Girls Bolero Knitting Pattern (K3086)
📥📬 Available as Digital Download or Printed Copy (choose option below)
Girls Bolero Knitting Pattern – K3086
Curved fronts, short sleeves and a rolled edge give this cropped bolero its shape. Naturally K3086 uses New Zealand Possum Fusion 4ply, photographed in shade 801, with a choice of ribbon ties or separately knitted ties at the front.
Construction and skills
The back, fronts and sleeves are knitted flat from the bottom up and sewn together. A continuous band is picked up around the lower back, curved fronts and neckline, worked in ribbing and finished with stocking stitch for the rolled edge. The short sleeves have matching ribbed and rolled edges.
Suggested skill level: intermediate. Techniques include increasing and decreasing while shaping the fronts and armholes, shoulder shaping, picking up a long edging, ribbing and seaming. Read the making-up instructions before joining the band seams so the rolled edges sit neatly.
Sizes and finished measurements
Choose by chest measurement; ages are a guide. Measurements below are in centimetres. The sleeve-seam figure refers to the short underarm seam, not the full sleeve-cap depth.
| Age | To fit chest | Finished chest | Length to shoulder | Sleeve seam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6–12 months | 46 | 50 | 20 | 2.5 |
| 1–2 years | 51 | 56 | 23 | 2.5 |
| 3–4 years | 56 | 61 | 27 | 2.5 |
| 4–5 years | 61 | 67 | 29 | 2.5 |
| 6–7 years | 66 | 73 | 33 | 2.5 |
Yarn requirements
Use New Zealand Possum Fusion 4ply, worked with a single strand. Approximate allowances below cover one bolero and use 155 m per 50 g.
| Age | One bolero (m) |
|---|---|
| 6–12 months | 310 |
| 1–2 years | 310 |
| 3–4 years | 465 |
| 4–5 years | 465 |
| 6–7 years | 620 |
Tension
28 stitches and 36 rows over 10 cm in stocking stitch on 3.25 mm needles. Wash and dry a swatch before measuring, and adjust needle size if needed to match the pattern tension.
Needles and notions
- 2.75 mm and 3.25 mm knitting needles.
- A 2.75 mm circular needle for the continuous edging, worked back and forth.
- 50 cm of ribbon for ribbon ties, or follow the optional knitted-tie instructions.
- A stitch holder and tapestry needle for finishing.
Pattern format
📥📬 Available as Digital Download or Printed Copy (choose option below).
Choose Digital PDF – Emailed or Printed Pattern – Posted. This purchase is the Naturally pattern only; yarn, needles and other materials are sold separately.
Frequently asked questions
Are buttons needed?
No. The pattern offers ribbon ties or two knitted ties at the front opening.
Is the edging knitted separately?
No. It is picked up around the hem, front edges and neckline after joining the shoulders and one side seam.
Does using a circular needle mean the bolero is knitted in the round?
No. The pieces and continuous edging are worked flat. The circular needle accommodates the large number of edging stitches.
