the anyday vest

Sweater vests may be a trend of the moment, but something tells me it’s a trend that’ll stick around for a while. The practical, wearable trends always are, and this winter has shown me that knit slipovers come in awful handy. Jeans, shirt, vest, sorted. Not that I’m going anywhere these days, but if I was, it’d work a treat under my pretty but not-so-warm coats that just need an extra layer.

Scroll down for details and to download the Anyday Vest knitting pattern

My Anyday Sweater pattern already had an Anyday Cardigan sidekick, so it seemed only right to complete the set with a vest! The v-neck, reverse stocking stitch, faux seams and ribbed edgings are all the same, but pretty much everything else is different. An oversized fit worked for the sweater and cardigan but not so much for a vest, so this one’s designed to be worn with zero – minimal positive ease. Although a couple of testers sized up and the oversized fit looks cute too!

LoveCrafts sent me a couple of skeins and shade charts of the new Debbie Bliss Merion to play with, which turned out to be the perfect yarn for this project. It’s a chunky weight, single ply, merino/acrylic blend, so keeps its shape nicely whilst also being super warm. Slipped stitch details particularly pop. (Yarn support provided by Lovecrafts)

Podcast and tutorials

I finally made the leap into YouTube this month, and the Anyday vest made an appearance in the first episode of my new podcast. Tutorials for (almost) all the techniques involved in the vest are on my YouTube channel too. Filming videos was on my to-do list for so long but it always seemed like a big beast to tackle, but now that I’ve filmed the first one and figured out my setup I can’t wait to film more. There will always be days where technology goes against me but I hope to have many more videos up in the coming months!

test knitter roundup

Test knitters always bring my designs to life so well! I can obviously style items a bunch of different ways myself, but it’s nowhere near the same as seeing an item in different colours, in different sizes, on different people. I love how differently these have all been styled! And of course I’m super grateful for all the help test knitters provide during the process, ironing out any issues. Thank you so much guys!

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ANYDAY VEST PATTERN DETAILS

The chunky vest that quickly became my go-to layering item â€“ I hope it will for you too! My Anyday Sweater (2019) became an Anyday Cardigan (2020) became an Anyday Vest (2021).

YARN
Chunky / bulky weight yarn, approximately 290 (322; 356; 389; 419) [457; 504; 541; 586] {635; 666} metres / 316 (351; 389; 424; 457) [498; 550; 590; 639] {692; 726} yards.
Sample shown in Debbie Bliss Merion, a blend of 50% merino and 50% acrylic, in shade Mint. If using this yarn, you will need 3 (4; 4; 4; 5) [5; 6; 6; 6] {7; 7} balls.

NEEDLES & NOTIONS
7mm and 6mm circular needles of length 24â€ / 60cm for the main body, and 6mm needles of your preferred length for working smaller circumferences on the neckband and armbands (eg. 16â€ circulars or long needle for magic loop).
You will also need 4 stitch markers of 2 different types, scrap yarn, and a tapestry needle.

GAUGE
14 sts and 18 rows to 4â€ / 10 cm in stocking stitch on 7mm needles, blocked.

SIZING
To fit bust: 28-30 (32-34; 36-38; 40-42; 44-46) (48-50; 52-54; 56-58; 60-62) (64-66; 68-70) inches / 71-76 (81-86; 91-97; 102-107; 112-117) (122-127; 132-137; 142-147; 152-157) (162-167; 172-177) cm

Finished bust: 31.5 (36; 39.5; 44; 47.5) (52; 55.5; 60; 63.5) (68; 71.5) inches / 80 (91; 100; 112; 120) (132; 141; 152; 161) (173; 181) cm.

CONSTRUCTION: the Anyday Vest is worked inside out, seamlessly, from the bottom up.

YARN CHOICES: the merino / acrylic blend used in my sample made for a reasonably dense but lightweight fabric that keeps its shape well. During the test knitting process it was established that more drapey yarns such as alpaca produce a fabric that is more prone to stretching out, especially for the larger sizes where the garment is heavier. When choosing yarns, its worth considering how much your yarn is likely to grow / bloom / stretch over a larger surface area, and potentially dropping a needle size or sizing down to account for this.

The Anyday Vest pattern is also available via Ravelry, Etsy and LoveCrafts.

Lily Kate x

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