Sideways Garter Vest
From now until spring, if you happened to stumble into Purl Soho’s backroom during a Purl Bee meeting, you’d most likely find us all cloaked in various Bee projects, fending off the draft from our backroom’s elegant but quite drafty fenestration.
My co-workers usually rush for the sweaters and shawls, but I always beeline to a Super Easy Blanket. I adore its comfort, how its garter stitch is so sumptuous and cushy and how its ridges embrace me. Then one day I thought, Why not just pop some holes in that blanket and let the fabric speak for itself? And the Sideways Garter Vest was born.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
A rectangle of garter stitch with two well-placed slits for armholes, nothing could be simpler to make… or wear. “Sideways” because I knit it that way, the Sideways Garter Vest is designed for effortless versatility. Wear it longer in the torso and shorter at the collar, or for those especially windy meetings, flip it upside down for a more generous collar and cropped body. The Sideways Garter Vest, knit in a combination of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist and Worsted Twist Heather, is definitely my new go-to for Purl Bee meetings and beyond! –Laura
PS: For extra security and warmth, pin the collar shut with one of Fog Linen’s gorgeous Brass Cloth Pins!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSidewaysGarterVest, and #PurlSohoWorstedTwist. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Yarn A: 3 (4, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino. Each skein is 164 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 492-656 yards required. I used the color Artemisia Green.
- Yarn B: 2 (3, 3) skeins of Worsted Twist, 100% merino; approximately 328-492 yards required. I used the color Stillwater Blue.
- A US 8 (5 mm), 32-inch circular needle
- A spare US 8, circular or straight needle
- A few yards of scrap yarn
Gauge
16 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Sizes
To fit shoulder widths measuring 14-15 (16-16½, 17-17½) inches
- Finished Dimensions: 30 (35, 37½) inches across x 30 inches from top to bottom (including fold-over collar)
- Finished Height of Armhole: 8 inches
- Finished Width across Shoulders: 12 (14, 15) inches
- Finished Width of Fronts: 9 (10½, 11¼) inches
FIT: The length measurements are the same for all three sizes, and you have a choice of how to wear the vest: either 12 inches from hem to underarm with a 10 inch collar; or upside down with 10 inches from hem to underarm and a 12-inch collar.
Notes
This piece is knit ‘sideways’ from one vertical edge to the other, rather than from top to bottom or bottom to top.
The colorwork is done with a technique called Intarsia in Garter Stitch. Each row will involve two balls of yarn, which is much easier than it may sound! To work intarsia in garter stitch on the right side…
Cross Yarn A over Yarn B and knit the next stitch with Yarn B.
To work intarsia in garter stitch on the wrong side…
Bring Yarn B to the front purl position, and cross Yarn B over Yarn A.
Bring Yarn A to the back knit position and knit the next stitch with Yarn A.
Pattern
Begin with Front Left
With Yarn B, cast 48 stitches onto the longer needle. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On. Put Yarn B to the side; do not cut it.
With Yarn A, cast 72 stitches onto that same circular needle. [120 total stitches]
NOTE: When you switch colors in the following rows, be sure to use the intarsia techniques described in the Notes, above.
Row 1 (right side): With Yarn A, knit 72 stitches; with Yarn B, knit to end of row.
Row 2: Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 47 stitches; with Yarn A, knit to end of row.
Row 3: Slip one knitwise; with Yarn A, knit 71 stitches; with Yarn B, knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until piece measures 9 (10 ½, 11 ¼) inches from cast on edge, ending after working a right side row.
Cut Yarn A.
Make Left Armhole
Next Row (wrong side): Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 39 stitches, cut Yarn B; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; join Yarn A and knit to end of row.
Work Back Vest
Next Row (right side): Slip one knitwise; with Yarn A, knit 71; join yarn B and knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 from FRONT LEFT section until piece measures 12 (14, 15) inches from scrap yarn, ending after working a right side row.
Cut Yarn A.
Make Right Armhole
Next Row (wrong side): Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 39 stitches, cut Yarn B; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; with Yarn A, knit to end of row.
Work Front Right
Next Row (right side): Slip one knitwise; with Yarn A, knit 71; join Yarn B and knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 from FRONT LEFT until piece measures 9 (10 ½, 11 ¼) inches from scrap yarn for Right Armhole, ending after working a right side row.
Bind Off (wrong side): With Yarn B, loosely bind off 47 stitches knitwise (one Yarn B stitch will remain on the left needle), cut Yarn B; with Yarn A, bind off remaining stitches knitwise, cut Yarn A.
Armholes
Weave in Ends
Note: Work the following instructions for each Armhole.
At each set of scrap yarn stitches, where the colors transition, there is one Yarn A end and one Yarn B. To weave in these ends, first orient the garment with the wrong side facing you and in same direction as it was knit (with the cast on edge nearest you).
To weave in the Yarn A tail…
Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Gently tug the threaded tapestry needle to close any gap in the fabric.
Then insert the needle (in a downward motion) through the purl bump of the stitch just below the scrap yarn and just to the left of the color transition, as well as through the next purl stitch below. From there, weave in the tail to secure it.
To weave in the Yarn B tail…
Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Gently tug the threaded tapestry needle to close any gap in the fabric. Then insert the needle (in an upward motion) under the nearest vertical strand of Yarn A.
Now insert the needle (in a leftward motion) under the vertical strand of Yarn A one row up. From there, weave in the tail to secure it.
Pick Up + Bind Off
Note: Work the following instructions for each Armhole.
With the right side facing you, slip the 32 stitches just below the scrap yarn onto the shorter circular needle; continuing with the same end of the needle, slip the 32 stitches just above the scrap yarn onto the needle. [64 total stitches]
Use the tip of a tapestry needle to pull out the scrap yarn.
Bind off (right side): Join Yarn A and bind off 24 stitches purlwise (one Yarn A stitch will remain the right needle), cut Yarn A; join Yarn B and bind off 16 stitches purlwise (one Yarn B stitch will remain on the right needle), cut Yarn B; join Yarn A and bind off remaining stitches purlwise.
Use the ends at the top and bottom of the armhole to close up any gaps.
Weave + Block
Weave in the remaining ends and block as desired.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I’m pretty sure this is actually the most fantastic sweater vest I’ve ever encountered. One coming right up, for me, followed very shortly by one for a friend and then a tiny one for my toddler (such a simple concept! will be so easy to adjust sizing!) You are officially my favorite blogger today.
Well, Sarah, this comment sure did make my day!
Laura
This is the best. I want to make it right now!
I’m trying to decide what size to make. Can you tell me what size is the finished one pictured? Any other help in determining what is the appropriate size would be appreciated. I normally wear a size Medium or 8 dress size.
Thanks,
Jennie
Hi Jennie.
Thanks for writing in. My best guess is to suggest making the middle size. For the most accurate selection, I would suggest you measuring across shoulders.
This piece is sized according to shoulder width. If you take under the SIZES section of the pattern, you’ll notice there are three available sizes: To fit shoulder widths measuring 14-15 (16-16 ½, 17-17 ½) inches.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Measure back shoulder width or front?
I am also confused about armholes.
Hi Cheryl.
You measure across your back for the shoulder width.
As for the armholes… what exactly are you confused about. I’d love to help clear things up! They are made the same way you would make a hole for a thumb in a mitten. You knit across with scrap yarn and then when you take the scrap yarn out, you have two rows of live stitches to work with. Maybe this mitten project will make the scrap yarn armhole make more sense: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/02/03/lauras-loop-classic-mittens/
Let me know what you think and if you have any additional questions!
Laura
This is an amazing piece!
I come almost everyday to your site, hoping there will be something as cool as this for crocheters – I beg you, please pleaase more crochet patterns!!
Thank you for this beautiful vest. I plan to knit it as a special birthday gift for my sister, a woman hard to purchase for-she has everything! Is it possible to produce this vest with the knit stitch being the right side as opposed to the Garter stitch?
Hi Lisa.
Thanks for writing in and for your interest in the pattern.
Right now we only have this pattern written in garter stitch. We do have a similarly shapped vest pattern that is in a ribbed fabric. You can find it here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2011/03/27/whits-knits-joelles-favorite-vest/
Please write us back if you have questions.
Laura
The vest Looks gorgeous! Is there a printable pdf how to make it or only the website?
Hi Carola-
There is a free printable PDF available! Just scroll to the “Pattern” headline, it’s linked directly below that.
Thanks!
Molly
Just love this design – can’t wait to get started on it. I don’t suppose it is possible to buy your yarn at a local dealer here in Norway??? 🙂
Hi Astrid-
No, our yarn is exclusive to us but we do ship all over the world!
Thanks so much for getting in touch!
Molly
Thanks for this great idea. What do you think about adding on fleece sleeves to convert it to a jacket?
OMG. I absolutely cannot wait to make this. Gorgeous!
I love the simplicity of this! Do you have any suggestions for a non-wool yarn?
Hi Kendell-
Blue Sky Worsted Cotton would work well as a non-wool substitute. You can see our selection here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/721-Blue-Sky-Worsted-Cotton
Thank you!
Molly
Thank you!
Oh, so lovely. I will be knitting one of these up. So simple and so perfect.
I would also like to add my voice to the chorus requesting Purl Bee crochet patterns! You create the loveliest designs – and we crocheters can’t make them. Please?
Hi Amy-
We will certainly keep this in mind going forward! Thanks for your suggestion!
Best-
Molly
This is a very interesting design. Would it be possible to see it photo it on an actual person so we can see how it lays? Thanks.
Hi Connie-
Yes, we are planning on shooting it on a person and posting it on Instagram next week. Thanks for getting in touch about this!
Molly
In a word…brilliant.
This is such a smart design! Do you think it would work in a Purl Soho Super Soft Merino yarn- perhaps with a 10.5US needle?
Hi Quynh-
The basic idea would certainly work but you would have to play around with your cast on number as well as the number of stitches for the armhole. It also would be a lot bulkier so it would drape differently. But it might turn out super cute!
Thanks for your question!
Molly
I just love your designs and this is so simple and stylish. I have two questions if you don’t mind answering.
Could you add sleeves (by picking up the stitches and knitting in the round)?
I’m a little unsure about the armhole instructions could I do the same bind off/cast on as in the City Cape?
Hi Amber.
Thanks. That’s great to hear.
