Ruffles for Apolline Complete

Pattern: Bolero Cardigan #1992 (Sirdar)

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima Cotton

Color: 3728 (white)

Needles: Circular - 4.5 mm and 3.75 mm

 

I could have finished the project in half the time but I made a number of modifications on this little bolero as I went along. I changed the location of increases and decreases - bringing them all one stitch in from the edge of the garment. I found it made a much neater finish along the fronts and back when it came time to pick up stitches for the ruffle.

I had a hard time sewing the little shoulder seams together. They were originally cast off in steps. So I did a little research, frogged the shoulders back to the start of the cast off rows, knit them using a short row approach, following Nancie Wiseman's technique in The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques, and attached the fronts and back using a three needle bind off.

 

This is the first time I have used the Ultra Pima cotton and I really like it. Heather, at Have A Yarn, is always most helpful and tells me that she can order any number of other colors so I can see more little cotton cardigans in the future!

 

Cotton has drawbacks - it is not as elastic as wool and therefore doesn't have the memory. The ends are a little harder to weave in. But cotton is sometimes a good choice for these little French girls, who have warmer weather much longer than we do here in Canada.