Inspired by 1950s style shrugs and brought up to date with crisp stitches and pretty detailing, the Betty Bolero is the perfect little spring to summer cover-up. Worked up in beautiful Blacker Lyonesse - a blend of linen and wool - it has everything: drape, structure, and softness. Dress it up over a slinky dress, or throw it on over a stripey tee and team with jeans for a casual look.

Materials
4mm (G/6) crochet hook, or as required to obtain gauge
scissors
wool needle
stitch markers
Yarn: Blacker Lyonesse DK (110m per 50g ball; 50% Falklands wool, 50% linen); child 4 (4, 4, 5) balls in Tourmaline; adult 6 (6, 7, 8) balls in Moonstone

Yarn alternatives
This pattern is very versatile any can be made in any DK fibre, depending on desired warmth. For example, a DK merino would be wonderfully soft and appropriate to mid-season weather or cooler summer evenings, while a 100% cotton would give structure without the warmth - perfect for a summer’s day. The wool-linen blend used in the sample is somewhere in between.

Gauge
16 sts x 10 rows = 10cm measured over htc in BLO

Construction
The Betty bolero is worked flat, starting at one sleeve and finishing at the other. After seaming up the sleeves, the ribbed collar is worked directly into the selvedge edge (see step-by-step tutorial for ribbing: http://www.emmyandlien.com/blog/tutorial-crochet-ribbing-htc-slip-stitch). The sleeves are then finished with a bobble trim.

Sizing
2-4Y (4-6Y, 6-8Y, 8-10Y, S, M, L, XL) / to fit actual chest measurement 53 (58.5, 63.5, 67, 71, 81-86, 91.5-96.5, 101.5-106.5, 111.5-117) cm
This bolero is designed to be worn with 1-3.5cm positive ease. To work out which size to make, take your actual chest measurement and divide by two, then choose the closest finished measurement. For a looser shrug with more coverage, size up and/or extend the collar. Check your gauge to ensure the right fit.