As for the sleeves… YES! you can. If you are making this with sleeves though, I would size up quite a bit so that the piece becomes a drop shoulder garment. As it’s size now, this vest is based on shoulder widths. If you make the size that aligns with your shoulder width and then pick up and add sleeves, there may not be enough fabric to accommodate for movement in the arms…. it’ll be awkward and too tight. But, if you size up and add width to the back… adding sleeves would be no problem at all. You can follow the pattern as written and then pick up the live stitches left over from making the armholes!
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
I love your yarn and patterns. Do you need any help with the knitting?
I would love to for the feel of the fiber and the designs.
Hi Valerie-
Thank you so much for the kind offer but we’r alright right now. If you’d like to send in your resume however we are always accepting them! https://www.purlsoho.com/create/work-with-us/
Best-
Molly
Do you think adding a short row wrap in the back (4 rows back and forth sequence) +/ once set on each front would work to give some ease for broad shoulders or large bust? I’ve never try to do short row wrap with the garter stitch, so I don’t know if it’s possible. 😉
Going to cast this on today, love the pattern.
Hi Samara.
IF this piece was knit top to bottom or bottom to top, short rows sound like a great way to modify this piece. Plus short rows are so much easier and faster to do in garter stitch because you don’t have to pick up the wraps! I have a little blurb about this in the NOTES section of my Garter Ear Flap Hat pattern! https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/01/23/lauras-loop-garter-ear-flap-hat/
Since the piece is knit side to side, I’m not totally sure where the short rows would go. I can picture them the other way. Maybe I’m missing something! Write me back for sure if you do it. I’m super curious how it’ll turn out.
Laura
I am looking at the lines and I think a short row would probably mess up the flow / drape of the fabric and stand out too much.
Hi again Samara.
You may be right.
It’s a cool thought though and as I mention in my other response, if the garment was knit in the other direction… short rows would be ideal!
Laura
So, thinking about this a bit more. I was envisioning the short row(s) running vertically in the back, one over each shoulder blade area, and perhaps on each side at the hip, depending on where it falls.
If I was feeling more adventurous, also one over each front panel to align with the bust, maybe just a short section just outside of midcenter on each panel.
Any thoughts?
I am a bit curvy, so
Samara.
It wounds like you’ve got it figured out.
It sounds great. I would just be sure to decide which way you are going to where the vest, with the longer collar and shorter torso or shorter collar and longer torso. The reason being, if you’re adding this shaping, it seems like the piece will not longer have the versatility of being right side up or up side down. The benefit though… is that it will be custom for your body.
I say go for it (and keep us posted)!
Laura
Samara, did you figure out the shaping via short rows? I, too, am curvy and need built in shaping to make a garment like this hang straight. Let us know. Thanks. Mary A.
This looks like a great pattern. Just out of curiosity…is there any way you could do it with a sleeve?
Hi Viki.
Great question. Seems like a lot of people are curious about that same thing.
As for the sleeves… YES! you can. If you are making this with sleeves though, I would size up quite a bit so that the piece becomes a drop shoulder garment. As it’s size now, this vest is based on shoulder widths. If you make the size that aligns with your shoulder width and then pick up and add sleeves, there will not be enough fabric to accommodate for movement in the arms…. it’ll be awkward and too tight. But, if you size up, adding width to the back… adding sleeves would be no problem at all. You can follow the pattern as written and then pick up the live stitches left over from making the armholes!
Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for writing in.
Laura
I’m going to have to quit my job to keep up with these fabulous projects. Has me wishing for snow days already . . . .
How do you measure your shoulders of this, Is it across the front or the back?
Hi Debbi.
Great question.
Across the back!
Let me know if you have any questions on the pattern.
Laura
This is so cool! I love it! Ty
Hey there, brilliant design. Some ladies in my knitting group would like to knit the vest but they don’t speak any English. May I translate the pattern for them into German? I can even provide the translation for you to put on ravelry. Would be really nice.
Greetings from Germany
Marina.
That would be incredible.
Email us at purlbee (at) purlsoho (dot) com!
Thanks!!
Laura
I love the simplicity of this pattern and am going to try it just using one color yarn. When I get to the armholes will this change how I do things if I’m just using one ball of yarn?Thanks.
Hi Lori.
Doing this in one color won’t change the armholes that much. You won’t have a Yarn A to cut at the end of working the Front Left or the Back or the Front Right. And then later, after making the armhole sections, you’ll notice you won’t have to join a second ball of yarn since you’re just working in one color, so that part is easier… as is the fact that you’ll have fewer ends to weave in!
Let us know how it goes. Sounds lovely.
Laura
I LOVE this pattern! It’s just the best thing to wear here in the Pacific NW. It’s just stunning in it’s simplicity. I’ll be knitting this up shortly and wearing it for years!
This is really lovely and looks very cozy! Do you think it would work if I pick up the arm stitches and knit some sleeves in the round? I live in a very cold climate so this would be more practical. How loose would the sleeves be? I was thinking of knitting stockinette sleeves with a long garter band at the wrists… would you recommend using colour A or B or a combo of the two for the sleeves?
I also have a question about the colour – it is so difficult buying wool on line! On my screen your vest looks to be a very dark grey with a slightly off white, but the colour names seem to indicate light green and navy blue! How neutral are these colours? I am aiming for neutral, something that goes with everything 🙂
I have been trying to decide what my next knitting project will be and I think this is it, thank you so much!
Hi Pastille.
Thanks for writing in.
As for the sleeves… YES! you can definitely very easily pick up from armholes and knit in the round to make sleeves. If you are making this with sleeves though, I would size up quite a bit so that the piece becomes a drop shoulder garment. As it’s size now, this vest is based on shoulder widths. If you make the size that aligns with your shoulder width and then pick up and add sleeves, there may not be enough fabric to accommodate for movement in the arms…. it’ll be awkward and too tight. But, if you size up and add width to the back… adding sleeves would be no problem at all. You can follow the pattern as written and then pick up the live stitches left over from making the armholes!
As for the color… You are correct again, my vest is knit with a very very faint silvery green color and a heathered blueish brownish navy. Both are quite versatile in that they can easily be paired with a variety of other colors. For something even more neutral I would try the Worsted Twist in the color Heirloom White or Oyster Gray (an absolute favorite of ours) and the Worsted Twist Heather in Tabby Gray.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks.
Laura
Looking for some more color suggestions – with purple smoke heather worsted twist, would sea salt or oyster gray work of would you recommend a different neutral? Thank you!
Hi Catherine.
I love the Purple Smoke with both Ash Gray and Oyster Gray. If you take a look at the Color Tipped Scarves in our new palette of colors, you can see a garter stitch scarf in exactly those colors. It may help you make your decision!
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/27/color-tipped-scarf-in-new-colors-new-yarns/
Thanks for writing in and let me know if you have any other questions!
Laura
Thanks so much!
Dear Laura,
I love your knitting designs as you always make them into tutorials. I come away from looking at one of them knowing I can knit that. You have Explained it completely in words and photos. I hope Purl Soho provides you with the yarn for you to dream up your creations with. You certainly deserve it. I am going to cast this on today. I have a women’s retreat this weekend and I wanted to take something to do that was mindless. I love garter stitch. You can do anything wile knitting it. Thank you so much
Laura, this will help keep me warm this winter.
Sorry, I can’t find the pdf, but love the pattern!
Hi Anne-
The PDF is linked under the “Pattern” Headline.
Thanks!
Molly
Laura, you’ve done it again!
Think I’ll do a gray and yellow combo but do you think this would work in seed stitch?
Please keep doing more fab designs
Hey Rachel.
Thanks. Glad you like the pattern!
I do think this would work in seed stitch. One thing to keep in mind though is that seed stitch doesn’t “grow” as much as garter stitch does between its it’s rows. A nice thing about wrapping garter stitch around you in this direction is that there is a lot of give in the fabric between the ridges and it will morph and change to accommodate different body shapes. Seed stitch is glorious though and would look amazing. You may want to size up if you’re doing it in seed, that’s all.
Let us know how it goes!
Laura
Hi Laura
Just finishing off and wanted to say what a delight to knit. I can see many variations that I’m going to want to do. My 8 year old wants one too so will size down and may even be adventurous in doing it in stripes.
Thanks again for this great pattern
X
Love your patterns
How much of each color do you end up using? If I wanted to make this with a single color, would I need 2 skeins, or could I use just 1?
Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for your response re. adding sleeves!
So… if my shoulders measure just under 16″, would the large suffice or would you recommend adding a little more to the middle than the large?
How many extra skeins would be required for full sleeves?
Thanks again 🙂
Hi Pastille,
I think the Largest size would suffice.
As for the yardage requirements for sleeves… Having done none, I’m not too sure! My best guess would be one skein per sleeve.
Let us know how it goes!
Laura
I was thinking about knitting this in a single color. How much of each skein did you end up using? Would I need to purchase just 1 skein of the color I choose, or should I go ahead and buy 2?
Hi Lindsey.
If you take a look at the materials section you’ll see I used…
– Yarn A: 3 (4, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino. I used the color Artemisia (left).
– Yarn B: 2 (3, 3) skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist Heather, 100% merino. I used the color Stillwater Blue (right).
I knit the smallest size and used the majority of the 3 skeins of Yarn A and the majority of the 2 skeins of Yarn B totalling to 762 yards, just over 4 1/2 skeins.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
You’re totally right! I missed those numbers reading through on my cell phone. Thanks for pointing those out! I was thinking of using the Manos del Uruguay Maxima yarn for this, would that yarn knit up about the same gauge as what you used here?
Hi Lindsey.
Manos del Uruguay’s Maxima would be awesome. I love that yarn. And the gauge is just right.
Laura
Hi! I so want to make this vest, but I’ve never knit before…lol can you recommend a blog or book that can teach me knitting basics?
Thanks for the help!
Anne
Hi Anne.
Thanks for your interest in this vest pattern!
Check out our How To Knit Kit! You can read about it here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/11/13/new-purl-sohos-learn-to-knit-kit/ And you can purchase it here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8946
Also, here is a link to a list of our knitting tutorials: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knit/tutorials/
Laura
LOVE the concept! A comment and a question: I think the armholes would look fantastic finished in a contrasting pop of color (think scarlet), and why did you cut the yarns at the armholes? Why didn’t you just knit the scrap yarn in, then move the stitches back over and carry on with the two colors unbroken? I hate finishing, but am willing to weave in ends for a good cause. (I ended up quite focused on those armholes, didn’t I?).
