Short Sleeved Bolero

My Mother's Day gift to my mom this year was her choice of handmade items. I know its a lame way to get out of having to pick something myself, but my mom is hard to buy for! We talked a bit and she decided to go with a bolero style jacket. I emailed her a link to several that looked good to me and she picked the Short Sleeve Bolero by Lisa Gentry of Hook and Needle Designs.

The pattern was written as a side-to-side, starting from the left sleeve and working toward the right. This was the first time I had done this type of construction and really enjoyed only having 2 seams to sew when I was done! Its a good thing I did a gauge swatch because I had to go down two hook sizes to get the right gauge! I'm sure its mainly because I'm a very loose crocheter. The pattern was good, the fit was exact, but I made a few adjustments as the right and left side weren't exact mirror images. Maybe its the math-lover in me, but that just didn't seem right.... things must be symmetrical! So I "fixed" it so to speak. I also added my own little adjustments and seamed using a double crochet/space technique so the seam is virtually invisible and it adds a little breathing room. I really liked the edging on the piece... simple shells that really made the whole thing look elegant. I did, however, opt to leave off the gold thread that was supposed to go on the edging as I felt it was kind of gaudy (at least for the intended wearer!).

I couldn't find the yarn that was suggested in any of my local stores and I didn't want to wait for mail delivery or pay extra for rush shipping so I substituted Lion Brand Cotton Ease (cotton/acrylic mix). I really liked the feel of it, and hopefully it will make a long-lasting piece. It took me 3 skeins of the Cotton Ease to make a size L.

We took a weekend trip to Kings Island amusement park the day after I bought the yarn and I spent several hours each way working the pattern. That plus a few hours the next two days finished it up! Overall a quick and satisfying project :) I couldn't help but include this super cute pic of my kiddos enjoying our little getaway!