My bullfighter bolero, inspired by Dolce & Gabbano’s Spanish-inspired collection, is cropped but can be lengthened by knitting a cummerbund. Mostly Merino is a wool and mohair blend which creates beautiful sculptural cables. The set is meant to create a stir. The close fitting bolero is worked in pieces with shaping and then sewn together, while the sleeves are knitted in the round.

Sizes: S (M, L)
Finished Measurements:
Bust: 90 (94, 99) cm/35.5 (37, 39)“
Waist: 73 (77, 81) cm/28.75 (30.25, 32)” Length: 39 (40, 41) cm/15.25 (15.75,16.25)“ Sleeve length: 50 cm/19.75”
Cummerbund: Length: 64 (68, 73) cm/25.25 (26.75, 28.75)” can be stretched to 75 (79, 84) cm/29.5, (31, 33)“
Height: 13 cm/5”

Yarn:
Mostly Merino Light/Sport weight (77% merino/fine wool, 23% mohair, 55 g, 228 m/250 yds), sample is knitted in October: 8 (9) 9 skeins: 1742 (1876, 2010) m/1905 (2052, 2198) yds for the set.
Bolero: 1492 (1606, 1720) m/1632 (1756, 1881) yds
Cummerbund: 250 (270, 290) m/273 (295, 317) yds.
The yarn has been discontinued but can but can be replaced by Hifa Norsk Pelsull 6.5 (7.5) 8 skeins (100% Norwegian pelt wool, 100 g, 260 m/284 yds)

Alternative yarns:
Kauni Wool 8/2 Solids (100% wool, 150 g, 600 m/656 yds)
http://www.kauni.com/en/yarn/wool-100-8-2
Madeline Tosh Pashmina (75% merino, 15% silk, 10% cashmere, 100 g, 329 m/360 yds)
http://madelinetosh.com/store/index.php/yarns/pashmina.html
Cascade 220 Sport (100% wool, 50 g, 150 m/164 yds)
http://www.cascadeyarns.com/cascade-220Sport.asp
Or another Sport/5-ply yarn

Notions:
5 buttons 15 mm/0.5” for cummerbund
12 cm/4.75” brass thread for I-cord on Front Panels
Cable needle, 2 stitch markers, and yarn needle

Needles:
3 mm/US 2.5 circular needle (80 cm/32”)
3 mm/US 2.5 DPNs for sleeves
2 2.5 mm/US 1.5 DPNs for I-cord band on front panels and button loops. Adjust needle sizes as needed to match gauge.

Gauge:
24 sts and 36 rnd in rev st st measures 10 cm/4” square.
30 sts in Large Basket measures 8 cm/3.25” across.
28 sts in Woven Cable measures 7 cm/2.75” across.

Notes: The Bolero is made to be close fitting. The fronts should only meet but not overlap. The body is worked flat in pieces and seamed. Each front has a front panel and a bottom band that is knitted separately and attached at the end. The applied I-cord on top of each front panel has a short piece of brass thread inserted to help it lay flat. The sleeves are worked in the round to the armhole, then back and forth to the end of the saddle shoulder. The cummerbund is intended to fit tightly so it will stay in place, and not roll. It is closed with buttons and a cord is made to close the gap created by the button loops. You can easily adjust the width of the cummerbund by adding or removing pattern repeats.