Hi Martha.
Thanks.
I am sure there are various ways to finish the armholes, this is just the way I liked best. What you suggest sounds really interesting though. I’ll keep it in mind!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
This is a stunning pattern! I was about 15 rows in when I realized that there was no way it was 30″ long (including folded top). Turns out it was only about 22″ long and that’s without the folded collar. I pulled it out (devastating) and knit a swatch on 5.5mm needles (I didn’t check my gauge before, I’ll admit). The gauge is now fine, so I’m hoping it will look better now when I cast on again, but I’m wondering if you have any other idea what might have been the problem. The fabric of the swatch looked very similar to the fabric of my first try, so I’m wondering if I’m missing something else. I cast on the right number (120) and I’m using the exact yarn recommended (even traveled to New York from Toronto, Canada to get it!).
Thanks – as this is Christmas knitting, I’m working on a tight timeline!
Allegra
Hi Allegra.
Gauge is a tricky thing. Sometimes we tighten up once we have our full number of stitches on the needle (versus a swatch-worth of stitches), sometimes we loosen up once we get more comfortable. I actually had to cast on a few times when I started this project as well. Even though it’s a favorite, go-to stitch, I still couldn’t nail down the gauge right off the bat. Garter does tend to grown some too, but usually between rows, not between stitches. I’m glad you hear you’ve casted back on and I do hope the rest of the project goes smoothly and quickly. Sorry I haven’t dispelled the mysteries of gauge here! Let me know if you have any other questions. Hopefully I can be more helpful on those!
Laura
If I wanted to move the armhole up an inch would I just knit 35 stitches with yarn b before starting to knit with the scrap yarn?
Mia!
Yes, ma’am. You are absolutely correct. Knitting 35 rather than 39 before working in the scrap yarn will more the armhole up one inch.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I am on the last steps of knitting this as a gift, but am struggling with the armhole instructions. You say to pick up 32 + 32 for a total of 64 stitches from the scrap yarn. However, the instructions for finishing the armholes state to “Join Yarn A and bind off 27 stitches purlwise (one Yarn A stitch will remain the right needle), cut Yarn A; join Yarn B and bind off 16 stitches purlwise (one Yarn B stitch will remain on the right needle), cut Yarn B; join Yarn A and bind off remaining stitches purlwise.” The 27 stitches is throwing me off… Shouldn’t there only be 24 stitches of Yarn A? With your math (and keeping things even with yarn A) I would get 27+16+27=70 stitches (not 64) in the armhole. Help! I’m so close! 🙂
Hi Annie.
Thanks for writing in!
You are absolutely correct!!!!
I am changing the pattern now to reflect that the “27” should be “24”.
Thanks again for writing in.
Hope you finish in time!!
Laura
Thanks so much for verifying! I feel better now since I decided to move forward with what I thought was correct.
Currently blocked and drying…
Happy Holidays!
I love this pattern. I’m close to the first arm hole and wondering, can I just bind off and then cast on the same number of stitches in the next row? Will it look weird or not fit right? It just seems a lot simpler to do that than knit in scrap yarn. Thanks for your help!
Hi Emily.
Yes, you can certainly do the underarms that way! Sometimes a bind off and cable cast on don’t end up having the same tension. They also don’t have the same look, but to remedy these things, you could, at the end, go back and pick up around the armhole and bind off to get a nice clean edge around the armhole.
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Laura
Hi, would this work in the Woolfolk Far yarn you sell?
As someone who lives overseas and has to order the yarn online I’m often at a loss for the substitutions…
Hi Shuli.
Woolfolk’s Far would be an amazing substitute. I cannot get enough of that yarn. Incredibly beautiful.
Thanks for writing in.
Holler if you have any other question.
Laura
Hello again, I am getting ready to knit the size large and was just wondering if there would be any yarn left over from the 4 skeins of main colour or the 3 skeins of contrast? Or will the vest require all of it?
Thank you so much in advance 🙂
Hi Pastille.
You’ll have enough yarn to complete the garment, but not a ton left over! I do not have the exact yardages at this moment. I’m sorry.
Thanks for writing to us!
Laura
I have a couple of more questions: if my gauge is 16 stitches and 32 rows = 3 1/4″ wide and 3 1/2″ long would you recommend trying #9 or #10 needles? I don’t own either of them so I’ll have to buy one size and am just wondering, based on my gauge, what your expert recommendation would be?
Also, what type of cast-on and bond-off would you recommend for this pattern?
Thanks again!
Hi Pastille!
Have you blocked your swatch.
Garter stitch tends to relax and grow a bit once it’s been blocked and/or worn.
If you haven’t blocked it, I would go up one needle size. If you have blocked it, I would go up 2 needle sizes.
As for the cast on, I used a basic long tail cast on and a basic bind off as well.
Thanks for writing in.
Please let us know if you have any other questions!!
Laura
Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for your quick response, it is very much appreciated 🙂 I had not blocked the swatch, so I went up one size and my gauge is 16 stitches and 32 rows = 3 1/2″ wide and 3 3/4″ long, unblocked. Would you recommend going with this since the stitch will relax or sizing up again? I am doing the large because I plan to add sleeves but normally I would be a small, so I don’t want to be swimming in it either!
Hi Pastille.
Ohhhh, thank you for the additional details. Yes, I think you’re good now. I can’t wait to hear how it goes with the sleeves!
Best,
Laura
Hi Laura,
I will definitely let you know how it goes but it may be a while, unfortunately I don’t have nearly as much knitting time as I would like! Thank you so much for sharing your infinite knitting wisdom 🙂
Hi Laura, I have finished the vest part and am about to add sleeves! I knit the vest with 9 needles and the rectangle is measuring a tad small but should be fine once blocked. I am going to pick up the sleeve stitches and knit in the round. Would you recommend sticking to 9 needles or sizing up for stockinet te stitch? Do you think that circulars would work or do I have to use dpn? Thanks so much!
Hey Pastille.
That’s great you’re about to add sleeves.
As for needle size, I would probably stick with the same size you’re currently using, the 9s. But that’s a personal preference thing, I don’t like my stockinette stitch too open/loose.
Circulars will work for when you first pick up, but as you begin decreasing, you’ll need to switch to dpns.
Let me know how it goes!
Laura
I have a question about the intarsia. Since garter stitch is the same on both sides, why can’t we do the right side intarsia instructions on both sides? What would happen?
Thank you
Hi Tricia,
Like with everything in knitting, I am sure there are alternate ways to do this technique. I prefer this method because it creates, what I found to be, the cleanest and tidiest look, on both sides. I did experiment a bit before landing on this method, but I cannot remember exactly what happened with the other ways. I just knew I like this one best! It’s the flattest and makes the most uninterupted overall fabric. But if you’re curious… give it a whirl. Let us know how it goes!!
Thanks for writing in.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
I just want to make this in one color and kind of new to knitting. Is there an easier way of explaining this process of the sideways vest in one color?
Hi Hannah.
Thanks for writing in and for your interest in the pattern. As of right now we only have this pattern written as is. If you’d like to modify it to be all one color though, it shouldn’t be too hard.
You don’t need to work the color transitions because you’ll be working in just one color.
For casting on and working the armholes and binding off… Simply treat color A and color B as one color, so for instance, at the beginning, you’ll cast on 48 and then you’ll cast on 72, all with the same yarn. At then underarms, you’ll slip one knitwise, knit 39 stitches, cut your working yarn; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; join working yarn and knit to end of row.
I’m here if you have any questions along the way!
Laura
I’m getting ready to cast on, but am confused that color A (black) is longer than color B (grey). In the pictures it appears that the grey block is actually longer than the black so I’m over-thinking this and wondering if I should switch the colors. I’m trying to duplicate your example so I just want to double check.
Thank you!
Hi Peg.
Thanks for writing in.
Yes… there is more of Color A than Color B. Color A is the lighter of the two. You’ll see in the MATERIALS section that different quantities are required of each.
Yarn A: 3 (4, 4) skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist, 100% merino. I used the color Artemisia Green (left).
Yarn B: 2 (3, 3) skeins of Purl Soho’s Worsted Twist Heather, 100% merino. I used the color Stillwater Blue (right).
I hope this helps!
Enjoy the pattern.
Laura
I just finished knitting mine! I had to adjust for gauge, so the measurememts on mine are a little off. Only 2 things I would change:
– I have muscular arms, so I would like larger arm holes
– I have broad hips, so adding some short rows below the arms would give me more coverage at the hips
Thanks for this post – I think you’ve done a *great* job with the technical photos as well. I’ve been knitting a while but have stalled out at doing simple items. I’m going to use this as a ‘challenge’ project for myself. I may use a lovely hand-dyed rather than colour block; either way, this one’s mine!
I love this pattern, but was wondering if I was to make it in a tube, would I do the sleeve holes the same way? I am not sure if I am explaining myself good enough, but hope you can help.
Hi Annette.
I’m happy to hear you love the pattern!
Are you saying you don’t want an opening in the front? Like a pullover vest? If you are saying you’d like to knit it in the round, so there is no opening in the front, then I would probably work the entire thing from the bottom up or the top down rather than from side to side as this pattern is written. In which case I’d do the armholes very differently. We have another open front vest pattern that is knit bottom, up… https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2011/03/27/whits-knits-joelles-favorite-vest/ I think it’s an easier pattern to modify to get what you’re looking for maybe. I’m not entirely sure. I’d love to help you figure it out though. Write us back if you have any questions!
Thanks,
Laura
I am so in love with your Sideways Garter Vest (but I do not Knit! I have tried many times, it is thou I have 2 left hands and I just can not grasp the technique.)
I LOVE your pattern and the tutorials are great! Thanks
I love this vest, however I would prefer to make it with sleeves. Do you have any tips on how to add them?
Hi Mijke.
As for the sleeves… YES! you can definitely very easily pick up from armholes and knit in the round to make sleeves. If you are making this with sleeves though, I would size up quite a bit so that the piece becomes a drop shoulder garment. As it’s size now, this vest is based on shoulder widths. If you make the size that aligns with your shoulder width and then pick up and add sleeves, there may not be enough fabric to accommodate for movement in the arms… it’ll be awkward and too tight. But, if you size up and add width to the back… adding sleeves would be no problem at all. You can follow the pattern as written and then pick up the live stitches left over from making the armholes!
