Any Size/Any Yarn V-Neck Vest

(Based on ideas used in The Incredible, Custom-fit Raglan Sweater by Pamela Costello, St. Paul, MN)

Child’s Size 2 (Regular V) / Child’s Size 10 (Alternate V)
Child Size / Actual Chest / Garment Chest / Garment Length* / Body
Length* / Armhole Length / Shoulder
Width
2 / 22 / 25 / 12.5 / 6.5 / 6 / 2.5
4 / 24 / 27 / 14 / 7.75 / 6.25 / 2.75
6 / 25.5 / 29 / 15.5 / 9 / 6.5 / 3
8 / 27.5 / 31 / 17 / 10 / 7 / 3.25
10 / 29 / 33 / 18.5 / 11 / 7.5 / 3.25
12 / 31 / 35 / 21 / 13 / 8 / 3.5
32-34 / 38 / 24 / 15.5 / 8.5 / 3.75
36-38 / 42 / 24.5 / 15.5 / 9 / 4
40-42 / 46 / 25 / 16 / 9 / 4
44-46 / 50 / 25.5 / 16.25 / 9.25 / 4.25
48-50 / 53 / 26.5 / 17 / 9.5 / 4.5
52-54 / 57 / 27.5 / 17.5 / 10 / 4.5
  • Or desired length

You can use any yarn and any size needle/gauge to achieve the look you want. That flexibility requires some computing at the beginning of the pattern and again for the V-neck. The upside is that there are no seams when this garment is complete! The body is knitted in the round to the armholes, then use your circular needle to go back and forth for the left and right fronts and the back. The body of the garment is stockinet stitch with your choice of ribbing at the bottom. The finishing for the armholes and V-neck is garter stitch. The shoulder seams are woven when the knitting is complete.

For best results, use the measurements of garment that you know fits. You can use the chart above as a guide. The chest garment measurement should work for fitting the specified size; adjust the length of the garment to your preference.

Materials:

Any yarn

2 round needles, smaller one for the bottom ribbing and larger one for the rest of the vest

Markers

Holders (or pieces of scrap yarn)

Tapestry needle to weave shoulders

Small crochet hook to tuck in loose ends

Tape measure

Calculator

Pencil!

Measurements and Gauge:

Begin by determining the gauge for your yarn. I find it helpful to knit a swatch on at least 2 different needle sizes and then select the gauge. As for the Custom-fit Raglan Sweater, cast on 20 stitches on the needle you will use for the body of the sweater and knit 4 inches.

Your gauge is 20 divided by the width of your swatch (2 decimal places):

Use the Garment Chest column (or your body measurement + 2 to 5”) to compute number of stitches to cast on: (gauge) X (garment chest) = (no. of stitches to cast on)

Cast the stitches onto the smaller round needle. If you want K2, P2 ribbing, be sure the number of your stitches is divisible by 4. For K1, P1 ribbing, the number should be divisible by 2. If you want, put marker on the needle as you join the circle. Knitting in the round, do 2” (children) or 3” (adult) of ribbing on the smaller circular needle. Change to the larger needle. K round and round the desired body length to armhole.

Now that was the easy part. Because this pattern can be used for any yarn and any gauge, the computations for the ribbing and neck are not fixed. Some computation is necessary to get the neck correct. The next few rows are the trickiest part, but once the bottom of the V is complete, you’ll have finished the hard part.

Back number of stitches (½ no. of stitches cast on) =

Left front (½back) =

Right front (½ back) =

Compute the # stitches to the center of the front. ½ of back stitches = center of front

Decide the number of stitches you want for the armhole and neck finishing. For example, if your gauge is 4.5 sts./inch, 4 stitches will give you about an inch of finishing. This number is important, because it is used in computing the pattern for the V-neck.

Number of ribbing stitches for neck and armholes =

K from side marker K across # of back sts. Remove side marker and use it to mark the center as you knit across. Use the number you computed as the center above. This will be the front. Put the rest of the sts (should be same #) on a holder for the back while you work the front.

Regular Front: (See alternate front and pictures below)

At beginning of 1st & 2nd row, bind of 4 stitches for armholes.

