The inspiration for this vest came to me while walking around campus one sunny day and seeing the cool, casual style of the students around me.

I loved the idea of a menswear inspired “sweater vest” made out of a rich tweed. With a simple lattice pattern on the front and a lovely open lace pattern on the back, I feel Milly offers an interesting layering piece for the transition to fall.

Because Milly is constructed from two very different fabrics, it's important to keep both stitch and row gauge consistent for each fabric, and to have faith that they will align after blocking.

To create almost a racer-back shape for the vest, the armhole shaping is worked the same on the back as for the front, even though the stitch gauge for the back is larger.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X] (shown in size S)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: approx. 32[37, 40, 44, 49, 51.5, 55.5] inches
Length: 19.5[20.5, 21, 22, 23, 23.5, 24] inches
Note: Chest measurements given with front edges over lapped approx. 1 inch.
Length measured at center back; lower edge points make fronts slightly longer.

MATERIALS
Yarn
Rowan Felted Tweed [50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose; 191yd/175m per 50g skein]; color: #151 Bilberry; 4[4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #6/4mm straight needles

Notions
Row counter (optional but recommended)
Yarn needle
6 buttons, 0.5 inch diameter

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

T2L: Knit into back of second stitch on left needle, knit into front of first stitch on left needle, drop both stitches from left needle.

T2R: K2tog, but do not drop sts from left needle; insert right needle between sts just worked together and k into first st again; drop both sts from left needle.

pfb: Purl into front, then back of stitch. 1 st increased.

ssp: Slip next 2 sts knitwise, one at a time, to right needle. Slip them both, purlwise, back to left needle. Purl them together through their back loops.

Information about blocking lace can be found here and here.

DIRECTIONS
RIGHT FRONT

*CO 2 sts.
Work Rows 1-10 of Point Chart. 22 sts.

Size XS Only:
Work Rows 11-25 of Point Chart. 52 sts.
P 1 row.

Sizes S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X Only:
Work Rows 11-26 of Point Chart. 54 sts.

Work -[2, 4, 7, 10, 12, 15] more rows following Point Chart, beginning with Row 11 and ending with Row -[12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 25]. -[58, 62, 68, 74, 78, 84] sts.

For sizes L and 3X, p 1 row.

All Sizes:
From this point on, count all rows. Because the front and back of the vest are made from different fabrics with very different row gauges, all lengths will be given in rows, rather than inches.*

Work 4 rows following Lattice Chart for your size, beginning with Row 1[3, 5, 9, 11, 1].

Note: Read ahead! Waist shaping is worked at the same time as buttonhole sequence, and neckline shaping is worked at the same time as armhole shaping.

Buttonhole Row [RS]: K2, k2tog, yo, work in pattern to end.
Work 15 rows in pattern.

Repeat these 16 rows 4 times more, then work Buttonhole Row once more. Neckline shaping will begin four rows after last buttonhole.

AT THE SAME TIME, when you have completed 30 rows of Lattice Chart, shape waist as follows:
Waist Decrease Row [RS]: Work in pattern to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Work 3 rows in pattern.
Repeat these 4 rows twice more, then work Waist Decrease Row once more. 48[54, 58, 64, 70, 74, 80] sts.

Work 7 rows in pattern.

Waist Increase Row [RS]: Work in pattern to last 2 sts, kfb, k1.
Work 3 rows in pattern.
Repeat these 4 rows twice more, then work Waist Increase Row once more. 52[58, 62, 68, 74, 78, 84] sts. Total of 63 rows have been worked following Lattice Chart.

Continue in pattern until you have worked 88 rows following Lattice Chart (3 rows after last Buttonhole Row).

Shape Neckline:
Neckline Decrease Row 1 [RS]: K1, ssk, work in pattern to end.
Neckline Decrease Row 2 [WS]: Work in pattern to last 3 sts, ssp, p1.
Repeat these 2 rows 7[7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10] times more. 16[16, 16, 18, 18, 20, 22] sts decreased at neckline edge.

Work Neckline Decrease Row 1. P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 11[11, 11, 13, 13, 15, 17] times more. Total of 28[28, 28, 32, 32, 36, 40] sts decreased at neckline edge.

