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With the warmer weather FINALLY showing up, what better time to offer this pattern for free on the blog? This is one of my favorite patterns for warmer months. It’s super versatile – it’s a great layering piece for so many outfits but I also love to wear mine as a cover up at the beach or pool.
This pattern is beginner-friendly and is worked up in 3 panels – a back panel and 2 front panels. You can choose to add fringe or keep it simple without. Plus, the length is adjustable as well and instructions for the sizing can be found below.
If you’re interested in the ad-free, downloadable pdf it can be found on Etsy by clicking here.
Information:
Tools:
- Yarn: Lion Brand Low Tide Yarn – 306yds/280m | Weight 4/medium
- substitute yarns can be used so long as gauges match. I recommend a lighter weight 4 yarn such as Lion Brand’s Feels Like Butta
- 5.5mm hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry or darning needle
- Measuring tape and/or block board to measure
- Stitch markers
Sizing Chart:
| Size | Yardage (approx.) | Back Panel Measurements (in.) | Front Panel Measurements (in.) | Wider Panel Option (in.) |
| S/M | 1210 yds | 38”H x 18”W | 38”H x 6”W | 38”H x 12”W |
| L/XL | 1560 yds | 40”H x 23”W | 40”H x 9”W | 40”h x 15”W |
| 1X/2X | 1925 yds | 42”H x 28”W | 42”H x 12”W | 42”H x 18”W |
| 3X/4X | 2300 yds | 44”H x 33”W | 44”H x 15”W | 44”H x 21”W |
***measurements shown above are blocked and approximate; small differences of <2 inches are okay***
Notes:
The vest is worked in 3 pieces and then stitched together. There are two front panels, a back panel and optional fringe at the end. The pattern is worked bottom to top.
This pattern is written for size S/M with other sizes in parentheses (L/XL, 1X/2X, 3X/4X)
Pattern:
Front Panel (make 2): Ch 18 (26, 34, 42) (optional wider front panels, ch 26 (34, 42, 50) — if you prefer that the front of the vest cover more up front)
**Front panels are designed to be thin and drape over the shoulders. Wider shoulders will cover more of the shoulder and drape over the chest slightly more**
- Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook; *ch 5, skip 3 chs, sc in next ch; repeat from * across until last 4 chs. Ch5, Sc in last ch. Ch6, turn.
- Row 2: sc in first ch-5 loop; *dc2, ch1, dc2 in next sc, sc in next ch-5 loop**; ch5, sc in next ch-5 loop; rep from * across ending final rep at **; ch2, tr in last sc; ch1, turn.
- Row 3: sc in tr; *ch5, sc in next ch-1 sp of shell, ch5**; sc in next ch-5 loop; repeat from * across, ending final repeat at **; sc in turning ch-6 loop. Ch6, turn.
- Row 4-65 (67, 69, 71): repeat rows 2&3 for pattern.
- To adjust pattern to make length shorter or longer, you can either add rows on or remove rows from pattern, making sure to end on an odd-numbered row.
- **NOTE** the number of rows for both the front panels and back panel must match. (I.e. 65 rows on front panels = 65 rows on back panel. If you adjust the height of the garment by removing rows, make sure the same number of rows are removed from the back panel)
Back Panel: Ch 66 (82, 98, 114)
- Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook; *ch5, skip 3 chs, sc in next ch; repeat from * across until last 4 chs. Sc in last ch. Ch6, turn.
- Row 2: sc in first ch-5 loop; *dc2, ch1, dc2 in next sc, sc in next ch-5 loop**; ch5, sc in next ch-5 loop; rep from * across ending final rep at **; ch2, tr in last sc; ch1, turn.
- Row 3: sc in tr; *ch5, sc in next ch-1 sp of shell, ch5**; sc in next ch-5 loop; repeat from * across, ending final repeat at **; sc in turning ch-6 loop. Ch6, turn.
- Row 4-65 (67, 69, 71): repeat rows 2&3 for pattern.
- To adjust pattern to make length shorter or longer, you can either add rows on or remove rows from pattern, making sure to end on an odd-numbered row.
Attaching:
- Lay the back panel out with shells facing upward. Lay the 2 front panels above the back panel with shells facing downward, shown below;
- Using mattress stitch, seam together the shoulder pieces of the vest as shown in the photo.
- Once done with the shoulders, fold the front panels back over the back panel so that they are on top of one another. All shells should now be facing up.
- Open up the front panels to the left and right like you would open a jacket. Measure out your arm holes starting at the shoulder and going down. I preferred longer arm holes so I left about 10-12 inches open. Use stitch markers to mark off the sleeve area.
- For reference, the sleeve/arm holes will be open from the shoulder down so you will only be sewing below the arm hole area and will need 2 stitch markers (one for each side).
- Below your sleeve area, sew together the insides of the front panels to the back panel to create the side seams of the vest.
- Cut & tie in all ends.
Personalization (optional):
There are some customizations that can be made to this beyond just the length and width of panels on this vest. For some added flare, try the below options!
Length:
- To adjust the length to your liking you can leave off as many rows as needed, making sure to end on an odd-numbered row
Fringe:
- You can choose to add fringe to the bottom of the vest
- I’d recommend 5 or more strands of yarn for added fringe.
- For my fringe, I used every other chain space along the bottom of the piece.
Border:
- For the sleeves, neckline and edges a border can be added such as crab stitch to give a little extra flair or just a simple single crochet border.
- Without fringe, border would go around all the edges as well as the neckline
- With fringe, border would go on the inside edges of the front panels and the neckline
Belt:
- A belt can be added as an extra touch or to give some extra waist shape. I recommend using the i-cord method for the belt or combining 2-3 strands of yarn and creating a long chain that fits around the waist according to the measurement you’d like and leaving extra space at the end to be able to tie it.
That’s it! Make sure you tie in all of your ends and you are done! I recommend blocking to even out your shell stitches and prevent the edges of your work from curling in.
If you’ve, tried this pattern, we’d love to see it! Comment below or tag us on social media @yarnthrift
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