The construction is quite interesting as the main piece and sleeves are knitted all in one, the sleeves are integral and not set in. Sadly I didn't take a photo of it at this stage but it really didn't look like much at all except for a bit of a sad rag and I wondered how it would ever be a beautiful garment. Once the sleeve cuffs were sewn up and the sleeves were formed and sewn it began to look much better. The final stage was to knit the band of ribbing which goes all the way around the bolero, giving it shape and structure. This is not many rows of knitting but is over 200 hundred stitches! I was very pleased when that bit was done as each row seemed to take an age!
So this is what it looks like from the front, I borrowed the mannequin in my friend's lovely haberdashery, Ribbon Circus to model it. The mannequin is currently wearing my 1940's trimly tailored jacket which is for sale.
I have to admit here that this bolero isn't mine! After I knitted mine my Mum also made one and somehow I didn't photograph the front of mine. But, I did photograph the front of Mums so here it is!
I knitted mine in Sublime extra fine merino double knit in dusty pink. It is a beautiful colour, the wool had a good stitch definition, is great to work with and importantly is very soft indeed.
This one is mine, this is the back view. It is a lovely pattern and it is shaped nicely around the small of the back. It is a size small.
The side view showing the neat ribbed cuff.
It looks so tiny when it is flat! This is a close up of the stitch detail and also shows my label. These two boleros were made for sale. The kind and lovely owner of Lucy and the Caterpillar, a vintage boutique, has put them in her shop. She has a dressmaking label, Lucille, for which she makes delightful vintage inspired dresses. The boleros pair up really prettily with them.
How exciting, this is the pink one in among the Lucille dresses. So gorgeous!