Let me know if you have any questions! Or maybe even comment to Pastille who has commented here and has actually done this! She may have more tips.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
This is a really cute and easy pattern – I’ll have to try it out!
Also, just wanted to point out that I think there is a repeated/missing picture under weaving in the yarn B tail…
Shelly!
Thank you so much.
I cannot believe I missed this and that no one else has pointed it out to me! What eagle eyes you have.
Thanks for letting me know. I will remedy this immediately.
Laura
I just found your site through a post by my local knit shop on Facebook. I came because I love the style and ease of this vest pattern, and because I have a knitting buddy that loves to just do the garter stitch constantly. I’ve read through this pattern, and I have to tell you how pleasant it is to never be too old to learn new tricks! I love the way this is made and found the pattern to be fairly simple to follow. This will definitely be my next larger project! Thank you for posting this tutorial which is very complete! I think I’m in love with your site already!! I’ve subscribed!!
Would love to attempt this!
I’m not a great pattern follower though … Don’t suppose you have a video of this to follow do you?
Hi SJ-
We don’t have a video for this pattern but we are happy to help with any specific questions you have as you go!
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I love this, but usually avoid garter stitch because it stretches so badly and loses its shape. It occurred to me that the vertical orientation of the rows might mean this vest wouldn’t stretch as much.
Can you report how well the vest retains its shapes after a few wearings?
Candace.
I’m so glad you wrote in. I love that you asked this question.
The vest holds up very well, even after lots of wearings. In fact, working the garter stitch sideways, I think it adds to the structure and design of the sweater. That stretching that garter stitch fabric has, I tried to use it to my advantage. With this piece, the garter ridges gently give and subtly stretch and contract where your body may need it too (along the hips or bust).
Hope this information helps.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Love, love , love this vest pattern….
am trying to download the pattern, but 28 pages?
Do you have a “friendly download” site?
Perhaps you do, but I have overlooked it.
thank you
Hi Dana.
We do have a print feature that allows you to eliminate any text or photos you’d like.
If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the date and tags. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials.
Hope this helps!
Laura
This looks like a great vest! Does it really have such a large gap over the stomach area or is that just how it is draped on the mannequin?
If so, any ideas on how to prevent the gap? Short rows?
Hey Signe.
Thanks for writing in.
This is an closure-less cardigan. It is almost more of a wrap with two armholes. It does drape open in the front. Although, a pin somewhere around chest-plate height would nicely close it partially.
Have you seen our other garments? https://www.purlsoho.com/create/category/knit/projects-knit/garments-projects-knit/
Perhaps you’d prefer the Cardigan Vest: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/03/20/lauras-loop-purl-sohos-cardigan-vest/
Thanks again for writing in.
Laura
I’m inspired to make this and have purchased my yarn, but I am a crocheter only. I’ve studied the pattern and photos and I’ll be using slip stitch crochet to mimic the garter stitch. I’d still like to do this “sideways.”
My question – should I crochet one piece each of color A and B and then use a seaming technique (mattress stitch) to connect? Or is there a crochet technique that mimics the knit pattern of a row of stitches with x stitches in color A and y stitches of color B? I think I’m interpreting the written pattern correctly, but I’m not a knitter — yet. Thanks.
Hi CML.
I can’t wait to see what this project looks like crocheted!
I sadly am of little help to you. Other than a bit of edging, I don’t really crochet. I am going to reach out and see if someone else can help you with this though.
Stay Tuned!
Laura
If I want to do this in all one color…just add the two stitches together?
Hi Suzanne.
Yes! Simply add the two stitch counts together. So, for casting on and working the armholes and binding off… Simply treat color A and color B as one color, so for instance, at the beginning, you’ll cast on 48 and then you’ll cast on 72, all with the same yarn. At then underarms, you’ll slip one knitwise, knit 39 stitches, cut your working yarn; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; join working yarn and knit to end of row.
Thanks for writing in.
Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
Laura
Hi, I would like to know if I can just BF the arm holes instead of using the scrap yarn method, thank you much I love this easy pattern!
Hi Chiu Mei.
Did you mean BO (bond off)? If so, the answer is yes! You can definitely do the armholes that way instead.
Thanks for writing in. Hope you enjoy it!
Laura
Getting ready to try this one and I do not follow patterns well. For the armholes, can I just treat them like buttonholes and bind-off at the location of them, instead of using the scrap yarn and picking it up just to bind-off later?
Thanks.
Hi Sara.
You sure can! That’s definitely another method that will work.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hi, love this pattern. Just one question. Do I have to use circular needles!
Hi Altha.
If you can fit all the stitches onto a long straight needle, I think you can make it work on straights. It’s just a really wide fabric, that’s why I suggested circulars. Also, picking up the armhole stitches with a straight may be a bit tricky, but I bet you could work around it. Let us know if you have any questions. Thanks for writing in. -Laura
Is it me or there is a mistake in yarn A, yarn B. Yarn A corresponds to the dark blue wool but then according to the pattern is the color with higher number of stiches. Should it not be opposite?
Hi Maria.
Thanks for writing in.
Some of the photos may be misleading, but this pattern requires more of Yarn A as it makes up a greater portion of the vest. It also has a greater cast on number. If you take a look at some of the images of the vest laid on the table, you may notice that the lighter color makes up more than 1/2 of the piece.
Please let us know if you have any questions! Thanks. -Laura
I love this pattern too but I am stuck at the point of 9 inches where:
ake Left Armhole
Next Row (wrong side): Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 39 stitches, cut Yarn B; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; join Yarn A and knit to end of row.
as it states to reduce one st at each row I no longer have 39 B stitches: sucks being a beginner… regards julie
– S
Hi Julie.
I’m not entirely sure I understand your question but I’m going to do my best to describe the section of the pattern…
At the end of the previous section you’ve cut Yarn A.
And now it’s time to make the Left Armhole.
You slip one knitwise, then with Yarn B, you’ll knit 39 stitches, then with scrap yarn you’ll knit 32 stitches, then you can cut your scrap yarn and join Yarn A to knit to the end of the row.
As for your comment about reducing one at each row… it does not say to reduce, it just says to slip a stitch. This is just an optional way to work the edge stitches, you can definitely knit that stitch as well.
I hope this helps.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Laura
I am also confused about the sleeves. When the pattern says “knit with yarn B”…I’m stuck. My working yarn B tests in the middle of the garmet. Am I using a new strand of yarn B? Or have I set up he garmet wrong? Picture of this specific step would be helpful. It’s a gorgeous piece that enhances garter stitch.
Hi Meridith.
Thanks for writing in. I’d love to help get you back on track!
Where exactly are you in the pattern? Are you making the first armhole? When you make the armholes are you asked to cut and then rejoin Yarn B. You’ll see that in “Next Row” under “Make Left Armhole”… after you k39 in Yarn B, you are instructed to cut Yarn B and then continue in Yarn A. Then in the following row under “Work Back Vest”… after you k71 in Yarn A, you are instructed to rejoin Yarn B.
Other than when you make the two armholes though, there is no reason to cut and rejoin Yarn B. I’m wondering if perhaps you’ve cast on differently than I did. The pattern asks you to cast on 48 with Yarn B, then continue casting on with Yarn A, 72 more stitches. Then turn your work, and knit those 72 Yarn A stitches with Yarn A, do the intartia trick described in the NOTES section and then knit the 48 Yarn B stitches with Yarn B.
I do hope I have answered your question. If you’re at a different point in the pattern… please let me know!
Laura
Hello,
I’m new to knitting and this question may sound absolutely dumb, but how can I tell side is the right side? I don’t see the typical garter stitch that gives you “purls” on one side and “v’s” on the other side (i usually call wrong side the one with the purls and the right side the one with the v’s).
Instructions say to knit all the way on both sides :/
Thank you
Hi Mischa.
It sounds like maybe you’re describing stockinette stitch, where the right side it knit and the wrong side is purled. Grater stitch is a bit different. You knit both sides which creates a reversible fabric with ridges.
Although garter stitch is reversible, for this pattern, you have to assign one side as the right side and one side as the wrong side because certain steps are done on the right side and certain steps are done on the wrong side.
I hope this helps.
Please write us back with any questions you have!
Laura
Hello,
I do like the work. Could you please advise what type of cast on you have used? Is it a loop cast on method?
Thanks
Irina
Hi Irina.
Thanks for writing in.
I used a long-tail cast on.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions!
Laura
Thank you very much.
I love the sideways garter vest n hope to have the pattern
Such a cool vest – does the body hang straight or curve out like an A-frame?
Hi Robin.
Thanks for writing in!
The way the vest hangs depends on the body type. On a curvier figure, it will hang off the body more. On a more of a bean-pole gal, the piece will fall closer to the body.
Also, the piece can be work right side up or up side down. If you have it oriented with a longer collar and shorter body, it will be closer to you, but if you flip it around, wearing it with a longer body, the piece will curve out more like an A-frame.
I do hope this helps. Please write us back with any questions you may have!
Thanks.
Laura
I know a couple of people have asked about this but this would be my first time doing armholes or buttonhole techniques. I really want to try to use the BO method for the armholes but would i be BO in the middle where you would knit 32 sts with the scrap yarn and knitting the beginning and end? I’m just a bit confused.
Thanks! I’m super excited about this project!
Hi Kim.
Yes! You’re absolutely right… Bind off over those same stitches where I use the scrap yarn to knit.
Thanks for writing in.
Best,
Laura
I just left a comment about the number of pages I would need to print if I want a hard copy of this pattern which I do!
I saw another comment about a print-friendly version and read your reply which instructs me to click on text and/or photos I want to delete.
Well, the photos are fantastic and/or necessary so I don’t want to delete them but I would like to make them smaller. An entire page for a photo is overkill. Is there a way to do that? Does it have to be all or nothing?
I tried to copy and past the pattern into Word but none of the photos came across.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
Hi Kate.
Thank you for writing in.
Unfortunately our print feature does not have the capability to edit the size of photos. Usually if people want to resize the photos, we suggest they copy and paste the pattern into a Word document and editing it from there. I’m sorry to hear the photos didn’t come through though when you tried this. I have not encountered that issue before.
Maybe another commenter has some suggestions for you. I’m afraid this these are all the tricks I know.
