Invested Interest: The How-to of Knitting a Vest

With Denise Bell

July 10, 2-4pm CDT;
July 17, 2-4pm CDT;
July 18, 2-4pm CDT

Learn all you need to know to knit a circular, stranded vest by making a mini. Whether it’s your first circular garment, first stranded knitting, or first steeking, Denise shows you how.

Class sessions will be recorded and remain accessible online to registered students of the class for 7 days following the event.

Want to venture beyond knitting socks and hats? Consider a vest. Useful as layers or shoulder-season attire, vests are also a good introduction to garment-knitting. In this 3-session workshop, Denise covers all of the important components for knitting a stranded adult vest.

Before class, we cast on and work the ribbing for a mini-vest (don’t worry, we’ll tell you how many stitches and rounds). In the first session, we discuss yarn selection, techniques for knitting with two colors, whether and where to add an accent or “pop” color, gauge, catching floats on the backside of the garment, and side seams.

By the second session, you will have knit to the armhole (just a couple of inches on our mini!) so we can insert steek bridges, learn to shape the armholes and V-neck, and how to create sturdy shoulder seams.

In the final session we will cut those steeks, pick up and add ribbing, and cover the ever-important blocking. You will have completed your mini and gained the skills and confidence to go full-size.

Special skills or knowledge needed to take this class:
Be able to work 2×2 ribbing in the round and basic increases and decreases.

Supply list
__1 ball (125 yds) each of two highly-contrasting colors of “sticky”, fingering/jumper-weight wool yarn (example Jamieson & Smith Shetland Wool Brokers, Jamieson Spindrift, Rauma, or Knit Picks Palette yarn; not superwash)
__2.75mm/US 2 and 3.25mm/US 3 16” and double point needles or size to achieve a gauge of 7 stitches per inch in pattern.
__Knitting Basics: Sharp scissors, Notebook, Pen or pencil with eraser, Removable markers, Tapestry needles (large and small), Tape measure