Easy Knit Vests are Officially My Favorite

I went a long time without knitting a vest or wearing a vest. I don’t really know why, because once I had one knit vest (which only ended up being a vest because I was too lazy to knit sleeves for it) I wanted ALL the knit vests.

Aside from the joy of not having to knit sleeves, which is substantial, vests are obviously a great way to add a layer to keep your body warm.

I have been known to wear a long-sleeved shirt with a vest, with a sweater on top of that (or vice-versa) to maximize that extra layer since I’m always cold.

As I type this I’m wearing my version of KnitCroAddict’s knit sweater vest, which is a super simple, super bulky cropped vest.

I seriously knit this project in a few hours over a weekend and it is so cozy and nice I want to make more of them, and longer versions, too (I did make mine a couple of rows longer than hers, and used a crocheted edging instead of ribbing).

Grab the free pattern from KnitCroAddict. And share your favorite knit vests! I want to make them all.

[Photo: KnitCroAddict.]

Looking for more Vest patterns to knit? Check out these Vest Knitting patterns on Etsy and these designs on the Sirdar Website.

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Once you get past the rush of the holidays, it’s time to focus on yourself and your home and what’s going to make you feel good for the rest of winter. For me, that’s having a homemade blanket in every room. I’m currently working on a granny stitch crochet blanket, but I wanted to share some cozy knit blanket patterns with you in case you’re on the lookout for something great to knit yourself or someone you love.

I have really been enjoying log cabin projects lately because they’re a great way to use stash and I love the connections between knitting and quilting. This log cabin scrap blanket pattern is free from Very Pink, and it includes a video tutorial if you haven’t done log cabin knitting before. It’s worked in garter stitch and has blocks that are connected by borders in a single color.

Speaking of scrap busting (since that’s on my mind all the time, but particularly when New Year’s resolution time rolls around), the Hue Shift Afghan by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence is worked in a huge array of colors in garter stitch mitered squares. The pattern has options for working with sport weight or worsted weight yarn, and the blanket is worked in quarters and then sewn together, but the individual squares in each section are worked off each other for minimal finishing. Get the pattern from Knit Picks.

If you’re looking for an easy pattern that has a lot of texture, this quilted knit throw from Mama in a Stitch is a great choice. It uses chunky yarn in a single color to make a simple knit and purl pattern that looks like diamonds. The designer notes that a lighter colored yarn is helpful for making the stitch pattern stand out, but you can try whatever color you like.

Or go even simpler with the Bella Vita blanket from Christaco Design. This one uses super bulky yarn (or make it a stash buster by holding two strands of worsted weight yarn together). The pattern has a seed stitch border and allover knit and purl pattern, and includes sizes from baby blanket to California king.

If instead you want a project that will challenge you and occupy your mind as well as your needles, try the Aran texture cable afghan knitting pattern from Pattern Professionals. This gorgeous design features panels of cables and other textured stitches, and the pattern is originally form the 1970s. It uses worsted weight yarn and each pattern strip is worked individually and sewn together (though you could combine them into one big panel if you’d rather).

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