JoyVest

Chulky Cabled Hoodie Vest - My first original knitting pattern! 

Inspirtation: VK International Fall 2003 -- there was a pictures of Daryl Hannah wearing a super cool white-ish vest jacket knitted by bulky yarn. I remembered that I brought that magazine because of the cover, and later found out that the pattern was not actually inside the magazine (!!). Years later, I saw this magazine again -- still liking the vest -- so I decided to 'build' the pattern my self. And here it is...it is different from the magazine, but I'm so proud of my first knitting design pattern. The tricky part is that I've never knitted a hood before, so I need to do a lot of reading to get to that part. 

This is my first time to put a design together, so there are still a lot of rooms to improve.

Basically, it is a vest knit from the bottom to top in circular needles, to save time. Also, to avoid the potential thick seams that might result from joining chunky yarns together. In the pictures, I tried to do some decrease to ‘shape the waist’, but it turn out not that successful. Therefore, I did not include that in the pattern.

If you like this, and if you can successfully make one from this pattern. Let me know, I’ll be so happy =)

Finished Measurements

Chest: 36 inches

Length: 22 inches (from shoulder to bottom, not including hoodie)

 

Materials

Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick – Taupe; 4 skeins

 Recommended Needle Size and tools:

1)      1 US #13 circular needle – 32 inches long

2)      1 US #17 circular needle – 32 inches long

3)      Stitch markers

4)      Stitch holders

5)      Yarn needle

 

To Set up…

Use needle #13 to CO 76

Row 1 – k1, p1 – establish 1x1 rib

Repeat single rib for another 5 rows (totally 6 rows)

Row 7 – change to needle #17, [*k1, pl, repeat * 9 times, k1, inc 1], rep [] 4 times – 80 sts, ready for the body and cable set up.

 

Cable set up

	Forming the front	Forming the back
Rnd 1	k14, p2, k8, p2, k14, (pm)	k6, p2, k4, p2, k12, p2, k4, p2, k6, (pm)
Rnd 2	as rnd 1
Rnd 3	k14, p2, C4F, C4B, p2, k14	k6, p2, C4F, p2, k12, p2, C4B, p2, k6
Rnd 4	as rnd 1
Rnd 5	as rnd 1
Rnd 6	as rnd 1
Rnd 7	k14, p2, C4B, C4F, p2, k14	k6, p2, C4F, p2, k12, p2, C4B, p2, k6
Rnd 8	as rnd 1

 

Repeat Rnd 1-8, until there are 5 honeycomb formed.

Prepare for neck shaping, place the back 40 sts between two markers on stitch holder.

With the front 40 sts on the needle, prepare to work on neck shaping as follow.

From now on, the piece will work in back and forth.

 

Right front Neck Shaping

Row 1 (RS): K14, p2, k4 turn (leaving rem stst on needle)

Row 2 (WS): p4, k2, purl rem sts

Row 3 : (dec row) knit to last 8 sts, k2tog, p2, k4

Rep row 2 and 3 until 12 sts remain, ending with row 2. Then work even, keeping sts in patt as set. Until front measure 21.5’ from cast-on edge, ending with a wrong-side row

 

Shape Shoulder:

(RS) keeping patt correct, bind off 6 sts at beg of next row.

(WS) Work 1 row

bind off rem 12 sts.

 

Left front Neck Shaping

Joint new yarn, work on the 20 sts that was left on the needle

Row 1(RS): k4, p2, k14

Row 2(WS): purl to last 6 sts, k2, p4

Row 3: (dec row) k4, p2, slip 1 as to knit, k1, psso, knit rem sts

Rep row 2 and 3 until 12 sts remain, ending with row 2. Then work even. Keeping sts in patt as set. Until front measure 21.5’ from cast-on edge, ending with a right-side row.

 

Shape Shoulder: same above

 

Back Shaping

With RS facing, return to rem 40 sts still on needle. Rejoin yarn, and starting with a knit row. Work back and forth in rows in as patt established until back measures same as front to shoulder shaping, ending with a purl row.

 

Shape Shoulder: continuing sts in pattern, bind off 6 at the beginning of next 2 rows. Bind off 8 sts at the beginning of next 2 rows. Keep the remaining 12 sts on stitch holder.

 

Joint shoulder seam. The body of vest is done.

 

Hoodie:

With right side facing and circular needle, pick up knit  26 sts along side of neck evenly from the middle, knit 12 sts from the stitch holder, pick up another 26 sts along the reside of side of neck.

Work in stockinette sts until hood measure 11 inches from beginning.

Keep sts on needle, use Grafting/Weaving/Kitchener Stitch to joint two side horizontally without seam. (check here for video demo of Grafting)