Classic Vest in a New Version
My lovely two-year-old grandchild showing off his new vest
I love to knit this little vest because it is such a cosy and relaxing garment to knit, and it can be knitted in so many variations. Choose another colour, a different ply, cotton instead of wool or change the style of stitches and you will have a totally different vest.
The origin of the traditional version of this vest is unknown but it was knitted in one piece (flat knitting) and without casting stitches off for armholes. The vest was knitted in lace wool and used as an under clothes garment to keep babies warm during the cold winter months in Denmark.
I created a version, where the body is knitted in the round on circular needles till you reach the armpit. Hereafter you will need to knit forth and back and form the armholes.
Size: 24months
To Fit Chest: 51 cm
Finished Chest: 55 cm
Finished length: 32 cm If your toddler has a long body then add 1 - 2 cm extra to the body before CO for the armholes
Yarn: Waikiwi, 4 Ply (50 grams/skein or about 180 m per skein) 2 skeins
Gauge: 27 sts x 28 rows on knitting needle 3.00 mm = 10 x 10 cm
Notions: 2 40 - 50 cm Circular needles each 2.50 mm and 3.00 mm. 1 set 3.00 mm needles
2 stitch holders, 3 buttons
Stitch Abbreviation :
BO - Bind Off
cm - centimetre
CO - Cast On
Cont - continue
K - Knit
K2tog - Knit two sts together
P - Purl
rep - repeat
st / sts - stitch / stitches
Body until armholes :
CO 148 sts on the circular needle size 3. Work ribbing in the round. *K2, P2* rep *-* till the body measures 21 cm.
Mark front and back. Work 8 rows garter over 14 sts each side (7 sts for the front and 7sts for the back in each side). Continue to work *K2, P2* ribbing over the rest of the sts.
Cast off the 6 middle garter sts in each side to shape armholes. Set aside sts for the front piece on a stitch holder. Continue with the back piece.
Back:
Work 68 sts. Garter knit the first 4 sts and the last 4 sts. K2, P 2 ribbing over the middle sts. Cont till the armhole measures 10 cm. Set aside the middle 30 sts (this is the neck) on a stitch holder. Cont forming shoulder and neck this way: BO 1 sts x 2 at the neck opening. Cont to knit till the armholes measure 12 cm. Set aside the remaining 17 sts on a stitch holder. Knit the other side.
Front:
Work 68 sts from the stitch holder. Cont to knit garter over the 4 edge sts and K2, P2 ribbing. Divide the front on the first row this way.
Right Front: Work 31 sts. Garter knit 2tog, 2 sts, 2tog . Make a mark with a different colour thread. Cont till the end of the row. Turn and work garter 4 sts. Cont K2, P2 until the mark. CO 4 new sts. New total 35 sts. Cont work garter over the first 4sts and last 4 sts. Work till the armhole measures 8 cm. Set aside the first 14 sts from the neck side on to a stitch holder. BO 1 sts x 4 at the neck opening.
Knit till the front shoulder measures the same as the back shoulder. Knit the two shoulder pieces right side together whilst at the same time casting off the sts.
Left Front:
Knit the left front exactly the same way as the right side, but opposite and add 2 buttonholes.
The buttonholes are knitted from the right side. Knit till there are 3 garter sts left. BO 1 sts. Knit garter the 2 last sts. On the next row garter knit 2 sts, CO 1 new stitch, knit garter 1 stitch, continue knitting.
Neck:
Change to the circular needle size 2.5 mm. Pick up and knit 72 sts evenly along the edge around the neck including the stitches from the 3 stitch holders. Work garter sts 8 rows. Knit one buttonhole above the two other buttonholes on the garter-column. BO.
Add three buttons and the vest is ready to use