(You may want to bind off more stitches, depending on the size vest you are making and depending on how large you want the armhole to be.)

Keep # of ribbing stitches = at armholes and V-neck in garter stitch.

Row 1: (wrong side) Bind of 4 stitches. K # of ribbing stitches =

P to within # of edging sts + # of sts to bind off K to end.

Row 2: (right side) Bind off 4 stitches. K to 2 before center marker, k2tog SKP, K to end

Row 3: K # of ribbing stitches, P to 1 before center marker, K2, P to left ribbing, then K to end

Row 4: K to 3 before center marker, K2tog, K2, SKP, K to end

Row 5: K edge stitches, P to 2 before center marker, K4, P to left ribbing, then K to end

Row 6: K to 4 before center marker, K2tog, K4, SKP, K to end

Row 7: K edge stitches, P to 3 before center marker, K6, P to left ribbing, K to end

Row 8: K to 5 before center marker, K2tog, K6, SKP, K to end

Row 9: K edge stitches, P to 4 before center marker, K8, P to left ribbing, K to end

If you are using 4 for the number of edge stitches, you are done with the point. For more edge stitches, continue until (# of edge stitches) are worked on either side of center marker. End with odd (wrong side) row.

Next even row: K to 2 stitches before center marker. K2tog.

Remove marker and put rest of stitches on holder for right front side (or tie on 2 balls and work both sides at the same time).

* * Right front:

Wrong side rows: K edge # of stitches (this ribbing is the neck edging), P to end, K edge stitches (armhole edge)

Right side: K to 2 stitches before edge, K2tog, K neck edge.

Repeat these 2 rows, decreasing every right side row 4 times. Then continue, decreasing every other right side row until there are (size of shoulder X gauge) stitches remaining. Continue without decreasing until armhole is desired length. Place on stitches on holder.

* * * Left front:

Wrong side rows: K armhole edge stitches, P to neck edge, K neck edge stitches.

Right side: K neck edge stitches, SKP, K to end.

Repeat these 2 rows, decreasing every right side row 4 times. Then continue, decreasing every other right side row until there are (size of shoulder X gauge) stitches remaining. Continue working even until armhole is desired length. Place on stitches on holder.

Back:

Put stitches from holder onto needle.

Row 1: (right side) Bind of 4 stitches. K to end

Row 2: (wrong side) Bind off 4 stitches. K edging, P across to other edging, K edging sts

Row 3: K across

Row 4: K armhole edging, P to other edging, K edging

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until 1” to top of garment. Then you will need to change the middle stitches of the back to garter stitch for the back neck. Count the number of stitches you have left for each front. You want the ribbing to match the left and right front ribbing. The armhole edges will remain in garter stitch. Do stockinet stitch from the armhole edging for the number of stitches on the front of the garment that are in stockinet stitch. Do garter stitch across the back neck, then stockinet stitch on the other shoulder to the other armhole edging. Repeat for about a row less than 1”.

Continue the pattern on the last row, putting the number of stitches to match the front on a holder, bind off the neck stitches and put the stitches for the other front on a holder.

Weave the shoulder stitches, tuck in ends and you’re done.

Alternate Front:

Row 1: Bind off 4, K edging, P across, putting a marker at the middle of the front. (Use the center number computed above; be sure to count the bound off stitches.)

Row 2: Bind off 4, K across to 2 stitches neck edge ( # of edging sts from marker + 2); K2tog, K edge stitches. Remove marker. Put rest of stitches on holder for other front.

Row 3: K edging, P to other edge, K edging.

Row 4: K to 2 stitches before neck edging, K2tog, K edge stitches.

Continue as on Right Front above at * *.

Take Left Front stitches off holder. Complete as for Left Front above at * * *.

Note: The regular front pattern will leave the yarn slightly puckered below the V opening, due to the stitch decreases. I found that these puckers could be steamed out once the sweater is done. The Alternate Front avoids that problem, but has a slightly less finished look.

Regular V / Alternate V

Suggestions for additions or improvements to this pattern are welcome.

Dee Irwin

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