This ended up being one of my favorite pieces, but it didn’t start out that way.  I had a vision in mind, but until it all came together, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.  There are many steps along the where this vest is perfectly nice.  You could stop before you add the hood, or before you add the pockets, or you could leave the button and the hood tassel off… but adding all of those little details really makes it extra special.  It’s worth the extra effort.  You’ll be rewarded with a cozy tunic-length vest that perfect in town with it’s color-blocking and stripes, but also has a little bit of country with the granny square pockets and tassels.  Give it a try.  I think you’ll love it as much as I do!

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Skill Level:  Easy

Materials: 

Lion Brand Heartland in Great Smoky Mountains – 4 skeins (you will only use a small amount of the 4th)

Lion Brand Heartland in Mount Ranier – 2 skeins

Lion Brand Heartland in Everglades – 1 skein  (used only in the striping – you will use very little of this)

Hook size K/10.5 – 6.5mm for vest and hood

Hook size J/10 – 6.00 mm for granny square pockets

Button – 7/8”

Stitch markers – optional but recommended 

Gauge:

12 hdc stitches and 8 hdc rows = 4”

Dimensions:

24” wide by 32” long

Abbreviations:

Ch – chain

Sc – single crochet

Hdc – half double crochet

Dc – double crochet 

St, sts – stitch, stitches

Sp – space

Ss – slip stitch

Notes:

1. Except for granny square pockets, beginning chains do not count as stitches.  Always make your first stitch in the very first stitch in the row.  
2. You’ll be making three rectangles and sewing them together for the vest.  You will be working from the top down, so if you’d like to make the vest longer or shorter, you can just the number of rows.
3. It’s easy to do single crochet stitches too tightly.  Be careful to keep your tension loose so your panels don’t pull in when you get to the section of single crochet stitches. 
4. The granny square pockets are made separately in a traditional granny square pattern.  Beginning chains count as stitches.  I prefer a magic circle to start so there’s no hole in the middle.  However, if you’d like you can do Round 1 this way – ch 4, 2 dc into 4th ch from hook, ch 2, *3 dc in same ch sp, ch 2*. Repeat from * to * two more times.  Join at top of beginning ch with ss.
5. The button is optional.  If you choose to use one, a 7/8” button will fit through the stitches on the other side without having to make a buttonhole.
6. You will sew the pockets onto the panels, sew the panels together, and then crochet the hood right onto the vest.

Instructions:

Front Panels – make two

With Mount Rainier , ch 35.

Row 1:  Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.  34 sts.

Row 2:  Turn, ch 2, dc in each stitch across row. 34 sts. 

Row 3:  Turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row. 34 sts.

Rows 4 – 11:  Continue alternating rows 2 and 3.  Even rows are dc rows, odd rows are sc rows. 

Rows 12 – 15:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row. 

Row 16: With Everglades, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 17:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 18:  With Everglades, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 19:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 20:  With Everglades, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Rows 21 – 24:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Rows 25 – 67:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 2, hdc in each stitch across row.  Tie off and weave in ends.

Back Panel

With Mount Rainier , ch 68.

Row 1:  Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.  67 sts.

Row 2:  Turn, ch 2, dc in each stitch across row. 67 sts. 

Row 3:  Turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row. 67 sts.

Rows 4 – 11:  Continue alternating rows 2 and 3.  Even rows are dc rows, odd rows are sc rows. 

Rows 12 – 15:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row. 

Row 16: With Everglades, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 17:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 18:  With Everglades, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 19:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Row 20:  With Everglades, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Rows 21 – 24:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 1, sc in each stitch across row.

Rows 25 – 67:  With Great Smoky Mountains, turn, ch 2, hdc in each stitch across row.  Tie off and weave in ends.

Pockets – make two

Using the J hook and Great Smoky Mountains, make a magic circle.

Round 1:  Into magic circle, ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc, ch 2, *3 dc, ch 2*, repeat from * to * two more times, ss into top of beginning ch. You should have four clusters.

Round 2:  Turn, ch 3, 2 dc in the corner ch 2 sp, ch 2, 3 dc in same sp, ch 1, *(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner sp, ch 1*, repeat from * to * two more times.  Join at top of beginning ch with ss.

