Tag: build a vest

Build A Vest is Done

My goal this year was to knit fingering weight garments. I’m finding it a slow go. So this is a short post to celebrate. I’m so happy to have it finished.

This is my first one. A vest version of the Build A Bigger V. There are fewer changes for the vest than I had thought at first. The biggest change is no sleeves, of course, so the final bit was knitting out to the sides to get the correct fit around the body.

It fits well, it’s light weight and did I mention, it’s Done.

I’m so excited. I just had to show you (over and over again, apparently).

Now it’s time to finish up some small things. They are soooo satisfying after finishing a bigger project.

Are you busy with small knitting or longer projects? I hope it’s going well.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Build a Vest: joining Front and Back video

Progress is being made on my vest version of the Build A Bigger V cardigan, and yes I am knitting like a crazy person. The Front is knit as a pullover. Nice and easy since it’s just the Back again without the beginning triangle at the neck. Done.

Now I have to attach them together so I can knit out to the edge of my shoulder.

Both the Front and Back have a 2 stitch I-cord worked along each edge. I’m going to use those I-Cord stitches for the pick up. Hang on, it’s a tricky ride.

Ta, da. Phew, done. Not hard to do. It’s just lots and lots of stitches.

Bye for now, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Why all the markers?

I’m working on the back panel of the Build a Vest with all those markers in place. What are they doing down the centre? I thought you’d never ask.

The first Build a V that I worked on was the baby version.

As you can see it also starts with a front and back panel, then is worked sideways for the sleeves.

The back panel looks like this.

See that nice little pointy V at the bottom? I didn’t want that pointing at my derriere on my vest. Would you?

So … all those markers. They indicate x number of ridges as I worked down the back.

This is my Build A Bigger V cardigan, and you can see that the point has been taken away, creating a rounded bottom to the back panel. At every marker I moved the increases further away from the centre marker.

This is my finished back panel of my vest.

The centre section gets wider and wider. As I approached the bottom I started widening the centre section a little more often.

I think this would work for a triangular shawl too, if you didn’t want that sharp triangle point. What do you think?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Gauge-Free, Build A Vest

This vest, and the cardigan I’m modifying it from (Build a Bigger V), will be Gauge-Free. No swatch needed. No talk about gauge at all, none, throughout the entire pattern. How freeing is that?

How can it possibly work?

Start with a couple of stitches and build a triangle with increases worked on either side of the centre marker. Work until the solid edge of the triangle is the width of the Back of Neck. Mine is 8″ wide.

Width of Back of Neck is 8″.

That sets the number of stitches for the Back Panel. You need to count the number of stitches you set up with at this point but we don’t care how many stitches per inch you are getting here. Any number of stitches will work.

Now, I will keep the same stitch count as I knit the back panel.

The shaded part here is the Back Panel. The triangle begins at the Back of Neck and the Back Panel is knit down to the desired length.

The decision will be how long I want this vest to be. Lots of knitting for the next week.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram