Sublime “The Big Frill” Bolero

Knitting progress is slow 🙁

Decorating progress is good 🙂

The paint is dry, the radiator is back on and kicking out much needed heat, furniture and junk back in the room. I am no longer in painty poo clothes and covered head to toe with dust – deep joy.

The room looks 100 times better 🙂 All I need to do now is make the curtains and nets…

A good time to show off another of my “pre-blog” knits!

This is “The Big Frill” from Sublime’s “The Sublime Merino Hand Knit Book”


and me wearing it, against my freshly painted wall!

….and yes, it is the picture on the cover of the pattern book …again…:oops:


I saw this made up at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace Oct 2006. I was so taken with it I bought the kit right there and then. Quite impulsive for me!

This is definitely one of my favourite knitted things to wear – looks super with jeans! It really does come out like the picture in the book (minus the hat…..

The yarn is extra fine merino double knit. It was a super yarn to work with. I had just competed a garment in Rowan’s tapestry which I found very splitty. This was a dream in comparison. Even, well defined stitches, no splitting, soft and snuzzley and warm.


Picking up the stitches for the huge frill was a bit of a slog but worth it to see the sea monster like frilly bits emerge…

The pattern was well written too. Ideal if you were a new knitter. I particularly liked the, “…work until 46cms., At correct tension, this should be 15 rows”. Always nice to have that comfort feeling that your tension is spot on!

The downside to this was that the given yarn amounts were wrong! (for me anyways)

When I got to the (huge) frill I ran out of the red, the lime green and the cream. (The cream running out was probably my fault as I’d done one less row of green and an extra cream row to try and eek out the green – it didn’t work! )

I was very very miffed! I treble checked my tension and it was perfect and on the given needle size. I’m lucky that I usually knit to tension given – don’t you just hate me??

I shouldn’t have needed extra balls until the 42″ bust size – I was doing the 34″…

I wrote to Sirdar (who make Sublime) explaining my predicament but I really didn’t hold out much hope so I rummaged around all my local shops and managed to get the odd balls – surprisingly with success!

Sirdar then came up trumps and sent me the extra balls I needed – they had even taken the trouble to find the right dyelot. I was very impressed. Well done Sirdar!!

I now have load of colours in my ever growing Stash!! Or I did until Mewsley decided she wanted a matching cardi. 😯

Completed Knit Report

Name The Big Frill
Pattern Merino had knit book
Yarn Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool Double Knit
Pattern problems Ran out of Red, green and cream – other than that – super pattern
Pattern modifications none
Washing and wearing Not washed yet – beautiful to wear, warm and snuzzely except for the open front! Sleeve frills are not good for cooking and gas hobs though!
Knit it again? Probably not, only because I think the frilly edge look is going to date.
Difficulty Easy

5 Responses

  1. Maggie
    Maggie February 8, 2007 at 11:21 pm | | Reply

    What a beautiful knit! I love it and I think they should exchange the photo on the pattern for yours. You look beautiful in it. The freshly painted wall absolutely accentuates it.

  2. Marie
    Marie February 21, 2007 at 9:03 pm | | Reply

    This looks wonderful & I agree with Maggie you should definitely be the model it looks great with your colouring!!

  3. Patricia Nibbs
    Patricia Nibbs March 6, 2007 at 10:53 am | | Reply

    Hi Susan

    Your garment is gorgeous and beautifully knitted. Sometimes the simple patterns are more effective than the more complicated ones.

    Regards
    Patricia

  4. CAROLYN
    CAROLYN February 20, 2008 at 6:32 am | | Reply

    hi! you’re sweater looks great!
    I am currently making this same sweater. I have enjoyed it so far….but have never done a ‘frill’. Can you explain what they mean when they say to k1,p1,k1 into the same stitch? I emailed sublime for help, but haven’t heard back from them.
    thank you!
    carolyn

  5. Bronwyn
    Bronwyn June 17, 2009 at 4:18 am | | Reply

    Your bolero looks terrific – did you knit the frill separately and sew it on or pick up the stitches and knit it straight on to the garment – would love the directions for the frill to adapt to a bolero I am knitting at the moment but can’t find the book here – any chance of emailing the pattern to me –
    Thanks
    Bronwyn

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