I want to make a man’s vest with some wool left over from another project. I can’t find a pattern I like. I’m wondering if I can’t just draw my own pattern and borrow some of the details - decreases for arm holes, neck shaping, for example - from patterns for other sweaters I have knit. Any suggestions? Would this be more complicated than I think?
Thanks
Rebecca
I think it’s always better to work from a pattern, but I have made children’s clothing without a pattern. What sort of pattern are you looking for, v-neck, button-up, or round neck?
Sure that would work. You may want the armholes slightly larger than for a sweater so you can work a band around them. Otherwise, just follow a sweater pattern you like.
I want to make a button-up, with a length just past the waist. Ribbing at the bottom, but I want the vest to hang pretty straight down. A band around the arm holes. I haven’t decided about the neck, but I want the buttons to go up high (don’t know how else to describe).
Then look for a crew neck cardigan pattern and just leave the sleeves off. You’d probably want to make a size that has less ease than for a cardigan.
I recently made a vest from a unisex pattern that you might like. It was the Artisan’s Vest in the Green Mountain Spinnery Knitting Book. I made it from Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool and the buttons were from caribou. It was in ribbing of k4p1 all over with seed stitch border on the bottom, a v neck, five buttons and a single crochet edge around the armholes and neck. It turned out very well and was not too difficult.