AT THE SAME TIME, when you have completed 95[99, 99, 103, 107, 107, 107] rows following Lattice Chart, shape armholes as follows. Begin row count again from first row of armhole shaping.
Next Row [WS]: BO 2[2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3] sts, p to end.
Work 1 row in pattern.
Repeat these 2 rows once, then work BO row once more. 6[6, 6, 9, 9, 9, 9] sts have been bound off.

Next Row [RS]: Work in pattern to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 1[3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 5] times more.

When all neckline and armhole shaping is complete, 12[16, 20, 19, 23, 23, 25] sts remain.
Continue in pattern until 52[56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76] rows have been worked from beginning of armhole shaping. BO all sts.

LEFT FRONT
Work from * to * as for right front.

Work 30 rows following Lattice Chart.

Shape Waist:
Waist Decrease Row [RS]: K1, ssk, work in pattern to end.

Work 3 rows in pattern.

Repeat these 4 rows twice more, then work Waist Decrease Row once more. 48[54, 58, 64, 70, 74, 80] sts.

Work 7 rows in pattern.

Waist Increase Row [RS]: K1, kfb, work in pattern to end.

Work 3 rows in pattern.

Repeat these 4 rows twice more, then work Waist Increase Row once more. 52[58, 62, 68, 74, 78, 84] sts. Total of 63 rows have been worked following Lattice Chart.

Note: Read ahead! Neckline and armhole shaping are worked at the same time.

Continue in pattern until you have worked 88 rows following Lattice Chart.

Shape Neckline:
Neckline Decrease Row 1 [RS]: Work in pattern to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

Neckline Decrease Row 2 [WS]: P1, p2tog, work in pattern to end.

Repeat these 2 rows 7[7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10] times more. 16[16, 16, 18, 18, 20, 22] sts decreased at neckline edge.

Work Neckline Decrease Row 1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 11[11, 11, 13, 13, 15, 17] times more. Total of 28[28, 28, 32, 32, 36, 40] sts decreased at neckline edge.

AT THE SAME TIME, when you have completed 94[98, 98, 102, 106, 106, 106] rows following Lattice Chart, shape armholes as follows. Begin row count again from first row of armhole shaping.
Next Row [RS]: BO 2[2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3] sts, p to end.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows twice more. 6[6, 6, 9, 9, 9, 9] sts have been bound off.

Next Row [RS]: K1, ssk, work in pattern to end.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 1[3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 5] times more.

When all neckline and armhole shaping is complete, 12[16, 20, 19, 23, 23, 25] sts remain.
Continue in pattern until 52[56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76] rows have been worked from beginning of armhole shaping. BO all sts.

CO 57[69, 75, 81, 93, 99, 105] sts.

P 1 row.

Work 22 rows following Lace Chart.

Maintaining Lace Pattern when Shaping:
When there are not enough stitches to complete both a yarnover and its paired decrease, work these stitches in stockinette st. This will happen when stitches are increased or decreased, while shaping waist and armholes.

Waist Decrease Row [RS]: K1, ssk, work in pattern to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.

Work 3 rows in pattern.

Repeat these 4 rows twice more, then work Waist Decrease Row once more. 49[61, 67, 73, 85, 91, 97] sts.

Work 5 rows in pattern.

Waist Increase Row [RS]: K1, kfb, work in pattern to last 2 sts, kfb, k1.

Work 3 rows in pattern.

Repeat these 4 rows twice more, then work Waist Increase Row once more. 57[69, 75, 81, 93, 99, 105] sts. Total of 54 rows have been worked.

Work 21[25, 25, 27, 31, 31, 31] rows in pattern, ending with a WS row. Total of 75[79, 79, 81, 85, 85, 85] rows have been worked.

Shape Armholes:
Begin row count again from first row of armhole shaping.

BO 2[2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3] sts at beginning of next 6 rows. 45[57, 63, 63, 75, 81, 87] sts.

Next Row [RS]: K1, ssk, work in pattern to to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
P 1 row.
Repeat these 2 rows 1[3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 5] times more. 41[49, 55, 55, 63, 69, 75] sts.

Continue in pattern until 42[45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60] rows have been worked from beginning of armhole shaping. BO all sts.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block pieces to measurements shown in schematic.

Sew shoulder seams and side seams. Sew buttons to left front, opposite buttonholes.

Linden Heflin is a graduate student in Oklahoma who spends an inappropriate amount of time dreaming about yarn and trying to persuade her university to offer a Ph.D. in knitting. 

She writes about all of her knitting (and non-knitting) hijinks at stockinette.wordpress.com