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Are you ready to hit the trails? Throw on this classic, unisex vest and you’re set to go! It’s both light-weight and versatile, with spacious armholes for comfort and a zip opening for easy on/off wear.

For the knitter who craves variety, this design appeals to your competing desires to work ribbing, cables and stranded knitting all in a single project.

This design took shape at the family woodlot. My husband wanted to get to know our woodlot better by blazing trails through to each boundary. He headed into the bush while I stayed behind to knit. Several hours later, he would emerge, excited about his discoveries. Paths were given meaningful names like Grouse Trail, Fern Trail, Pine Trail, etc. The more I heard about trails, the more I began to see trails in the cables and ribs of my design - hence the title. The “XO” motif symbolizes the “labour of love” that allows us now to stroll the trails and be with nature.

Construction
This design adds a number of features for an elegant, professional finish inside and out:
• top-down, seamless design
• purl ridge outlines to the armholes, collar and front opening
• double-layer reinforcement at neck
• tubular bind-off
• folded front bands, grafted to inner CO edge
Written instructions, schematic and charts provided + suggested online tutorials for new-to-you techniques.

Special thanks to my tech editor and test knitters for their assistance!

Sizes
Pattern Sizes - 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9)
EU 28-30 (32-34, 36-38, 40-42, 44-46) (48-50, 52-54, 56-58, 60-62)
US XS (S, M, L, 1X) (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)
Wear with positive ease of approximately 5-10 cm/2-4 in or up the size for a looser fit.

Finished Dimensions
Chest/bust circumference (zipped) (A) -
cm 82 (92, 101.5, 112, 121.5) (132, 142, 154, 162).
in 32.25 (36.25, 40, 44, 47.75) (52, 56, 60.5, 63.75).
Body length, back neck to hem edge (D) -
cm 51 (56, 60.5, 62, 65) (65.5, 66, 67.5, 70).
in 20 (22, 23.75, 24.5, 25.5) (25.75, 26, 26.5, 27.5).
Armhole depth (G) -
cm 20.5 (22, 23.5, 25, 26.5) (26.5, 27.5, 27.5, 28.5).
in 8.25 (8.75, 9.5, 10, 10.5) (10.5, 10.75, 10.75, 11.25).

Materials
MC - The Fibre Co. Arranmore Light – 80% Merino wool, 10% silk, 10% cashmere (100 g/3.52 oz, 300 m/328 yds), col. Liadan (AML190).
CC1 - Rowan Felted Tweed – 50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose (50 g/1.76 oz, 175 m/191 yds), col. Ancient 172.
CC2 - The Fibre Co. Arranmore Light – 80% Merino wool, 10% silk, 10% cashmere (100 g/3.52 oz, 300 m/328 yds), col. River Esque (AML140).
CC3 - Rowan Felted Tweed – 50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose (50 g/1.76 oz, 175 m/191 yds), col. Watery 152.

MC, CC1 - Sport- or DK-weight wool or wool blend, preferably tweeds, heathers or solids exhibiting good body and stitch definition for ribbing and cables.
CC2, CC3 - Sport- or DK-weight wool or wool blend, suitable for stranded knitting.

Quantity
No. of skeins/balls
MC - 100 g/skein 2 (2, 3, 3, 3) (4, 4, 5, 5)
CC1 - 50 g/ball 1 (2, 2, 2, 2) (3, 4, 4, 5)
CC2 - 100 g/skein 1 (1, 1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1, 1)
CC3 - 50 g/ball 1 (1, 1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1, 1)

Needles
4 mm (US 6) circ needle (80 cm / 32 in)
3.75 mm (US 5) circ needle (80 cm / 32 in)
3.5 mm (US 4) circ needle (60 cm, 80 cm / 24, 32 in)
3.25 mm (US 3) circ needle (60 cm, 80 cm / 24, 32 in)

Accessories
stitch markers (multiple, plus 1 different for EOR and + 2 different
for front border patts)
stitch holders or spare yarn
darning thread wool to match CC1, to graft stitches to CO edge
row counter (optional)
tapestry needle (to graft stitches and weave in ends)
blocking tools
thread (to insert zipper)
medium-weight, separating zipper with pull
cm - 45 (50, 55, 55, 60) (60, 60, 60, 65)
in - 18 (20, 22, 22, 24) (24, 24, 24, 26)

Knitting Gauge (blocked)
25 sts and 28 rows in MC measure 10 cm/4 in in Cables & Ribbing patt using 3.75 mm (US 5) needle.
Use the needle size that gives you gauge.

Techniques Used

• flat and circular knitting
• stranded knitting
• pick up sts, increase sts, decrease sts
• backward loop cast-on
• cables, twisted stitches (k-tbl)
• German short-rows
• read a chart
• layered collar edge
• tubular bind-off
• grafting live stitches to a cast-on edge (zipper borders)

Skill Level - Intermediate