This child-size, stranded vest employs a vintage houndstooth pattern with a low scoopneck. The houndstooth is framed by 1×1 rib at the bottom edge, neck edge, and armholes. Although I designed this as a small scale way to practice steeking neck openings and armholes, it plays a very functional role in a child’s wardrobe. A scoopneck vest offers the promise of warmth without the headache of sleeves, buttons, or constricting neck openings. It is the ideal layering piece for a child.
Gauge
28sts/32rws at 4” in stockinette on US 4 / 3.5mm needles
Sizes and Measurements
2 (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) shown in size 2
Actual Measurements (chest size)
21” (22”, 23”, 24”, 25”, 26”, 27”)
Materials
- Briggs & Little Sport [100% wool, 430yd / 393m per 113g skein]; colors: khaki, washed white; 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2) skeins of each color
- US 4 / 3.5 mm circular needle (16” inch or length appropriate for chest circumference), double pointed needles
- US 2.5 / 3.0 mm circular needle, (16” inch or length appropriate for chest circumference), double pointed needles
- Stitch markers
- Waste yarn (must be non-superwash wool or mohair)
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
Directions
(Popknits uses knittinghelp.com's standard abbreviations)
Please see pattern's other notes.
Using smaller needles, CO 148 (156, 160, 168, 176, 184, 188) sts with MC, pm, join in round. Work 5 rounds of 1×1 rib (i.e. *k1, p1; repeat from *). Change to larger needles and join CC yarn. Begin color chart pattern, maintaining the MC as the dominant color.
When piece measures 8 (8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.25, 10.5) in, work to 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5) sts before the end of the round.
Place armhole, front neck steeks:
BO the next 6 (6, 8, 8, 8, 8, 10) sts for armhole, work 16 (17, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20) sts, BO 36 ( 38, 38, 40, 42, 44, 44) for the front neck, work 16 (17, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20) sts, BO 6 (6, 8, 8, 8, 8, 10) sts for the second armhole, work 68 (72, 72, 76, 80, 84, 84) sts across the back.
Following the special instructions below for casting on steek stitches, CO 7 sts for the armhole steek, work 16 (17, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20) sts, CO 7 sts for the neck steek, work 16 (17, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20) sts, CO 7 sts for the armhole steek, work 68 (72, 72, 76, 80, 84, 84) sts across the back, pm to indicate the end of the round.
Next round: *Work 7 steek sts as specified below, k2tog, work until two sts remain before the next set of steek sts, ssk; repeat from * twice more.
Repeat decrease round 3 times more. There will be 103 (109, 109, 115, 121, 127, 127, 127) sts remaining (10 (11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14) sts for each strap, 62 (66, 66, 70, 74, 78, 78) sts for the back, and 21 sts for the three steek bands).
Place back neck steek:
Continue straight until piece measures 3.5 (4, 4.75, 4.75, 5.25, 5.25, 5.5) from armholes. Next round, pattern across the front of the vest, work the steek sts, pattern 14 (15, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18) sts, BO 40 (36, 36, 38, 40, 42, 42) sts for back neck, pattern remaining 14 (15, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18) sts to the end of the round.
Next round, pattern across the front, work steek sts, pattern 12 (13, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16) sts, SSK, CO 7 steek sts, k2tog, pattern to the end of the round.
Continue working in the round for 1” more, decreasing at either edge of the back neck steek three times more.
Next round, BO 7 steek sts, pattern 10 (11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14) sts; repeat from *.
Break yarn. Thread a tapestry needle and graft shoulders together.
Steeking
Cutting one’s knitting is terrifying, at least at first. In order to prevent the garment from unraveling, the edges of the steek must be secured. This will be done by crocheting chains down either side of the cut site, using a non-superwash wool (or mohair) with very strong grip.
The greatest stress on the cut edge comes from the pull of the armhole and neck bands. To minimize this stress, the bands will be placed as far from the cut as possible. Within the block of 7 steek stitches, the cut will be made down the middle of stitch 4 and the button bands will be picked up from beneath stitches 1 and 7, leaving facings of approximately 0.5 in.
Beginning with the front neck, crochet a chain through the right half of stitch 3 and the left half of stitch 4, chain all the way up the neck. Crochet a second chain back down to the bottom of the work, crocheting through the right half of stitch 4 and the left half of stitch 5.
Take a deep breath.
Beginning at the cast on edge, carefully cut the steek band up the middle of stitch 4, taking care not to catch any other threads in the way.
Repeat this procedure for the armhole and back neck steeks.
Neck band
With the smaller needles, begin at the back neck and pick up and knit all of the bound off stitches at the back neck, pick up two stitches for every three rows down the front neck, pick up all of the bound off sts at the bottom of the neck, pick up two stitches for every three rows back up to the top. Join in round.
Taking care to decrease to a multiple of 2 in the first round, work 5 rounds of *k1, p1 * rib.
BO loosely in rib.
Armhole band
With the smaller needles, pick up and knit all of the bound off stitches at the base of the armhole, then pick up and knit two stitches for every three rows all the way around the armhole. Join in round.
Taking care to decrease to a multiple of 2 in the first round, work 5 rounds of *k1, p1 * rib.
BO loosely in rib.
Finishing
Weave in all ends.
Without a good blocking, the facings will make the garment appear quite lumpy. Carefully block garment, taking care to smooth facings down on the underside. If desired, whip stitch the facings down to the underside of the garment, block a second time.
Schematic
Charts
Click on images to see larger size on Flickr.
Other Notes
For the steek stitches, use the backwards loop cast on to add stitches. *CO 1 st with MC, CO 1 st with CC; repeat from * to obtain the requisite number of new stitches. Work steek stitches the same way every round: *K1 with MC, K1 with CC; repeat from *, K1 with MC.
About the Author
When not knitting, Elinor Brown works in a lab while pursuing admission to medical school. She lives with her family in Lawrence, KS and writes about knitting at http://exercisebeforeknitting.com.
Credits
Photos by Elinor Brown
Model: Beatrix Brown
From Flickr
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Errata
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License
Vesterday by
Elinor Brown is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at
http://www.popknits.com/index.php/patterns/page/vesterday/.
