Designer Notes: Bella Paquita will be cherished as both sexy and endlessly wearable. The ribbing is form fitting as well as elongating, great for short waisted women. Work the piece without any shaping below the empire waist if you don’t wish to draw too much attention to your belly. As originally knit, this piece can be worn off the shoulder, or it can be worn on the shoulders with the lace flipped open like a shall collar.

Pattern Description from MarnieMacLean.com: “Made from Paco, a beautiful cotton/alpaca blend, Bella Paquita will be cherished as both sexy and endlessly wearable. The ribbing is form fitting as well as elongating, great for short waisted women. Work the piece without any shaping below the empire waist if you don’t wish to draw too much attention to your belly. In fact, my hope is that the provided charts will allow you dive into a little bit of alteration all on your own, making this project more about inspiration than about replication. Charts can seem intimidating, but actually give you a great amount of flexibility. You can work any portion from the top down, bottom up, in the round, or in separate pieces. I’ll outline my method for creating the piece but you should feel free to go your own route.

Make sure you read through the end section that covers the final lace treatment. Small darts are placed at the shoulder seams to get the lace to sit just right. If you are really ambitious, you could acheive the same effect with short rows.“

Supplies:

• 650 700, 800, 900 yards of Paco yarn
• US #7 Circular needles (24” length)
• Stitch Markers
• Tapestry needle
• Blocking supplies

Yarn Substitution: Paco is about a worsted weight blend of alpaca and cotton. Any smooth, tightly spun wool blend or yarn with some memory and/or natural stretch, should suffice. I would recommend a yarn like Aurora 8 or Rowan Calmer, depending on your climate and preference.

Sizing

• Small (Medium, Large, X-Large)
• Bust: 34¼ (37½, 39¼, 42¾)“
• Waist: 26½ (29, 31, 34½)“
• Hips: 37½ (41, 43, 46½)“
• Length: 26 (26½, 27½, 28½)“