A few parts of this pattern were a touch confusing, though it is most likely because this was my first garment. The part regarding neck and shoulder shaping would have really benefited from a note that it is done by joining an additional ball of yarn (I’d never done it before). The instructions could have also mentioned a few additional terms (i.e. mentioning ‘mattress stitch’ instead of merely “sew side seams” so that beginners have a keyword to work with). I had to use Youtube to hunt down general sweater techniques.

My grandma is a lovely person, and I wanted to knit something just for her to enjoy.

Since she loves to wear buttoned up vests, I felt it would be the perfect time to knit up my first article of clothing. It was a bit trickier than I expected!

I did quite some searching before I found this pattern in the Knit Simple magazine. Many vest designs do not have buttons; others that did seemed a bit too plain. This one had just the right amount of cabling detail, I think! Also, the collar portion turns out to be deliciously comfortable and warm.

To get the measurements down, I borrowed one of my grandma’s existing vests, and took note of the dimensions. It had to be shorter than in the pattern (she is a very tiny grandmother), but that was simple enough to adjust. I added three additional buttons to have the vest close fully, which is her preference.

I started at the end of July, but really hunkered down and got 95% of it done in three weeks during December. All in all, I’m rather pleased with it. :D