Round 3:  Turn, ch 3, 2 dc in ch 1 sp, ch 1, *(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner sp, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1*, repeat from * to * two more times, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in last corner, ch 1.  Join at top of beginning ch with ss.

Rounds 4 – 5:  Continue pattern, turning with each row, and working (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each corner, and 3 dc in each ch 1 space.  Tighten magic circle.  Tie off and weave in ends. 

Construction:

Sew the pockets onto the panels.

Place the pockets about 7” below the lowest green stripe, and about 2 1/2” in from the front center edge of the panel.  (I use stitch markers to keep the pockets in place.)  Attach the pockets onto the front panels by sewing down both sides and across the bottom.  Your stitches will show so stitch evenly.  Alternatively, you can sew your panels together first, and then sew the pockets on.  That way you can decide the ideal pocket placement for yourself. 

Sew the panels together.

Lay back panel out flat with right side facing you.  Lay the two front panels on top with the wrong sides facing you.  (You want the right sides together.)  Line up the panels along the sides and top.  Sew across the shoulder seams from the outside in approximately 8”.  Stop about 4” short of the center so that the neckline will fall open.  You will be crocheting your hood onto the neckline. 

Starting at about 7” – 8” from the bottom (you’re leaving a gap for the side slit), sew up the sides about 16”.  You want to leave about 9” for the armholes. 

Crochet the hood onto the vest.

*Note:  Depending on where you stopped your shoulder seams, you may have a different number of stitches than I had.  That’s okay.  You will be increasing in your beginning rows, so just increase until you have 57 stitches no matter how many rows it takes.  Then just be sure to do a total of 37 rows.

Base row:  Attach Mount Rainier yarn at the top edge of one of the front panels – see photo below.  Sc evenly across just like if you were making a sc border.  51 sts. *See note.

Close-up of where the hood starts.

Row 1:  Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in each st across row.  52 sts.

Row 2:  Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in each st across row.  53 sts.

Row 3:  Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in each st across row.  54 sts.

Row 4:  Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in each st across row.  55 sts.

Row 5:  Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in each st across row.  56 sts.

Row 6:  Turn, ch 1, 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in each st across row.  57 sts.

Rows 7 – 37:  Turn, ch 1, sc in each st across row. 57 sts. On the last row, leave a long tail of yarn to sew the top seam of the hood.

With right sides of hood together and using long tail of yarn, sew along the top seam of the hood.  Tie off and weave in ends. 

Hood Drawstring:

Cut 6 strands of Mount Ranier about 70” long.  Divide into three sets of two strands each and braid together.  (I find the easiest way to do this is to tie a knot at one end and hook it over a coat hook or other hook that’s up high.)  Make sure to have a knot at each end, and then starting from the outside of the hood, weave the braid in and out of each stitch around the front edge of the hood. Be sure to end with the braid on the outside of the hood.  Weave the drawstring through before you tie the tassels on.

Hood Drawstring Tassels – Make two: 

(There are lots of tutorials for making tassels on the internet.  Feel free to use whatever is easiest for you.)

Cut 14 strands of Mount Rainier about 12” long.  Twelve strands are for the tassel, one is for the “belt” and one is to tie the tassel to the drawstring.  Lay the 12 strands horizontally over one strand of yarn placed vertically that will ultimately tie it to the drawstring.   

Tie a knot to bind them together. 

Using the last piece of yarn, “belt” it about an inch or so from the top and knot it tightly.

Tie onto the ends of the drawstring.

Hood Tassel:

Cut 18 strands of Mount Rainier about 12” long.  Sixteen strands are for the tassel, one is for the “belt” and one is to tie the tassel to the hood.  Lay the 16 strands horizontally over one strand of yarn placed vertically that will ultimately tie it to the hood.  Tie a knot to bind them together.  Using the last piece of yarn, “belt” it about an inch or so from the top and knot it tightly.  Tie the tassel onto the point of the hood.

If you’d like to add a button, sew it onto the upper stripe of Great Smoky Mountains, centered between the upper green stripe and the light grey at the top.