COMPLETE: Vest for Mom's mom.

My last remaining grandparent came down to visit for a time last year.  In the midst of the hottest part of the summer, Gran requested that I knit a vest for her to help keep warm.  Off to the shop to start the gears turning...

Gran wanted something that would work well with black & brown & khaki & white & cream & all of the other fairly neutral colors that make up her winter wardrobe.  But she also wanted to make sure that it had enough punch to "bring some color up to my face.  Not too much, but just a little."

I pointed her toward the Noro yarn for their color options.  Lots of variety with long color repeats & occasional flashes of bolder color.  We decided on a Kureyon with brown, black, red, yellow, & a pink/purple.  With the advent of changing colors, it was impressed upon me that vertical stripes would be necessary, as they'd be more slimming.  She selected the pink buttons for closure, allowed me to take some measurements & whirled back to Tennessee.

Given that I was to make a vertically striped vest for an A-framed body, I was generally left to my own devices for a pattern.  I took the general form of the Navajo vest from Folk Vests by Interweave Press, modified it to fit my gauge, tinkered with the slope of the V-neck, & sallied forth.

Left half of the vest just before first dart graft

Working from the center front around the sides to the back allowed me to match up color repeats at the center front.  It being Noro, running out of one skein meant hunting through the remaining skeins to find a similar point in the color repeat.

While I was fairly sure of my measurements, I'd rather a fitting to ensure things were going well before finishing up everything.  I didn't see Gran again until just after Christmas, but the fitting went well.  Since the gap between the two pieces was in the back, I could take the time needed to sort out proper proportions for the darts without worrying about Gran obsessing over the large wedge of non-fit pointing up to her waist line.

Once I knew exactly how many inches of fabric I needed to add to the lower half: calculations, a deep breath, & "sweater surgery."

First, sort out exactly how much fabric needed to be added, divide it across two smaller front darts and a single large dart in the back.  Snip a single point in a single row of knitting, then unravel that single row & place both sides on separate needles.  With yarn the approximate color of the hole you opened, use short rows to make the appropriate wedge, then graft together the new wedge & the old edge.

A bit of a gap remained at the top edge of the wedge & the original knit that surrounded it.  A minor amount of sewing sealed this gap shut.

Next came the larger short row sections at the back waist, and finally the longest Kitchener graft I have ever done on a single project.  Mattress stitch the shoulders together for good measure.  Finally, the main body of the vest was complete.

Pick up stitches proportionately around the bottom edge, a multiple of 4 + 2.  Work in 2x2 rib for an inch, then bind off all stitches with a Chain Gang to make sure the bind off is loose enough.

Next comes the button band. Pick up stitches along the bottom rib edge, undo the provisional cast on & knit across it, pick up stitches around the V-neck to the other provisional cast on, knit across those newly released stitches, & pick up the few stitches of the other bottom edge rib.

Count your stitches, making sure your numbers are fairly balanced on each half.  Set up a 2x2 rib on the way back across, manipulating as necessary to get a multiple of 4 + 2 stitches.  Bounce back & forth from end to end, building up the band to hold the vest together.

Toss in a single short row the length of the button hole side to give it a bit more breadth.  Work your buttonholes in one row, bounce back from the button side again, add another short row.  Chain Gang bind off, then get going on the ribbing for the armholes.

Organize your remaining lengths & scraps & chunks of yarn into the most reasonable approximation of color flow, then commence, spit-splicing as you go.  Chain Gang bind off, steam to block, affix buttons, MAIL THAT SUCKER.

 Smile when Gran calls to say she got the package in the mail.  Smile bigger when Gran calls back three days later to say that the ladies at bridge club really liked it & had some questions about how you made it.