This is a photo of the Build A Bigger V cardigan before I knit the sleeves. This could be a vest as it is in this photo. It has 9″ of ease so if it was a little more fitted … it could work.
But I sort of like the idea of cutting in the armhole, for a sleeveless look (white line).
Better?
At any rate, I’ve started. This is the beginning of the Back Panel. I’m knitting in fingering weight yarn (80/20 fingering by Shelridge Yarns – colour Iris). Yes, this will be a lot of knitting but here I go.
The idea of Building a Vest using the Build a Bigger V cardigan intrigued several knitters. Thanks for voting. Cheers, Deb
I’ve come up with these 4, or maybe 5, options for making a vest. But which one to start first?
I think I might try several over the winter. How about you?
This one would be worked top down in garter stitch and started with a very big square shaped cast on. It would have only a few rounds of raglan shaping. Is it very fashionable (???), not that I’m a fashion diva!
This is based on the contiguous method of construction. Thanks Lynda C. for this suggestion. The contiguous shoulder is worked in the round, increasing 4 stitches every round, one increase before and one after a couple of shoulder stitches on both shoulders. I would need to work some sort of edging at the sides of the armholes because I don’t like having to pick up to finish them.
This is a straight raglan knit and the first one I thought of doing. I would work tuck stitches in the shoulder section to shorten the fabric of the shoulders. Would the shoulders be too bulky?
This one is a straight raglan yoke where the top of the shoulder stitches would be cast off and then at the armhole side of the raglan lines decreases could be worked to narrow the shoulders. Thanks Dana for suggesting this one.
While I was thinking about this a totally random thought came to me. I could add one more possibility, but not a raglan which was my original intention. What if I knit the Build a Bigger V as a vest? The central panels for the back and front are worked separately and then stitches are picked up along the sides of the front and back and knit out for the size of the body and the sleeves.
In fact, it’s a vest once you get to your body width before continuing with the sleeves. This might have possibilities. What do you think?
Do you have a favourite? Have you tried any of these vests?
I want to knit a vest. That’s not so weird, right? They are handy to have. Winter is coming and I want to be prepared.
I could make it in the normal vest way: start with the shoulders and knit the front to the underarm, knit the back, join in the round at the underarm, and well, you get the picture. But no, not doing that because of … the idea.
… where the shoulder is narrower. How can I shorten the shoulder section so that when I cast off the sleeve stitches I have what looks like a sleeveless armhole?
Yes, this is my big question. I know, I know, why bother? Sometimes a question like this grabs my attention and won’t let go so … here we go.
Deb Gemmell: Top Down, Gauge Free and more 