(aka: what i thought it was going to be and how it set me straight.)
my original sketch for piexe looked like this.
see the front darts (there were to be back darts, too) and the long front ties?
since alison and i were given the theme ‘glittering fish’,
i decided to let the patterns all be inspired
in one way or another by the sea
or tropical fish and their habitats under the waves.
i picked ‘arco iris’ in malbrigo’s silky merino inspired by this undersea shot.
then began
the swatch
and it was
quickly clear
that the fabulous colors of the yarn
were going to carry the bolero
nearly on their own.
most shaping,
and nearly all fancy finger work
would be lost
in the wonderful undertow
of this colorway.
and the yarn won (it usually does).
so the original idea
transformed into less fussy
and perhaps ultimately more versatile
(hate to admit it, but the yarn was right).
bottom pic courtesy of in the loop.