Fermina Daza, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera, was a refined, stately woman who lived a life marked by impossible love. Knit in a sumptuous blend of merino, silk and alpaca, this luxurious wrap intertwines the elegance of the finest fabric with chains of delicate stitches that echo the tragic and hopeful tale of forever linked lovers.

Fermina is worked flat and seamed. The back panel is worked from the bottom up, and the two front panels are shaped using short rows. Short sleeves are worked bottom-up and set in after closing the side seams, allowing the wearer to be securely enveloped in the soft glow and shine of the opulent, richly textured fabric.

Notions:

• US size 2,5 / 3 mm knitting needles (or size to obtain correct gauge)
• 2 stitch markers
• contrasting waste yarn

Skills needed:

• Jeny’s Stretchy Slipknot Cast-On
• Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off
• working short rows in method of choice
• shaping while continuing established pattern
• seaming with mattress stitch
• setting in sleeves with backstitch

Yarn:

See table in photos for required amounts per size. Sample knitted in Mirasol Yarn Sulka Legato (1.76 oz / 50 g, 247 yd / 251 m, 60% merino, 20% silk, 20% alpaca) in Mountain Mist. Substitute with any light fingering weight yarn CYCA#0 with a similar fiber content to provide drape.

Sizing notes:

Sizes: 28 (32, 35, 40, 44, 48, 51)“ / 71 (81,5, 89, 101,5, 112, 122, 129,5) cm bust size. Sample shown in
size 35 on a 35” / 89 cm bust. Choose your size based on table in photos. If you are between sizes, choose the smaller size.