Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Bamboo Button Vest

The Superwash Bamboo Button Vest is done and turned out great! I had my doubts, as it looked a bit skinny in the last photos, but I stuck with it and trusted the swatch (after washing). After the dampen and block, it fits perfectly.... Not too tight but a bit drapey. The yarn does relax a bit after wetting, and the ribbing flattened out a bit. The stitch pattern is a 4 by 2 rib, with the 2 stitches in seed stitch and the 4 in stocking stitch.... really very easy but a little more texture than plain ribbing. The buttons are a find, crafty bone and metal, sort of one of a kind as all are a different shade of brown, but I like the effect.

Pattern:
Needles: 3.5mm and 4.0mm
Gauge: 19 sts = 4 inches on the larger needles
Yarn: 7 balls of elann Superwash Bamboo, colour red.
Finished measurement: Bust 40 inches, length 24 inches.

Rib/seed stitch pattern: Row 1:[K4, P1, K1] repeat until last 4 sts, K4 Row 2: [P4, K1, P1] repeat until last 4 sts, P4 ** note the P1, K1 and K1, P1 create seed stitch over 2 stitches vertically.
Back: With smaller needles, cast on 83 sts, and work K1, P1 Rib for 2.5 inches. On last row, increas 7 sts evenly across.
Change to larger needles, and start Rib/seed stitch pattern: row 1: Edge stitch (always a Knit stitch), [K4, seed stitch 2] 14 times, K4, edge stitch.
Row 2: edge stitch, [P4, seed st 2] 14 times, P4, edge st.
Repeat these two rows until piece measures 15 inches.
Underarm shaping: Bind off 5 sts at beg of next 2 rows.
Decrease one more each side one time.
Continue even, with one edle st each side until total measures 24.5 inches. Bind off all sts.
Front: (make 2 reversing shaping for second) Cast on 41 sts: work K1, P1 ribbing for 2.5 inches. Increase one stitch across last row. Change to larger needles and start Rib/seed st pattern: Edge stitch, [K4, seed st 2] 6 times, K4, edge st.
Continue in this pattern, and work for 15 inches. Decrease at armhole: bind off 5 sts, then one more on next row...***at the same time start V neck: Decrease one at neck edge very 2nd row 5 times, then every 4th row 10 times. Work even until piece measure 24.5 inches.


Join shoulder seams and work ribbing for front edge like this: With smaller needles (circular) pick up 70 sts to first neck dec, place marker. Pick uo 45 sts up neck edge, then 31 along back of neck, 45 down other side to end of V, then 70 down straight front edge to bottom. Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 3 rows. Buttonhole row: Work 2, bind off next 2 sts [work 11 sts, bind off 2 sts] five more times, work plain rib to end of row. On return row, cast on 2 sts over the holes. Continue to rib for 2 more rows, then cast off Loosely.


At armholes, pick up and rib 100 sts evenly spaced. Rib for 5 rows and cast off loosely.


Sew side seams.

8 comments:

Lindy Briscoe said...

This looks great and also easy to knit. Will definitely be trying this when we get to winter in the southern hemisphere. Thanks for sharing! LindyB Howick South Africa

Unknown said...

What is an "edle" stitch?

chris said...

LOL! edle stitch means a typo! Edge stitch is the single stitch at the edge that is KNIT ON EVERY ROW, no mattter what the rest of the pattern is doing. It makes for a good edge to seam or pick up stitches from.
cheers, Chris

Anne said...

HI,
Roughly what size does this make, please?
Anne

chris said...

Hi Anne, This makes about a 40 inch chest measurement. Size? Depending where you live in the world that would be a size 10, or 12, or 14, or medium, or large.! That is why I do not say a size, but use inches (or sometimes centimetres) to state size. I made this a bit loose, to fit my 38 inch bust measurement.
Hope that helps. And of course the size will be 40" ONLY if the gauge is the same as the pattern.

Cheers, Chris

Diane000 said...

You say 7 balls, how much is that in Grams please?

chris said...

Hi Diane, sorry to take so long to answer... it was so long ago , but I believe it was 7 balls of 50 grams each, so 350 grams should do it!
Cheers, Chris

chris said...

hi Unknown... this pattern was posted in 2008 when I was not yet working out all the sizes. I do not have the math on other sizes, and of course, it was not designed for chunky yarn. To hit correct sizes, you need a yarn to knit to the gauge suggested. Probably best for you to search for a chunky yarn pattern, then work out the size that fits. Hope that helps... Chris