by Elizabeth McCarten

The pattern stitch for this vest, with its little boxes, is an adaptation of the traditional Gansey stitch, "Grampian Steps", consisting of eight rows, five of which are in just plain knitting. It reminded me of my button box, with all its little compartments calling out to be filled with treasures. In this case, I answered the call with small French knots, adding subtle texture to the pockets and upper back.

I've always loved knits with small details that only fully reveal themselves close up. You might want to substitute beads, embroidery, or even special buttons. This is a useful layering piece with flattering waist shaping and a feminine shawl collar knitted on in short rows (no tidying up of wraps required because it's in garter stitch).

Because it's also seamless, you'll only need to pick up a sewing needle to tack down the pocket linings and weave in the ends. The model worn here is knitted in Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter; I made the prototype in Blue-faced Leicester spun and plied with a drop spindle to produce a 2-ply worsted weight yarn.

SIZE
XS/S[M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
commercial yarn version shown above in blue in size XS/S with 1 inch of ease
handspun version shown below in oatmeal in size M with 1 inch of ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 31[36, 40.5, 45.5, 50, 55] inches
Length: 19.25[19.75, 19.75, 20.75, 21.75, 21.75] inches

MATERIALS
Fiber:
The Fibre Garden [Blue-faced Leicester; top]; color: Oatmeal; 9[11, 13, 16, 19, 22] ounces


Finished Yarn:
Wraps per inch: 11
Ply: 2
Yardage used: 561[685, 812, 998, 1186, 1373] yds

	Spinning Tool: Golding 2.75-inch 1.5-ounce Ringspindle

Drafting Method:
worsted

Commercial Yarn Alternative
Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter [100% American wool; 140 yd/128m per 50g skein]; color: Almanac; 4[5, 6, 8, 9, 10] 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 #7/4.5mm double-point needles
1 set US #8/5mm double-point needles
1 16-inch US #6/4mm circular needle
1 32-inch US #6/4mm circular needle
1 24-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle
1 32-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle (optional for larger sizes)

Tools
yarn needle
6 ring markers
6 locking stitch markers
waste yarn for holding stitches
5[5, 5, 6, 6, 6] buttons 0.7 inch/18mm wid

GAUGE

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

Since this pattern stitch tends to relax when blocked, I recommend putting all stitches onto a length of waste yarn before dividing for the underarms and wet blocking the work to check that you are satisfied with the length.

To adjust length, add or subtract one or more full repeats of the Chart A pattern.

cdd: Centred double decrease. Slip 2 together knitwise, knit 1, pass the slipped stitches over (together).

knot: (K1, p1, k1, p1) into next stitch, pass second, third, and fourth stitches over first.

M1L (bl): Make 1 left-leaning increase by this backward loop method.

M1R (bl): Make 1 right-leaning increase by this backward loop method.. Always work into the back of this increase on the following row.

SWR: Slip, wrap, replace. This is the short row method favoured by Meg Swansen and Lucy Neatby. Slip next stitch, bring yarn to opposite side of work, replace the slipped stitch, turn, and continue. In garter stitch there is no need to do anything more to neaten the wrapped stitches; they blend in with the garter stitch bumps.

Unless otherwise indicated, references to markers are to ring markers.

DIRECTIONS
POCKET LININGS (make 2)
With US #7/4.5mm dpns, using longtail method CO 21[21, 21, 21, 27, 27] sts. You will be working back and forth using 2 dpns.
Row 1 [WS]: Purl.
Row 2 [RS]: Knit.

Rep Rows 1 and 2 until 29 rows have been completed in total, ending with Row 1. Break yarn, leaving an end about 36 inches long for tacking down lining. If you wind the end into a yarn butterfly it will stay neatly out of the way while you work the body. Leave pocket sts on dpns while you proceed.

Row 4 [RS]: Knit all sts. This is Row 1 of Chart A.

Row 5 [WS]: P2, k1, p5, cont with Chart A as set, ending K1, p2.

Rows 6-19: Work 2 complete reps of all 8 rows of Chart A, maintaining first and last sts in St st for selvedge, and ending with Row 8 of the second rep.

Note: Front selvedge sts will be maintained in St st throughout remainder of garment.

Begin pockets:
Row 20 [RS]: Work 14[14, 20, 20, 20, 26] sts in patt, pm, work next 19[19, 19, 19, 25, 25] sts in patt, pm, work in patt, slipping side markers, until last 33[33, 39, 39, 45, 51] sts, pm, work 19[19, 19, 19, 25, 25] sts in patt, pm, work in patt to end. Pocket markers are now in place.

