing towards the middle; when you sew these together you will have mitred corners - you can just see this in the photograph.]

Front Borders

With No 12 (2¾mm) needles, cast on 13 stitches and work a length of k1/p1 rib long enough to go up the left front.

Work a piece the same for the right front, but make 3 buttonholes: one in the 3rd row from the top, and the remaining 2 at one inch intervals.

To make a buttonhole: rib 5, cast off 3, rib 5; on the next row cast on 3 over those cast off in the previous row.

Continue strip for the length required, then cast off in rib.

Sleeves

Worked sideways in pattern.

With No 10 (3¼mm) needles cast on 13.

1st row: Pattern to end.

2nd row: Increase in 1st stitch, pattern to end.

3rd row: Cast on 4, pattern to end.

Repeat 2nd and 3rd rows 3 times more.

10th row: As 2nd.

11th row: Cast on 17, pattern to end.

12th row: Increase in 1st stitch, pattern to end.

13th row: Pattern to last stitch, work twice into this.

Repeat 12th and 13th rows 15 times more, then the 12th row again.

There are now 84 stitches on the needle and 44 rows have been done.

Work the next 42 rows straight in pattern.

87th row: Pattern to the last 2 stitches, k2tog.

88th row: k2tog, pattern to end.

Repeat 87th and 88th rows 15 times more, then 87th row again.

119 rows have now been done, and there are 51 stitches on the needle.

120th row: k2tog, pattern to end.

121st row: Cast off 17, pattern to end.

122nd row: k2tog , pattern to end.

123rd row: Cast off 4, pattern to end.

Repeat 122nd and 123rd rows 3 times more, leaving 13 stitches on the needle.

Work 1 row in pattern; cast off.

This finishes the 11th coloured stripe.

Making Up

Press work lightly on wrong side under a damp cloth.

Sew together side and sleeve seams; insert sleeves.

Sew on buttons.

Join ribbing at corners neatly before stitching front strips to edge.