Our apologies for any frustration this has caused. I do hope you enjoy the pattern!
Laura
Hi, love the vest. I have just started it. Just a query…at the beginning as I am repeating row 2 and 3 until it measures around 10 inches before the armhole, do I slip a stitch on each row or just knit? thanks
Hi AM,
I slipped one knitwise at the beginning of each row. I like the resulting edge, but it’s totally optional. You can knit that first stitch instead if you prefer!
Thanks for writing in. Let us know if you have any quesitons! -Laura
I love this pattern and can’t wait to start on it however i’m confused on the armhole? Cutting the yarn and using a scrap piece I really don’t understand what or how to do that? I knit pretty much easy projects….so this has me stumped??
Hello! Thanks for writing in! This is a tricky bit!
This is a technique to essentially put the stitches on hold without leave them on a stitch holder. If you prefer, you may bind off this length of stitches allotted for the armhole and then re-cast them on once you get to that spot in the next row.
If you would like to try doing the technique that we recommend in the pattern, you will need to just knit these stitches with a bit of contrast colored yarn and then just let the tails hang loose. Carefully follow the instructions when weaving in the ends of the yarn that is actually making up the body of the vest. Once you pick out the contrast colored yarn, you will be left with the stitches that surround the armhole and can proceed in giving them a nice finished edge.
Any chance you’re in the NYC area? Feel free to stop by our shop and get some more tips! Best of luck! -Alyson
I want to thank your for your generosity and compliment you on your infinite creativity!
Barbara!
Thank You!
What an amazing and encouraging comment to receive.
Laura
Hello, I have written in several times about this pattern and have really appreciated your helpful answers… I knit this lovely vest with sleeves and it did turn out quite nicely… however I did have one technical annoyance and since I plan on knitting another one I was hoping to get to the bottom of it! I used the same technique as in your instructions for the arm holes but instead of binding off I picked up the live stitches and knit the sleeves in the round. Unfortunately I have a little hole on either end (where I move from one row to the other in the round). Do you have any idea why this would have happened and what I could do next time to avoid it? Thank you so much in advance 🙂
Hi Pastille!
I remember our correspondence! I’m so glad that you added the sleeves and it worked out nicely.
About those holes though… Did you work the sleeves in stockinette stitch (knitting each round) or in garter stitch (knitting one round then purling the next). The reason I ask is because sometimes when you work garters stitch in the round, if it’s with medium or thick yarn, the join (where the end of the round is) can create a jog and sometimes a small gap. Is this what you’re talking about? Some folks will slip the last stitch of the round purlwise, every other round to minimize the hole. It will of course create a different little mini-pattern, but if it’s at the underside of the arm, it’s pretty unnoticeable.
I guess my other advice would be to make sure that you pick up the armhole/sleeve stitches so that the join falls at the underarm and not on top of the arm, this way it’s even more hidden. I know this piece can be worn right side up or up side down, but if you do have a preference on how you’ll wear it, then you can intentionally pick up your for your sleeve stitches accordingly!
Let me know how it goes.
Glad to hear from you again.
Laura
Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for your response. I knit the sleeves in stockinette (knitting each round) except for the garter cuff at the end but the garter cuff turned out nicely. The join is also on the side that will be worn more often as the underarm. But there is a hole where the sleeves join the body, under the arm and at the top so I must be doing something wrong! (in other words where the first and last stitch of the contrasting yarn is). I managed to camouflage this with some hand stitches but I would love to know how to avoid this problem! It doesn’t seem as though the answer is obvious though! I had never used this technique so maybe it is just a question of practicing a bit but it seems quite straightforward… Do you have any other ideas as to what it could be? Thanks again for your time and for sharing your knitting knowledge and creative ideas 🙂
Hi Pastille.
Thanks for writing back in.
Without having the piece in my hands, it’s hard to suggest anything different. I’m thinking you dealt with it as best you could… going back in and taking some hand stitches to close up the holes. A similar step is required when finishing a raglan sweater, typically two holes are left at each sleeve and the solution is to tidy them up by sewing them closed.
I wish I had a more elegant solution for you! I’ll keep my thinking cap on…
Always good to hear from you!
Laura
Hi. I recently bought some Purl Soho Super Soft Merino and was wondering if I could work up this vest in that material? If not, could you give me some suggestions of patterns to use with the super soft merino? Thanks so much!
Hi Katiusca.
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately, Super Soft Merino is too think for this pattern. The Sideways Garter Vest is written for a worsted weight yarn. But the good news is that we have loads of other patterns that are just perfect for Super Soft Merino!
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/tag/purl-sohos-super-soft-merino/
Let us know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hi,
I find yr armholes hv neat finishes but I still cannot figure out how to do it from yr pictures.. I’m a beginner 🙂 Is there a website where they show clearly how to stitch yr kind of armholes .. what is this method called?
Thanks Trudy
Hi Trudy.
Thank you for writing in. I got the idea of doing the underarms that way from a technique used when adding a thumb to a mitten. I’m not sure it has an official name, maybe… scrap yarn thumb. We use it on our Seed Stitch Mittens + Hand Warmers as well as our Classic Mittens. Maybe some of the photos in those tutorials will help?!
Thanks again for writing in and please do not hesitate to write us back with any additional questions!
Laura
I am getting ready to knit this wonderful vest, and I am wondering if I should add a couple of inches to the length. I have a very long body. I can’t tell from the photos where it comes to on a normal sized body;therefore, I am not sure how much to add. Any suggestion would be appreciated!
Hi Kerry.
If you’re very long bodied, adding a few inches might not be a bad idea.
This piece can be worn right side up or up side down, depending if you’d like a longer body or a more full collar. With it oriented so the (light gray) body is longer… from the underarm to the bottom edge measures 12 inches. I think 2 to 3 inches more might be nice for you! You may want to measure some of your favorite pieces to see compare the length from shoulder to bottom edge is. This piece measures 20 inches from the shoulder to the bottom edge (again if oriented so that the body is longer and the collar is shorter.
Please let us know if you have any questions Kerry.
Thanks.
Laura
Like Kerry above, I am interested in knitting this a tad longer. (I’m thinking this would make a cute after-pilates coverup to throw on over workout tights and I’d love to hide my booty a little more!) Instead of adding inches to the light gray portion though, I was wondering what it would look like to add to the dark blue side. Basically, make the two sides identical in length. Would this destroy the collar effect if you had more than 12 inches up top?
Thanks!
Kelley
Hi Kelley.
This would make for a great coverup, especially with a few more inches at the body. I’m not sure I would add too many much more inches to the 12-inch collar side. The 12-inch collar is generous but not too heavy. With too much fabric up there it might start to pull on the rest of the garment, weighing it down. I’m curious about your modifications! Write us back with how it goes!!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I am just about to the left armhole, and I think that I want to make my armhole the same way you would make a buttonhole. How does that work with the two different colors/intarsia?
Hi Kaitlynn.
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately at this time we only have this pattern written with the one armhole technique. I’d love to help you out as best I can though! There are so many buttonhole techniques, I’m not entirely sure which you’re thinking of using here, but if you’re just binding off and then casting back on in the following round… I believe that you can bind off the Yarn B stitches with Yarn B, cut Yarn B, then twist the working yarns as instructed for garter stitch intarsia and then bind of Yarn A stitches with Yarn A. In the following row, you can cast on the same number of stitches with Yarn A as you bound off, then rejoin Yarn B to cast on the same number of Yarn B stitching you bound off. I do hope these tips work! Thanks again for writing in.
Laura
Hello,
I am thinking of knitting another one of this lovely design and I was wondering if I could have some colour advice as it is so difficult to buy colours from the screen! I would like to work with pink grapefruit this time, and most likely a worsted twist grey or another worsted twist neutral (but not white as it is not practical!). What would you recommend with pink grapefruit?
Thanks so much!
Pastille
Hello Pastille!
If you would like the entire item to be sort of colorful and bright, I would match Pink Grapefruit with Ballet Pink. If you’d like a more neutral to balance out the vibrant Grapefruit color, I would use Wheat Flour! Best of luck!
-Alyson
Hi Alyson,
Thank you for the colour advice. I am not a huge fan of ballet pink. Wheat flour could be a nice option but I’m worried it might be too pale and therefore impractical (small kids!). Would oyster grey, storm grey, charcoal grey or sea salt be a nice match with pink grapefruit? Also, do you guys have any colour yarn samples? It would be so much easier to buy colours on line with physical samples! Thanks do much!
Hi, Pastille!
Thank you so much for writing in! I think that either the storm grey or charcoal grey would look amazing next to pink grapefruit. Both of those greys are on the darker side causing the pink grapefruit to really pop! Unfortunately, we don’t have color yarn samples, sorry!
Again, thank you very much for your question.
Best,
Kumeko
Hi Kumeko,
Thank you so much for the colour advice! I think Storm grey would be the better choice, charcoal may be too dark for my liking. I was wondering though if you could describe sea salt for me please? On the screen it looks like a medium warm grey, tonally in between oyster and storm. Would that be correct? If not how would you describe it?
Thank you very much 🙂
Hello, Pastille!
Sorry for the delayed response! The Sea Salt looks grey in the photo, but in person it’s more of a soft taupe.
Best,
Kumeko
Hello,
Really enjoying the pattern so far, it is pretty straightforward but I am having trouble with one thing. I am working on the left arm hole and have knit the 32 stitches with the scrap yarn and it is time to join yarn A and knit to the end. Should I cut yarn A and start up with it at the end of the 32 scrap yarn stitches or just drag the yarn over to where I am and let it dangle on the wrong side? This is a little awkward, I wasn’t sure how to properly bring yarn A over. Thanks!!
Kaitlyn
Hi Kaitlyn.
I’m glad you wrote in. If you take a look at the end of that first section of the pattern, you’ll see it tell you to cut Yarn A. Then in the following section, once you’ve knit the 32 stitches (where you are) you’ll join Yarn A (start knitting with it) to complete the row. This way you don’t have to worry about that awkward dangling strand.
Let us know if you have any questions! Enjoy your Sideways Garter Vest!
-Laura
Good Morning,
Is there a way to lengthen the vest (at the bottom) after i am finished?
Thank you!
Hello, Teal!
