Twist Your Stitches for a Fun Vest Knitting Pattern

In the past few years I’ve developed an appreciation for vests that I never had before. I had knit a few, and I liked them OK, but I guess I just didn’t fully embrace the layering possibilities that they can provide.

You can wear a vest over a long sleeved or short sleeved shirt, over a dress, even on top of a shirt but under a sweater (or over a lighter weight sweater).

Some vest can even double as tops on their own, like the Traveling Vines Vest from Amy Gunderson.

This twisty project is worked in a DK weight yarn and is available in five sizes. The chest measurement ranges from 34 to 70.5 inches, or 85 to 176 cm. It’s worked flat in pieces and, because of the somewhat high scoop neck and arm holes, it’s totally fine to wear by itself or as a vest.

The fun part of this pattern is all the little twisted stitches and cables, which make a very interesting texture that’s fun to knit and to wear. The pattern includes a chart and a written pattern. They look like pretty small cables, but there are a lot of them, so it might help to have a cable project or two under your belt before trying this one.

You can grab the free pattern when you create an account at Yarnalia.

If you want to boost your cable knitting skills, check out my collection of fun cable knitting patterns. And since a lot of these twists are small, you could also use this project as an opportunity to learn how to make cables without using a cable needle. And you can find more easy vest knitting patterns here, and get a little more of the story about how I learned to love vests here. Mostly it has to do with not wanting to knit sleeves, which I relate to a lot right now as I wonder if I could pull off a one-sleeved cardigan.

[Photo: Amy Gunderson]

Next Pattern:

I happen to live in the Northern Hemisphere, but I know we have a lot of Southern Hemisphere friends, too, who are heading into the cooler months as we are warming up. Whichever one of the seasons you’re in, you might want to stitch up this sweet little hood.

This pattern by saskie&co is called snug hood and it uses two colors of yarn to make a close-fitting pixie style hood (almost a balaclava but it doesn’t cover your face, though there is a neck covering portion to keep you a little warmer). You can use the fingering weight wool and mohair held together that are called for in the pattern, or use a single strand of DK weight yarn.

The neck portion and the edging around the face are worked in ribbing in a single color, while the body of the hat includes an allover colorwork flower pattern. The project is worked both flat and in the round and there is colorwork that is knit flat, which means you’ll have to purl in colorwork (which some people don’t like; also, you can’t see what you’re doing as well on the back of the work).

The pattern comes in one size and the colorwork is charted. Testers noted this is a quick and easy project and a great way to learn some new skills (chart reading, working stranded colorwork flat) if you’ve never tried those things before. They noted the hood is cute, comfortable and warm, and a few said it didn’t take as much yarn as the pattern suggests, so bear that in mind if you’re trying to use stash.

Speaking of the pattern notes, check out all the cute color variations in the projects on Ravelry. From pink and red to blue and white to gray and cream, there are lots of great options to think about.

You can buy this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: saskie&co]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?