Fitted Vest Knitting Pattern

I made this for my eldest sister’s birthday, and she loves it.  So do I, and intend to make another for myself.  It’s just plain pretty, if you have the figure for it, and it doesn’t take much more yarn than a scarf:  three balls of knitting worsted.  I used a long #6 circular, which also does most of the edgings, with #4 double-points for the pocket and armscye edgings, because I knit loosely.  This one is Paton’s Classic Merino.

If you’re careful with the increases, decreases, and finishing—start by making the pockets instead of plain  swatches—you’ll have that extra something to wear when it’s a little chilly, over a shirt or turtleneck.  In cotton or a cotton/wool blend, it would be attractive over bare, tanned skin.   It has pleasant, feminine lines in the curved hems and rounded pockets, too.  This pattern calls for you to modify a single chart to your own measurements, and gives you good instructions for doing so, and contains, as well, detailed finishing instructions.

Gauge (after washing to full it very slightly, and blocking) is 17 stitches and 22 rows/4 inches.  Begin by making the pockets, using #7s for the body of the pockets, and #4s for the ribbing.  Leave a long yarn adequate to sewing the pockets on when the vest is finished. Cast on the extra stitches at the sides of the pockets, for a smoother line than you can get with increasing (see chart).

Before you begin the body, measure yourself carefully.  At the hem, allow for three inches of ease over your upper hip measurement, three inches the waist; and 2 inches at the bust  (your bra band size + 2 inches).