Valley Yarns Square Bolero Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Square Bolero

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Square Bolero is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed as a simple, elegant layering piece. This bolero features a distinctive square construction that creates a doubled rectangular fabric measuring approximately 30 inches wide by 24 inches long. When finished and folded, it transforms into a wearable garment with open armholes, making it perfect for wearing over other pieces. The design was created by Kirsten Hipsky and offers a modern, minimalist approach to cardigan construction.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs worked flat construction, meaning the entire piece is knitted in rows on straight needles rather than in the round. The bolero uses a seamed finishing method, with strategic seaming at the sides to create the armhole openings and shape the garment. A key technique throughout this project is holding yarn doubled, which means two strands of yarn are worked simultaneously to create a thicker, more substantial fabric. The pattern requires careful yarn management—the single skein must be wound into a center-pull ball so both the outside and inside ends can be used at the same time, or alternatively wound into two separate balls of equal size.

Stitches Used

The Valley Yarns Square Bolero is constructed using a simple k5, p5 ribbing pattern, which means five knit stitches alternated with five purl stitches throughout. This ribbing pattern is repeated row after row to create the entire fabric. The ribbed texture provides both visual interest and elasticity to the finished garment. The pattern begins with a cast-on of 150 stitches and continues until the piece reaches approximately 24 inches in length, at which point the stitches are bound off very loosely to maintain the fabric's natural drape and flexibility.

Materials

• Yarn: One skein of Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk Hand-Dyed in the colorway Pansies (80% Alpaca / 20% Silk blend, 865 yards per 4 ounces). The yarn is held doubled throughout the project, requiring careful planning for yarn management.
• Needles: US size 9 (5.50mm) straight needles or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge
• Gauge: 18 stitches equal 4 inches when worked in k5, p5 ribbing with yarn held doubled

Construction Details

The finishing process is straightforward but requires precision. After binding off, the fabric is folded in half so that the bind-off and cast-on edges align on top of each other, creating a doubled rectangle. From these folded edges, measurements of approximately 4 inches are marked on both short sides. These outer 4-inch sections are then sewn shut, while the center 16 inches remain open to form the armholes. This clever construction method transforms a simple rectangular knitted piece into a functional bolero without requiring complex shaping during the knitting process itself.