Thank you for writing in! Sorry about the delayed response! To add length to a completed vest is tricky since this the garment is knit sideways. You’re best option may be to knit another rectangular section and then seam that to the bottom of the vest. If you have further questions please let us know!
Happy knitting,
Kumeko
I am finally going to treat myself to this pattern and yarn. I love it. I am unable to locate the worsted twist Artemisia. Is it discontinued? If so, what would be a good substitute with the worsted twist heather Stillwater Blue?
Thank you.
Hi Jane,
Thanks for writing in! I’m sorry that it looked as though we no longer had Aretmisia Green in Worsted Twist. We do have it! If you are still looking for an alternate color to go with Stillwater Blue, Oyster Gray is a great alternative!
Happy knitting!
-Cassy
Hi,
I absolutely love how creative and approachable your patterns are for intermediate beginners like myself. Thank you for all of the detailed pictures and descriptions to go along with the beautiful projects. I am just about to finish this vest (very excited) but am nervous about binding off the armholes. Would you be able to provide a little more description on how to “join Yarn A and bind off purl wise”. Do you use the piece of Yarn A that is still attached or do you start with a new piece? Do you need to slip the first stitch at all? Thank you for your help!!
Hi Jennie,
Thank you for your kind words! Joining yarn A means that you will need to start binding off with a new piece of yarn. To bind of purlwise is like binding off when knitting. All you do is purl two stitches and then pass the first stitch over the second stitch and continue in that pattern. Finally, there is no slipping needed when binding off. I hope this answers your question!
Best,
Adam
Please help! I’m almost finished with this project and I’m stuck. I’m at the pick up and bind off step. I’ve inserted my circular needle but I’m nervous to pull out my scrap yarn because I’m not sure how to bind off. The pattern says to join yarn A but does that mean I need a new yarn piece?
Thanks!
Hi Allison,
You are almost there! Yes, you do need to join a new piece of yarn to bind off purlwise and mid bind off you will switch to the CC. I think you’ll be quite pleased with the finished vest!
Best,
Adam
Hi! I’m so excited to be at the end of this lovely and oh so fun project! It’s my first garment and your directions were superb! As a knitting noob, I was wondering if you could suggest a tutorial for how to bind off? I’ve never liked the way my bind off have been tight and awkward when finishing a scarf, and I’m anxious to get this bind off right since it is so visible on the front of this lovely vest. What would you suggest?
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for your question. Have you tried Elizabeth Zimmerman’s better bind off? It’s perfect for getting a just right finish! Here’s a link to our tutorial:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/03/16/elizabeth-zimmermanns-better-bind-off/
While ours is shown in ribbing, it can be used to bind off any edge. Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Happy binding off!
Anna
Dear people at Purl Soho!
I am nearing the arm holes on my Sideways Garter Vest and noticed that a lot of knitters have commented that rather than following the pattern’s instructions to use scrap yarn to mark the spot and return afterwards to complete the holes – they preferred casting off and casting on right then and there. I am wondering if you think that the method used in the pattern is preferable and if so – could you help me understand why?
Thanks a lot!!
Margie
Hi Margie,
Thanks for writing in! Both techniques are acceptable. I prefer to use scrap yarn for the armhole because it reinforces the area. If you decide to bind off and cast on, the armholes can sag from knitting and turning the garment as you move on. As I mentioned before, this is just my preference. The choice is yours!
Best,
Adam
Dear Purl Bee,
I have been dreaming of making this vest since I first saw it. I was thinking of Storm Grey with Black Green in Worsted Twist. Do you think these colours will work well or should I go for a less blue toned light colour?
Many thanks,
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for writing us! I think that you should knit the colors that inspire you! After all, you’ll be staring at them for a long time. I like your color combo, but I personally think that the Black Green and the Artemisia Green go well together too. I hope you enjoy knitting this!
Best,
Adam
Thanks so much Adam, I will give it a go! Best regards… Nicole
I made the vest. Love it. It was easy. I used a bucele’ yarn in light blue and in navy blue. This yarn was from my stash. l also made it A-symetrical because that’s just me. Thank you for the pattern. archer
Hello, I absolutely adore this pattern. I have been searching for patterns to knit something like a long vest. I think thins would look lovely worn as a long vest. I am not experienced enough to make the necessary calculations and adjustments
Do you think you could possibly adjust your existing pattern for ke to be able to follow instructions?? Could you also let me know how much yarn would be required. I am very keen to make it my next project.
I will wait eagerly for your response!
Hi Saggy,
Thanks for the nice comment! I think that lengthening this garment is easier than you think! All you have to do is cast on more stitches of the bottom color. I’d cast on 25% more stitches or however many you see fit for the length you desire. For the armholes, you’ll place them in the same spot as the pattern — just take in account the extra amount of stitches you cast on. I would buy one more skein of the main color to lengthen the vest, but if you would like it to be significantly longer, I’d buy two more. Good luck on the project!
Best,
Adam
Hi there,
Do you think the super soft merino would be too bulky for this pattern?
Kind regards,
Karen.
Hi Karen,
Great question! I do think that the Super Soft Merino would be too thick for this pattern. The Worsted Twist that this pattern is knit in comes in at 4.5-5 stitches per inch and the Super Soft Merino is 2-3 stitches per inch, quite a bit thicker than the Worsted Twist. If the Worsted Twist is not to your liking, I would recommend substituting another worsted weight yarn. All of our worsted weight yarns can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn.html?yarn_stitches_per_inch_filter=971
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
How many yards of yarn does this pattern use?
Hi Lynsey,
Great question! This lovely vest uses between 750-1150 yards depending on what size you are making. You will use a little more of one color than the other but sadly I do not have exact measurements for that.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thank you a lot for this tutorials. I have saved the picture long ago in my Pinterest, but today I fount the pattern at Purl Soho. This knitting project will be a present for myself.
Have a great knitting day!
I like this pattern? I would like to make one color to avoid all the color changes. How do I do this?
Hi Jo Ann,
Thank you for writing in. If you would like to knit this in a solid color, all you do is get the same yardage of yarn in one color. You don’t have to switch colors in the pattern. If you feel like skipping this part, that won’t affect anything about the vest. Thanks again!
-Adam
I might just be dense, but the armholes baffle me. Since my yarn A color was in the middle, the pattern doesn’t work. What have I done incorrectly? I am on the lift armhole and have cut yarn B no problem. Slipped stitches to get to middle to k it yarn A but this is just wrong.
Please help.
Hi Diane,
Hopefully I can clear this up for you. You will be inserting a scrap yarn piece into the middle of yarn A and B sections for the armhole. This yarn will get taken out at the end and you’ll bind off in order to finish the armhole. If you notice in the picture below the Left Armhole section you’ll see that with yarn A the knitter knits on top of the scrap yarn on the right side of the garment. This inserts the scrap yarn into the fabric, which will later be taken out and strung on to a needle for bind off. I hope this makes things clear! Maybe if you read to the end of the pattern you’ll get a better gist of what you are doing. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Adam
How many stitches do I cast on if I want this the second size up? Seems to only list CO numbers for first size. Additionally how does this change the number of stitches to make the arm holes?
Hi Libby,
Great question! All of the sizes call for the same number of cast-on stitches. Because this pattern is knit sideways, you will knit further before creating the arm holes for each size. If you take a look at the last picture on the pattern above, you should be able to get a sense of how this pattern is knitted from one side to the other and not top to bottom or bottom to top!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I can read a pattern. It states end on right side and cut yarn b. This leaves the cut at the bottom and the yarn a in the middle of the fabric. Did you not understand the question? I can continue the yarn b up the fabric and then start the armhole instructions at that point in yarn a. That is not how the pattern reads. Please help. I might try what others mentioned and bind off and then restart.
Hi Diane,
After the row where you join the scrap yarn you will knit back with yarn A for 71 stitches and then switch to yarn B by joining a new end. I hope this was your question!
-Adam
I would like to make this wider in shoulders than 17-1/2″ ( about 20″) how do I do this.? . I have to have shoulder replacements, keep shoulders warm and easy to put on..looks like this will work
Thankyou, June
Hi June,
Thank you for writing in! The great thing about this pattern, is that it is easy to increase the distance between the shoulders. After you make the left armhole, you will repeat Rows 2 and 3 from FRONT LEFT section until piece measures 18 inches from scrap yarn, ending after working a right side row. Then continue on with the pattern as written!
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
I just purchased the yarn for this and cannot wait to start! The armholes are a bit tricky so I want to just do a bind off, if I did that, how many stitches should I bind off to make the same armhole size? Thank you!
Hello, Amber!
Thank you for writing in! You would bind off over those same stitches where we use the scrap yarn to knit. So, you would BO in the middle where you would knit 32 sts with the scrap yarn, knitting the beginning and end. Does that make sense? Please let us know if you have further questions! Again, thank you for your question.
Best,
Kumeko
I am approaching the arm holes and after reading all the comments and answers I would prefer to Bind off at the arm hole.
So I should knit 39 stitches with yarn B (which is the top color) then BO 32 stitches ( 9 of these will be yarn B and the other 23 will be yarn A) then finish knitting the remainder of my 71 stitches in yarn A (my math is 48 stitches) (bottom color).
now I slip 1 and start knitting I think it will be 71minus 23 stitches (48 if calculating right)
then I have to cast on 23 stitches (to get me back to my 71 with color A) and cast on 9 more with color B – then finish knitting this row with my color B to the top! This is my first garment and really hoping to make it through this part! Thanks for any corrections or tips.
Hi Sonya,
Good job on the kitting math! I think you’ll be fine. The most important part is that you knit 39 and bind off 32. When you turn your work you’ll have no choice but to cast on 32 stitches where you previously bound off. Best of luck!
-Adam
Hello Purl,
Your Garter Vest is great. I wear mine often. Even in winter over a little pullover. But I’d like to add a good closure. I already tried to add some snap fasteners (bouton pression in french), but it’s not the perfect closure, as the knit stretches and falls down the closure. I also tried a pin, but the knit falls around it too. I’m looking for a better idea, do you have any ideas ?
Thank you !
My knit is there on Ravelry :
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/emmaluna/sideways-garter-vest
Hi Emmaluna,
Thanks for writing in and for your kind words! The best closures that we have seen have been either shawl pins or giant saftey pins like these: https://www.purlsoho.com/tools/notions/brass-safety-pins.html
They do pull a bit at the fabric but this can be mitigated by closing the vest less tightly!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
This is the cutes pattern. Is there a way to enlarge to fit a size 3X? Hopeful yes. Your patterns are amazing.