Cont to work Chart A, slipping markers and maintaining front selvedge sts, and AT SAME TIME on the third through fifth reps of the Chart, counting from beg of work, make knots where shown on Chart A in the two pocket sections only. End after Row 8 of the fifth rep.

Place locking st markers in the center st of each of the four Chart B sections to indicate where Chart B waist shaping is in progress.

Continue to work Chart A, slipping markers and maintaining selvedge sts, and AT SAME TIME dec and then inc at 4 marked points following Chart B until waist shaping is complete. Remove locking st markers.

Work even in Chart A patt until 10[10, 10, 11, 11, 11] reps of Chart from beg of work are complete, ending after Row 8. 80[80, 80, 88, 88, 88] rows of Chart A patt in total.

Divide fronts and back:
Treating the st on each front next to the side marker as the center, place 15[17, 21, 23, 27, 31] sts centered at underarms onto lengths of waste yarn. Place back and left front on separate lengths of waste yarn. 31[36, 40, 45, 49, 53] sts for Right front; 63[73, 81, 91, 99, 107] sts for Back; 31[36, 40, 45, 49, 53] sts for Left front.

Rep Rows 5 and 6 until 13[17, 19, 23, 25, 27] rem for shoulder.

Maintaining 1 selvedge st in St st at each end of row, work even in Chart A patt until 8[9, 9, 9, 10, 10] reps have been completed from start of armhole. 64[72, 72, 72, 80, 80] rows of Chart A patt in total from underarm.

Break yarn, leaving an end long enough to work 3-needle BO. Place rem sts onto a length of waste yarn.

Left Front
Join yarn at RS at underarm.

Row 1 [RS]: K1, SSK, patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 29[34, 38, 43, 47, 51]. 2 sts decreased.

Row 2 [WS]: P2, patt to last 3 sts,
p2togtbl, p1. 28[33, 37, 42 46, 50]. 1 st decreased.

Row 3 [RS]: Rep row 1. 26[31, 35, 40, 44, 48]. 2 sts decreased.
Row 4 [WS]: Rep row 2. 25[30, 34, 39, 43, 47]. 1 st decreased.

Armhole decreases are now complete. Continue to decrease at neck edge as follows maintaining 1 armhole st in St st:
Row 5 [RS]: K1, patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 24[29, 33, 38, 42, 46] sts. 1 st decreased.
Row 6 [WS]: P2, patt to last 1 st, p1.

Rep Rows 5 and 6 until 13[17, 19, 23, 25, 27] rem for shoulder.

Maintaining 1 selvedge st in St st at each end of row, work even in Chart A patt until 8[9, 9, 9, 10, 10] reps have been completed from start of armhole. 64[72, 72, 72, 80, 80] rows of Chart A patt in total from underarm.
Break yarn, leaving an end long enough to work 3-needle BO. Place rem sts onto a length of waste yarn.

Begin knot motif in center back:
Row 1 [RS]: K1, patt 19[24, 28, 33, 37, 41], pm, patt 17, pm, patt 19[24, 28, 33, 37, 41], k1.

Row 2 [WS]: P1, patt 19[24, 28, 33, 37, 41], sl marker, patt 17, sl marker, patt 19[24, 28, 33, 37, 41, p1.

Cont in patt as established, working knots in the section between markers as indicated in Chart A for a total of 3 reps of Chart.

Knot motif done; 9 knots in total.

Work one more rep of Chart A without any knots. Total of 7[8, 8, 8, 9, 9] reps of Chart A from start of armhole.

Back neck shaping:
Place center 21[23, 27, 29, 33, 37] sts on hold on a length of waste yarn. 17[21, 23, 27, 29, 31] sts left for each shoulder before dec.

Join yarn at armhole edge of right shoulder:
Row 1 [RS]: K1, patt to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. 1 st decreased.
Row 2 [WS]: P1, p2tog, patt to last st, p1. 1 st decreased.
Row 3 [RS]: Rep Row 1. 1 st decreased.
Row 4 [WS]: Rep Row 2. 1 st decreased.
Row 5 [RS]: K1, patt to last st, k1.
Row 6 [WS]: P1, patt to last st, p1.
Break yarn and slip sts to waste yarn or spare dpn.

