A Super Bulky Vest to Knit and Wear Right Away

In 2022 for Christmas I got myself a mystery yarn grab bag from Lion Brand Yarn, and in it were a couple of skeins of super bulky yarn. Because it was almost the beginning of the year and I was trying to challenge myself to use my stash, I knit it up right away into a hat and a little vest.

(This year I bought myself the yarn to make Linger from Knitty’s Deep Fall issue. Can’t wait to cast on.)

If I were using that yarn again I’d still make a vest but it would probably be Vest is Best from Crafts Everywhere.

This cozy, boxy, hooded vest has a kangaroo pocket (this time of year I want pockets in everything) and is super quick and easy to knit. I almost wrote “to knit and wear this weekend” in the headline, but I don’t know when you’re reading this or how fast you knit, but it should still be on and back off your needles pretty fast.

The pattern comes in five sizes and uses US 19 (that’s 15 mm) knitting needles. It’s rated for intermediate knitters, but it would be a good first garment project if you’ve never knit a sweater or vest before. It’s worked from the bottom up in the round to the armholes (which are really deep so actually a lot of it is worked flat), then you seam the shoulders and work the ribbing around the armholes in the round. The hood is worked flat with ribbing added after the hood is worked. The pocket is worked flat and sewn on. And the drawstring can be I-cord or whatever else you’d like to use.

It’s meant to be worn with 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) of positive ease, which is perfect for wearing over a long-sleeved shirt or a light sweater.

You can get the pattern from Crafts Everywhere on Etsy.

[Photo: Crafts Everywhere]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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