Thanks so much
Hi Marcia,
Thanks for your interest in this pattern! This pattern is very easy to modify and I think you can do it! First you’ll want to get gauge because you’ll increase your cast on from there. I’d measure from your nose to where you want the vest to end and multiply your stitches per inch by this measurement. Yarn B is 40% of your cast on and yarn A is 60%. From here on out you’ll measure to your body where you want the first armhole to sit. Make sure you count how many rows in you are so you can repeat that for the second armhole. You’ll probably have to make the armhole bigger so I suggest taking away more stitches from Yarn B. From there on out you’ll keep trying on the vest for the cross back measurement and repeat for the second armhole. I hope you’ll tackle this one!
-Adam
Hi. I have made this vest and love it. Thinking about adding sleeves and I was wondering which technique you think would be best? Thanks so much for any help and thanks for the great pattern.
Patti
Hi Patti,
Thanks for the question. I suggest picking up the stitches along the slits and knitting down in the round. If you want to maintain garter stitch in the round, you’ll knit a round and then purl a round. Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions.
-Adam
I really want to make this but in all one colour but I don’t know how to adapt the pattern. Maybe l’all wait until I’m a bit stronger at knitting! Lovely pattern!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for writing in. It’s really quite easy to make this all in one color. All you do is cast on in one color and you don’t follow the instructions for intarsia. Hope you’ll do it!
-Adam
Hi
I too want to make it in one color. Hopefully I can work my way thru it.
I’m not a new knitter, but usually make easy projects
Hi, I loved you garter vest and it has the stitch I am looking for. Could you let me know did you knitted it? The recipe for it please, I am about to start a new project and I would love to use this stitch.
Thank you very much.
Cristina
Hi Cristina,
Thank you for writing in! The pattern for this lovely vest can be found above! It is knit in garter (knitting every stitch on both sides) and uses an intarsia technique to allow for the two colors!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I was wondering about how this garment along with the vest using the new undyed alpaca yarn would look on an individual with a larger bust measurement. I was also wondering if either of these patterns are too difficult for a knitter of 7-8 yrs., with no experience knitting the multiple patterns/stitch combos? Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me!
Hi Pam,
Thanks for the questions. This pattern is totally doable for a knitter of 7-8 years. Intarsia is easier than you think and we have a tutorial for it. The Shepherdess Alpaca is a heavier weight than the Worsted Twist, so you might have to do a gauge swatch to modify the pattern for yourself. Also, I’ve seen this garment on people of all sizes and it looks great. It is a very simple vest and is a nice addition to any outfit.
All the best,
Adam
Hi Pam,
Thanks for writing in! I have seen this vest on women of every body type and it looks great on just about everybody! There are a lot of completed projects for this vest on Ravelry that I think could give you a good idea of how it looks on a variety of body types. As the Drift Vest is brand new, I have only seen the sample on people. Given its boxy construction and simple by pleasing shape, I think that it will work well on a large variety of body shapes! Both vests are easy to achieve especially if you have been knitting for 7-8 years!
Best,
Cassy
I am struggling with the knitwise instruction… there are several knitwise tutorials on YouTube. I am assuming it’s to add a better border/edge to the top and bottom but cannot figure it out.
Thank you,
Cara
Hi Cara,
Thanks for writing in. Slipping one knitwise simply refers to slipping as if to knit instead of how you’d normally do it, which is as if to purl. When you slip one knitwise you get a very clean edge.
All the best,
Adam
Hi Purl,
Can you recommend another type of yarn for this pattern besides worsted yarn?
Hi Lena,
Thanks for writing in! This pattern is written for worsted weight yarn and you can substitute any worsted weight that you would like! I think that Cascade 220 or Blue Sky Worsted Hand Dyes would both work beautifully. If you would like to use a different weight yarn, you will need to quite a bit or reworking of the pattern.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I am a beginner knitter. I am hinting with #8, 32″ circular needles. With Yarn B, cast 48 stitches onto the longer needle. Put Yarn B to the side; do not cut it.
What is the longer needle? The needles are both the same size with the nylon string in-between. Confused .
Thanks, Theresa
Hi Theresa,
Thank you for the question! The longer needle just refers to the main needle you’ll be using for the whole project. It does not refer to the actual needles on either side of the cord. Because there are two needles specified in the pattern materials we pointed out that you’ll want to cast on with the longer needle (US8, 32″). Hope this clears things up!
-Adam
im loving the simplicity and elegance of your vest. i am considering using combination pallett of sea salt and rose granite. as i cant see them side by side, do you feel these colors compliment eachother? thanks, leslie
Hi Leslie,
Thanks for writing in! I took a look at the colors together and think that they will make a lovely vest. The color combination is a bit more subtle than the one shown but it is quite lovely!
Best,
Cassy
I don’t get how you show dimensions for three sizes, but only one size/set of instructions when you actually cast on and knit. I want to make it in large. It looks like such a great vest!
Hello Wendy,
Thank you for writing in! I’m happy to hear you like this vest. This piece is knit ‘sideways’ from one vertical edge to the other and the length measurements are the same for all three sizes. This means the cast on will be the same for all three sizes. Once you get to “Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until piece measures 9 (10 ½, 11 ¼) inches from cast on edge, ending after working a right side row” in the pattern it will give you instructions for each size in parentheses.
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Marilla
Hi any chance of sideways vest being translated into crochet? Love your patterns and site.
Hi Cat,
Thanks for writing in! We do not have a crochet version of this vest at present but I will certainly pass on your request. You may be able to create the pattern on your own by doing some gauge swatches in double or single crochet and seeing which fabric you like and how many stitches you are getting per inch. You would then use the measurements of this vest to determine how many to chain on and work the vest based on the measurements that we provide!
Best,
Cassy
comment on the May 22 2017 comment. I am rather busty and the 37 measurement just won’t make it. I would need to increase 10 inches. I can most probably do the measurements and do the math, but please remember us size large busty ladies. I am excited to see this pattern and am more excited to knit it. THANKS!!
Hello,
Thank you so much for your comment! We will definitely pass this suggestion on to the team!
Best,
Carly
How do you know which side is the wrong or right side? How do I knit waste yarn into the row. I need more help. Thanks!
Hi Sylvia,
Garter stitch is identical on both sides. To determine the right and wrong side, hold up the piece and note where the cast-on tail is located.
If the cast-on tail is at the lower right, you are looking at the right side of the knitting. “Right is right” is a handy memory tool for me.
To knit the waste yarn, you are going to knit the waste yarn, as if it is a new ball of yarn to your project
I hope this helps,
Melissa
My friend and I are knitting the garter vest. We are on Manitoulin Island,
Ontario, Canada. We love your patterns and your site…thx
Hi there! I’m looking at potentially starting out on this pattern but I am still figuring out yarn. I have (2) skeins of Anzula For Better or Worsted in my stash that I would love to use. I do not have a complimenting yarn so I was thinking of Worsted Twist for the other yarn choice. Are those two yarns a good pairing size wise? I see they have similar needle sizes but your expertise would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for writing in! Worsted Twist and For Better or Worsted would work well together as they knit at the same gauge. The hand of each is a little different, the Anzula is a bit shinier and more tightly plied. But I think that in this case, that would be lovely!
Best,
Cassy
Hi!
Love your store and will be visiting again shortly to start a new project. But before that I have to finish the one I’m currently on. This is my first piece of clothing. I just finished and am left with the arm holes. I’ve looked so closely at th pictures and even scrolled through the comments and have viewed the other projects suggested with the yarn as a place holder and am still having trouble. Afraid to do it bc I don’t want to ruin the vest (so proud of how it came out!!). Any suggestions? Thanks so much!
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for reaching out! Do you have a specific question about finishing the arm holes? I am happy to try to help with any question that you might have!
Best,
Cassy
I am a beginner and would love to attempt this in one color to simplify things for me, but am having trouble understanding the directions without intarsia in mind. Could you please tell me how to adapt the directions for a single color? Thank you!!
Hello Molly,
Thank you for reaching out! The main thing to keep in mind is that you are now working with one color rather than 2, so every time the pattern says color A or color B it will all be color A. For example when casting on you will just cast on 120 stitches and move on to row 1. I hope this helps and if there is a particular part of the pattern that is tripping you up, let me know and I can try and help!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you so much!
I love this design and can’t wait to start.
If opened out and laid flat, does it form a T shape?
It’s hard to tell from the photos.
I love it! Thanks xx
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for the kind words! When laid flat, the vest is a large rectangle with two slits for the arms. We do actually have one picture of the vest laid flat, which you can find by scrolling to the bottom of the pattern. The picture comes just after the “Weave + Block” section, right above the comments.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
I am making this best using different yarn. Would like to know how long are the arm slits and how many inches from the top should they be started.
Hi Elzbieta,
Thanks for writing in! If you look at the sizes available for the pattern, I believe you will find all the information you need! The arm holes are approximately eight inches long, and placed ten inches from one top or bottom edge and twelve inches from the other.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I cannot get my head around the armholes.’
I am using one colour, so i cast on 120 sts, knit to length then the next row is it
sl1,k39, cast off 32, k48 then
sl1, k48, cast on 32, k39
Hello Caroline,
Thank you for reaching out! For the arm holes, all you are doing is knitting those 32 stitches onto scrap yarn When you have completed the body of the vest you will take the scrap yarn out create the opening for the arm hole. For example your row will look like this, sl1,k39, knit 32 using scrap yarn, k48.
I hope this helps and let me know if I can clarify any of this for you!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
I just love this vest and am dying to making it.
How can I modify the pattern by using only one color?
As well as, can it be possibly made bigger? If so, how can I do the size increase?
Thank you so much.
Concetta
Hi Concetta,
Thank you for the kind words! Knitting in one color will make this vest even easier and is a very simple modification – all you have to do is cast the total number of stitches (which is 120 for the pattern as written) with one color, and ignore all the directions in the pattern to change from Yarn A to Yarn B or vice versa! You will also not have to cut your yarn before or after starting the armholes.
