Hello again!
I’m ready to “up my game” with my knitting and take on a project more complex than a scarf/blanket! I’m thinking about doing a simple sweater, and thought perhaps someone might have a pattern for a women’s v-neck sweater vest? I would like to knit something very plain, no cables or elaborate stitching at this point.
And I guess I had better learn how to join fronts and backs of things!
thanks for any input!
tdc
I’m doing the above linked ‘leftovers vest’ from knitty at the moment and so far it’s been a well written, easy to follow pattern. I’d recommend it.
What size did you make? I have a 40" bust, but it says the finished size on the vest would be 38". When I pull my tape measure that small it seems so tight. If I go up one size then the finished measurement would be 42" which I think would be to loose. I am having a hard time deciding which size I should make because I would like it to be a little fitted, but I’m not sure if it was 38" I could even get it on. :shrug:
I hummed and hawed about the size too. I am a 36" bust, actually probably a bit more than that, and a D cup so I was very anxious about making the 36" size because it only finished at 34". I understand that it’s supposed to be snug fitting but I didn’t want it so tight at the bust that the knitting had to stretch out in order to fit. I’m not one for super tight clothes to begin with but I still wanted it to be flattering. So I decided on the next size up, the one that finishes at 38". I’ve been nervous about it all along but now that I’m finished the entire back and the front up to the armholes and can measure it, I see that my gauge was a bit tighter overall than when I did my swatch and it actually measures about 36" across at the chest which will be just right for me. It’s too bad though that there aren’t a few more in between sizes.
holy smackers, that pattern looks hard! but I guess I have to start somewhere. After all, I can’t just knit blankets, hats and scarves for the rest of my life! Anybody have a recommendation of what a good starter intermediate project might be to prepare me for this very cool vneck vest? Thanks!
I think you knit this in the round all the way up to the armpits and the only seaming you have is the shoulders. I don’t think it looks that hard, you can do it. 
It’s not hard! If you know how to cast on, bind off, increase/decrease, and knit in the round, you can do it!! The hardest part is going to be all the weaving in of ends from the colour changes :teehee:
I’ve had this very simple vest pattern bookmarked for quite awhile:
Oh, and check through these patterns, for inspiration if nothing else. You can also up the skill level to intermediate if the patterns are too simple for you.
http://www.berroco.com/skill_fr/fr_easy_01.html
After knitting two scarves and a hat I tackled a turtleneck (the pattern called Doreen from the easy list) and it turned out wonderfully. So if you like the pattern, that is also a possibility.
If you wonder about size, try measuring a sweater that you already have whose fit you like and seeing what that measures to. I always prefer to knit something smaller than my actual bust size.
I plan on knitting this in one color, so I won’t have that many ends to weave in. :happydance:
It would be great in a solid colour too, and you’re right, very few ends to weave in! I’ll post a pic of what I have so far this afternoon.
This is what I have so far. As you can see the back is finished, and I’m almost finished the right front as well. Then just the left front, neck and armbands, and weave in all of those evil ends (which you can see some of on the pic) :shock:
That looks so good :cheering: Did you double strand for the ribbing like the pattern calls for?
Oh yeah, I was going to mention that…I didn’t, at first. I did a single strand with the same needle that I was going to use for the rest (size 6). I felt that the double strand would be too bulky for my liking, but the single strand did NOT look good. The cast on # of stitches accounts for that extra bulk and larger needle size for the ribbing, so if you don’t do it the lower edge will be way too small. I didn’t want to take all that I’d done apart so I inserted a needle into a destination row on one of my lower stripes and from there worked back down to the bottom edge with a double strand for the ribbing and a size 8 needle. I do NOT recommend doing it this way though, I’d say do the double strand right from the start like the pattern says and it will look great. I’m very happy with it now.
I just finished the right front and joined the right shoulder. I’ll get the left front done this evening and then the majority of the actual knitting will be done!! :happydance:
I’m still waiting on my knitpicks order so I can start this vest :nails: How bulky is the bottom? because I wasn’t going to double strand this part, but now you say it doesn’t work unless you double strand.
If you don’t double strand you will have to make your cast on larger. If you read the pattern closely, for example in the third size which is the one that I made, the original cast on for the ribbing is 144sts, and by the time the ribbing is finished you are up to 180sts when you start using a single strand. The smaller cast on takes into account the bulkier knit and the larger needle size. Make sure you consider that if you decide to single strand. If I was going to single strand the ribbing I think I’d start off by casting on 180sts (for the size I made).
The ribbing is bulky, but it seems to suit the pattern.
In The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd there is a vest pattern where you enter your gauge (3 to 7 sts/inch) and size 36 to 54 inches and the pattern is calculated for you, and you can do V-neck with different edgings (ribbing, rolled, etc.)
would it work to only hold one strand, but still use the bigger needle size? :shrug: I’m not sure I could figure out the math from going from the ribbing to the rest of the vest.