Join yarn at neck edge of left shoulder:
Row 1 [RS]: K1, SSK, patt to last st, k1. 1 st decreased.
Row 2 [WS]: P1, patt to last 3 sts, p2togtbl, p1. 1 st decreased.
Row 3 [RS]: Rep Row 1. 1 st decreased.
Row 4 [WS]: Rep Row 2. 1 st decreased.
Row 5 [RS]: K1, patt to last st, k1.
Row 6 [WS]: P1, patt to last st, p1.
Break yarn.

Note: there are 2 rows less in back than in fronts so that buttonbox patt will appear uninterrupted after shoulder join.

Join shoulders with right sides tog using 3-needle BO.

Pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows up right front edge; pm at beginning of V neck; pick up 1 st for every st along the V neck slope; pick up 1 st in corner between V neck and back sts by picking up loop and knitting into the back of it; knit each of the live sts across the back of the neck; pick up 1 st in corner between back sts and V neck; pick up 1 st for every st along V neck slope; pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows down left front edge.

The total number of sts may vary slightly from knitter to knitter, depending on whether the length has been altered; it is not critical.

Mark placement of 5[5, 5, 6, 6, 6] buttonholes on right front with locking st markers placed BETWEEN 2 sts at desired points.

Row 1 [WS]: Knit all sts, slipping markers.

Row 2 [RS]: *Knit to 2 sts before buttonhole marker, k2tog, YO, k2tog, rep from * until all buttonholes are done, knit to end.

Row 3 [WS]: Knit all sts, slipping markers, and working (k1, p1) into each YO from previous row. Remove buttonhole markers.

Row 4 [RS]: Knit all sts, slipping markers.

BO knitwise from WS to first collar marker, remove marker, knit to second collar marker, remove marker, BO all sts to end. Collar sts remain on needle.

Join yarn at RS of right front edge of collar:
Row 1 [RS]: Knit to last 5[5, 6, 6, 7, 7] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 2 [WS]: Knit to last 5[5, 6, 6, 7, 7] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 3 [RS]: Knit to last 10[10, 12, 12, 14, 14] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 4 [WS]: Knit to last 10[10, 12, 12, 14, 14] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 5 [RS]: Knit to last 15[15, 18, 18, 21, 21] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 6 [WS]: Knit to last 15[15, 18, 18, 21, 21] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 7 [RS]: Knit to last 20[20, 24, 24, 28, 28] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 8 [WS]: Knit to last 20[20, 24, 24, 28, 28] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 9 [RS]: Knit to last 25[25, 30, 30, 35, 35] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 10 [WS]: Knit to last 25[25, 30, 30, 35, 35] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 11 [RS]: Knit to last 30[30, 36, 36, 42, 42] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 12 [WS]: Knit to last 30[30, 36, 36, 42, 42] sts, SWR, turn.
Row 13 [RS]: Knit to end, ignoring wraps.
Row 14 [RS]: Knit to end, ignoring wraps.

BO loosely using US #8/5mm dpn.

Armhole Borders
With US #6/4mm 16-inch circular needle and starting at center of underarm, knit up sts in selvedge as follows, making small adjustments as necessary to make the front and back symmetrical.

Knit each of live sts from center of underarm; pick up 1 st in corner between underarm sts and dec slope by picking up loop and knitting into the back of it; pick up every st along the dec slope; pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows along the straight edges of the armholes; pick up every st down the dec slope; pick up 1 st in corner between dec slope and underarm sts; knit to end of rnd.

The total number of sts may vary slightly from knitter to knitter; it is not critical. Place marker to indicate start of rnd.

Rnd 1: Purl, dec 5[5, 5, 5, 6, 6] sts evenly spaced on straight edges and 1 st at shoulder top. 11[11, 11, 11, 13, 13] sts dec in total.
Rnd 2: Knit all sts.
BO purlwise using US #6/4mm.

FINISHING
Pocket tops:
Return live sts to a US #7/4.5mm dpn.
Row 1 [RS]: Knit.
BO using US # 8/5mm dpn.

Weave in ends. Sew on buttons. Wash and block to finished measurements.

Elizabeth specializes in easy-to-knit, easy-to-fit, easy-to-wear hand knitting designs that look elegant on a variety of ages and figures. She is a former lawyer who gave up her job in Ottawa in 1991 to follow her husband to Washington, DC, where he worked as an economist with the IMF and World Bank. In 2007 they moved to Kingston, ON, where they now reside in a pre-Confederation house with their two university student offspring, who fortunately enjoy wearing wool. When she is not knitting, Elizabeth plays and performs early music.

Elizabeth's other designs can be found on her blog and Ravelry.