Increasing the size of the vest is only a little bit trickier, but I think you will be able to do it! First you will want be sure to check your gauge, then measure from your nose to where you want the vest to end and multiply your stitches per inch by this measurement and make this number the cast on. Next, measure from the center of your chest to where you want the first armhole to sit, and knit the Left Front to this length before beginning the Left Armhole. You may have to make the armhole bigger – if so, you will need to knit a few more stitches with scrap yarn when marking the armhole placement.
Next, you will measure across your back from shoulder tip to shoulder tip and knit the Back Vest portion to one or two inches less than this due to the stretchy nature of Garter Stitch. Finally, match the Right Armhole size and placement to the left one, work the Right Front to the same length as the Left Front, and you are done!
Best of luck and let us know how it goes!
Julianna
I’m so confused as to how to make the armholes.
I’m a new knitter and this seems like an easy enough project to do but english isn’t my first language and the instructions for the armholes makes my head hurt. Is there any other way to make arm holes or at least a video that would guide me through it?
Thank you
Hi Luna,
Thanks for writing in! I think this is an excellent beginner project! Although we do not have a video on how to create the arm holes and the instructions may seem confusing when reading through them, I assure you that actually working them is not as difficult as it seems! If you wanted to try it before committing to the whole vest, you could always try the armhole step on a small practice swatch first. I would cast on 20 stitches, knit 10 rows, then on the next row, knit 5 stitches in your practice yarn and cut it, knit 10 stitches with a contrast color waste yarn, rejoin your main yarn and knit the last 5 stitches. Knit 10 more rows and cast off, and then you can follow the armhole instructions to practice picking up your stitches and removing the waste yarn!
I hope that helps! If you run into any problems while working the armhole we are always here to answer questions!
Best,
Julianna
I would like to know the length of the finished back ( of this vest) ,with the collar folded down.
As I like a vest that comes to mid thigh, knowing this would be very helpful!
Thanks!
Hi Carole,
Thanks for reaching out! It is hard to say how long the back will be precisely, since the shoulder and collar are unstructured so it depends how much you fold the collar over. You will get a better idea of the length of the vest by considering the side length from the underarm to hem, which is either 10″ or 12″ depending which side of the vest you wear on top. Either way, for a thigh length vest, I do think you will have to add some length, depending on your height!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
After reading the comments regarding closure difficulty, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t knit this a little larger to have greater overlap and I’m Full on the top (which is why i don’t usually wear vests of any sort, but i love this and want to give it a try)
. any thoughts?
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! If you want to wear the vest overlapped, you could certainly size up or add a few extra rows to the two fronts to make this less of a stretch. To do so, simply knit as many extra rows as you would like before the first armhole, and knit the same number of rows after the second armhole to make sure the two fronts match.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello!
I am about to start this project. It is a elegant and simple. Beautiful!
My question is: which method you used to cast on the stitches? And to bind off?
Thank you!
Hello Gabriela,
Thank you for reaching out! For this project we used a long tail cast on and a basic bind off.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi, love this as do my little ones who are demanding their own. I was wondering the best formula to shrink this for kids sizes? And also the best way to raise the arm holes to get a smaller collar? Thank you.
Hello Chelsea,
Thank you for reaching out! This vest should be pretty easy to adjust. I would reccomend drawing a picture with your dimensions to help yourself visualize. You can place your armholes anywhere you want. To do this you will just need to adjust the amount of stitches you knit before you begin the armhole so in the pattern you “Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 39 stitches, cut Yarn B; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; join Yarn A and knit to end of row.” if you wanted to raise your armhole, say 2 inches, if you have a gauge of 4 stitches per inch you would knit “Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 38 stitches, cut Yarn B; with scrap yarn, k32, cut scrap yarn; join Yarn A and knit to end of row.”
I hope this makes sense and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Can this be knit is one color? I love the dual colors, however, I have enough yarn for to make it a solid vest.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Mary
Hello Mary,
Thank you for reaching out! Yes, you can certainly knit this up with one color. You will just not switch colors!
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi,
I like the look of this Sideways Garter Vest but just wondered if it is possible to knit it on straight needles instead of a circular needle? I much prefer using straight. Would this cause problems?
Many Thanks.
Carol
Hi Carol,
Thank you for reaching out! If you have straight needles that are long enough to hold all of the stitches you can absolutely use straight needles.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi. I’m about to pick up and bind off the armholes, and am not seeing exactly where to pick up the stitches. I know it’s above the purl bump, but that’s all I know. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for reaching out! For this step, it’s very helpful to spread or pull the fabric apart so you can see in between the garter ridges, as we show in the first picture of the Pick Up + Bind Off section of the pattern. Between the purl ridges, immediately below and above the scrap yarn, you should see a row of stockinette stitches that look like V’s. You will be picking up one leg of each V.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Could you add a photo of this step, please?
Hi Amy,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t currently have the resources to photograph specific steps for this pattern but thank you for expressing your interest and I will be sure to pass this along to the rest of the team!
All the best,
Gianna
I am really wanting to make this cute vest! Can you suggest some alternate colorways as the one pictured is no longer in stock? Thanks
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for reaching out! We do still carry Stillwater Blue, so I would recommend pairing it with Reed Gray for a neutral look similar to our original vest. If you prefer something with just a bit more color, Reed Gray would also look just lovely with Gray Fig!
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi
I’d like to buy yarn from you site for this project(new knitter!). In the beginning of the pattern where it indicates how much yarn to buy, it says for yarn A, the number of skeins, followed by (4,4) and for yarn B, (3,3). What does that mean?
Thanks,
Dina
Hi Dina,
Thanks for being in touch with this question! The numbers in the parenthesis refer to the number of skeins required for the three garment sizes available. For a 14-15 inch shoulder, you’ll need 3 skeins of Yarn A and 2 of Yarn B. For both the 16-16½ inch and 17-17½ inch shoulder sizes, you’ll want 4 skeins of Yarn A and 3 of Yarn B.
I hope that this helps!
Gaby
I had someone assist me with placing the first armhole. As I was ready to put the second armhole in I noticed a mistake. The first armhole doesn’t cross both colors of yarn. It was done completely in yarn A. I fear I need to rip everything out and do the first armhole correctly because it probably won’t look right. What is your opinion?
Hi Ginnie,
Thanks for reaching out! It’s hard to say without seeing your vest, but you might be alright! The armhole is not placed exactly in the center of the rectangle, but is 39 stitches away from one edge and 49 stitches away from the other. It’s possible that, if you started the armhole placement row on a right side row instead of a wrong side row, the armhole would end up entirely in Yarn A, but the fit of the vest wouldn’t be affected. If that’s the case, just make sure you start your next armhole placement row on the right side also so the two armholes end up closer to the same edge of the vest!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I’ve been eyeing this pattern for myself for a while, but it also seems like a great gift for my sister for christmas. I have a few questions in thinking about it for her:
1. She would love the wide collar, so I don’t want to lose any of that for the sake of the length, but she wears a lot of leggings, so a longer torso would be good for her. How would I add length overall without sacrificing the generous collar?
2. When I measured my own shoulder width for comparison, I’m at the high end of your suggested range. She is bustier than I am, so should I scale up even larger? And if so, how?
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to estimate yarn yardage needed for these changes?
Many thanks!
Hi Caite,
Thanks for writing in! I am happy to help you figure this one out! 1, Since the vest is knit vertically you can easily cast on more stitches to the Yarn B section to add length and it wont’t disrupt the collar at all! 2, You may be alright with the largest size, and since the the vest doesn’t close all the way besides just at the top of the bust, the fit is a little more customizable! If you want to add a bit of size to be safe you can work a few extra rows to increase how many inches measure from the cast on edge on both front pieces and the back piece! 3, depending on how many inches you plan on adding to the bottom and to the width of the vest I would recommend an extra skein of each color to be safe!
I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any more questions you may have going forward!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Please help with pick up and bind off. I cannot see in your pictures what consists of “the stitches just above the scrap yarn”. I’m afraid to pull out the wrong bits and ruin all this hard work!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for reaching out! You should be picking up the stitches that are directly knit onto to the scrap yarn and then removing the scrap yarn so that once that is taken out you will have all the stitches picked up on your needles! You can see exactly how we did this in the photos under the PICK UP + BIND OFF section!
I hope this clarifies thins, happy knitting!
Gianna
I’m knitting this for my little sister in black and gold. Thanks so much!
Hi Sole,
Thanks for reaching out! What a lovely gift, I bet your sister will absolutely love this vest!
Please let us know how it turns out!
Warmly,
Gianna
Beginner knitter here… I’m a little confused with this:
“ Row 2: Slip one knitwise; with Yarn B, knit 47 stitches…
Row 3: Slip one knitwise; with Yarn A, knit 71 stitches…
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until…”
Does this mean that for each subsequent row, I need to still slip one knitwise? Or knit 47/71 stitches? I’m understanding that if I continue to slip stitches at the beginning of each row, that number will go down to 46/70. 45/69, 44/68, etc. If I stick with 47/71 stitches, I can’t be slipping a stitch. Am I missing something? Please help!
Thank you.
Hi Erin,
Thanks for reaching out! Slipping the first stitch does not change the amount of stitches you are working, and it also doesn’t cause the number to go down at all. So yes, you will be slipping the first stitch of each row! So for row 2 you will slip the first stitch, then knit 47 stitches, then for row 3 you will slip the first stitch and then knit 71 stitches! You will then repeat Rows 2 and 3 (slipping the first stitch knitwise of ever row) until the piece measures 9 (10 ½, 11 ¼) inches from cast on edge.
I hope this clarifies things!
Warmly,
Gianna
Thank you so much for your response!
P.S. She chose it and the colors. I’m knitting it in thin yarn, so it’ll probably take until February! LOL
Hi! I’m am having real trouble with picking up my armhole stitches despite the fabulous pictures you provided. Is there a video for this vest or maybe some tips? I hate to knit the whole thing and ruin it now. Thanks. 😬
Hi Nicki,
Thanks for reaching out! We don’t have a tutorial for this pattern besides the photos available in the post, but what part of the instructions seems to be the issue, I am happy to help explain in more detail!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi,
I’m so looking forward to working on this project! 🙂 I’m a beginner.
The gauge should be measured using the garter stitch right since that’s the pattern we are using?
Should I be checking the gauge in both colors used for the project?
Hi Mamta,
Thanks for writing in! We’re so excited for you to cast-on this project! Yes, the gauge should be measured in garter stitch and you can just do that for one of the colors. I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Cat