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Yarnkeeper Vest is a low-stakes stashbuster, easy to knit and endlessly wearable. A neutral main color stripes every two rows and pulls all your leftovers and minis together like they were always meant to be a vest. Cropped to whatever length you like, with shaping at the neckline and armholes so you'll never want to take it off.

Simple enough to knit on autopilot, fun enough that you keep telling yourself just one more stripe.

Design Details

Yarnkeeper Vest packs a lot of stash into a small, wearable piece. The scooped neckline and shaped shoulders give it a flattering, comfortable fit, and the body is cropped to your chosen length, so knit until it hits right where you want it. Lovely on its own or layered over a tee or button-down.

The stripes are yours to make of whatever you have and whatever you love. Our testers reached for fingering held double, DK in all sorts of fibers, and a generous pile of mini skeins. Each stripe takes less than 10 grams, so those bits and ends you've been saving will stretch much further than you'd expect.

Pattern Highlights

• Seamless top-down construction with short row shoulder and neckline shaping

• A simple two-row stripe rhythm, so you can use as many colors as often as you like

• Built for your stash: DK, fingering held double, and minis

• Each stripe takes less than 10 grams

Construction Overview

The back shoulders each begin with short rows for shoulder and back neckline shaping. They are worked flat and joined in one piece across the back and worked down to the armholes.

The stitches for the front are picked up at the shoulders and worked with short row shoulder and front neckline shaping. Once the armhole depth is reached, the body is then joined and worked in the round to the hem.

Yarnkeeper Vest is worked in stockinette throughout with a striped pattern. Stripes are worked in 2-row sequences, alternating between a contrast color and 2 rows of main color.

Scoop neckline is picked up and worked in 1x1 ribbing. Armholes are finished by picking up sts and working 1x1 ribbing in the round. They can be easily adjusted at this stage by picking up more or fewer stitches, and a guide is included to help.

Yarn Notes

This is a stashbuster through and through. The pattern is designed for DK weight, but you can get creative with what you have on hand. Use all DK, hold fingering double, or mix in your scraps with a little worsted for a more textured, eclectic look. We held fingering double for our main color and used a mix of DK and fingering held double for the stripes, with a few worsted stripes here and there (a pop of purple was necessary.)

For the main color, reach for a solid or neutral with good stitch definition. It runs every two rows and acts as the backdrop that lets your brighter bits shine. For the stripes, anything goes. Mini skeins are perfect here, and since each stripe takes less than 10 grams, a single mini will get you all the way through.

A few places to start:

• A warm oatmeal or soft grey main with a mix of jewel tones

• A deep navy background with pops of brights and pastels

• A cream main with a planned palette of warm autumn shades

• Neons against a light background for a summery vibe

Plan every color or grab everything that makes you happy and let your stash lead the way. Both make a beautiful vest. Check out our testers' projects for color inspiration across all kinds of stashes.

Needles & Gauge

US 4 (3.50 mm) 16-40" circular and double pointed needles for neckline, hem, and armhole ribbing

US 5 (3.75 mm) 16-40" circular needles

22 sts x 28 rows = 4 x 4" in stockinette, flat and in the round, wet blocked

Yardage Requirements

Main Color (MC) — body, hems, and collar:

240 (300, 410, 440, 490, 535)(590, 630, 675, 755, 860) yards

Contrast Colors (CC):

170 (220, 290, 320, 350, 385)(430, 450, 485, 545, 620) yards

Approx. grams per body stripe:

3 (3.5, 4, 4.5, 5.25, 5.75)(6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8) grams

Finished Measurements

Yarnkeeper Vest is designed for 0-4" (0-10 cm) of positive ease at the bust.

To choose your size:

1. Measure your bust.

2. Add 0-4" depending on how you like to wear it.

3. Choose the pattern size closest to that number.

A closer fit (0-2") skims the body and works beautifully on its own or over a tee. A roomier fit (2-4") layers easily over button-downs and heavier tops.

For reference:

• Blonde model: size 36" with 2" ease, knit to a cropped length

• Redhead model: size 36" with 0" ease, knit to a longer length

• Brunette model: size 52" with 3" ease, knit as written

• Blonde curl Model: Size size 52" with 1" ease, knit as written

  
  

A) Bust Circumference:

28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48)(52, 56, 60, 64, 68)"

71 (81, 91.5, 101.5, 112, 122)(132, 142, 152.5, 162.5, 172.5) cm

B) Armhole Depth (before ribbing is added):

9.25 (10, 10.5, 11.25, 11.5, 12.75)(13, 14, 14.5, 15, 15.5)"

23.5 (25.5, 26.5, 28.5, 29, 32)(33, 35.5, 37, 38, 39.5) cm

C) Body Length after armhole (customizable):

7" / 17.75 cm Pattern includes schematic and video fit guide.

Let's Knit Together

Our Discord community is always open for pattern support, progress shares, and stash inspiration. Join us here: https://discord.com/invite/M64Ec9yeng