Christmas Vest project, ergo, must be red. Converted to top-down, and love the finished product.

my darling photographer did not tell me my white shirt collar was caught. What can you do with unpaid help these days?

My friend Betsy has a beautiful version of this here. I have always liked this vest pattern, except for the exceedingly low neckline on some projects.

My plans are to:

• add 2 inches to the height of the fronts.
• knit top-down, so I can try it on and adjust the shaping to my shape.
• using 4.5 mm needle, as I like this yarn with that size needle, so going up a size or 2.

Mods:

• convert to top-down
• smaller needle for body 4.5 mm
• short rows for shoulders (see notes below)
• inadvertent rib on back all the way to armholes, as I didn’t see the first 12 rows above the armholes were supposed to be stockinette.
• stockinette for front instead of rib, as I’m bringing the front neckline up
• smaller needle for neck and armhole ribbing - 4.0 mm
• 6 buttonholes, 24 rows apart

Back - c/o 66. Short rows. 7 inches 2x2 rib. Increase, then in 3 rows, then every alternate twice. Cast on 2 each side 4 times. 9.25 inches from outer shoulder. 82 stitches.

Fronts - pick up 14 stitches. Short rows. Row 24 or 25 increase by 1. Repeat evert alternate row 5 more times. Cast on 12, start lace pattern, then cast on 8 for garter buttonband.

• buttonhole on row 5 of pattern, then every 24th row.
• add 1 stitch at armhole, then 2 x 2. End with row 6 pattern.
• cast on 5 stitches at underarm (could have used fewer). 182 stitches.
• decrease 4 stitches every 6th row 5 times, starting at 3 inches from underarm - 162 stitches, then 4 more decreased at garter ridge - 158 stitches.
• 3 garter ridges around 4th buttonhole. -increased 5 times, starting an inch below garter ridges, then increased 20 after second set of garter ridges to end up with 198 for the lace pattern at the bottom.

Short rows - back shoulders.
RS - start 2x2 rib
Short rows:
WS - pattern 16, w&t
RS - pattern 5, w&t
WS - pattern 9, w&t,
RS - pattern 14, w&t,
WS - pattern to end
RS - pattern 16, w&t
WS - pattern 5, w&t
RS - pattern 9, w&t,
WS - pattern 14, w&t
RS - pattern to end, then continue in pattern

Armholes:

• picked up 2 for 3, instead of 3 for 4 during straight sections on front and back. 91 total.
• decreased 2 first knit row, then every purl row 3 times. Bind off after 3rd purl row.

Project Gauge:
16 stitches and 22 rows = 4 inches in stockinette
My Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette (probably 17 blocked)

Yarn - I had to break open a new skein for the last 8 rows of the bottom. I didn’t weigh the yarn - at least 1 skein was oversized, so the actual yardage may be slightly higher. I started at the top with my lightest then alternated in the darker skeins going down.