Sleeveless Vests, let me count the ways.

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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?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

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Author: debgemmellmods

I'm a Knitter. The capital K means every day, everywhere. I started designing as co-owner of Cabin Fever with my sister Lyn. We have published over 160 patterns and 11 books. I'm also working on a new set of patterns for Any Gauge or Gauge-free knitting so you can dive into your stash and cast on for a Top Down sweater that fits, or an accessory to use up those odd balls of yarn.

11 thoughts on “Sleeveless Vests, let me count the ways.”

  1. Deb, my vote for a vest is using the Build a Bigger V. I’ve made a couple of vests this way myself and they were a lot of fun to make. The style is a good use of self-striping yarns because the stripes emphasize the V and vertical lines of knitting and has a slimming effect. ; )

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    1. Good to know this will work. I might put stripes in the side blocks. That would be like self-striping, sort of. LOL.

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  4. Enjoyed this post … I must have missed this pattern when it was released … so immediately after reading this I went to Ravelry and purchase the pattern. I’m up to my eyeballs in Christmas knitting with more requests being added almost daily, but this is definitely on my knitting list! Thank you.

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