Variegated yarns make vibrant crocheted vests.
Crochet vests are one of the most popular choices for crochet projects, since they can be worn most of the year and can be personalized to reflect the wearer's tastes by the choice of yarn, design or accessories. While making a garment may be intimidating to those new to crochet, a successful project can be made by those with only novice skills. A crochet vest provides an opportunity to learn skills such as increasing, decreasing and garment shaping.
Instructions
1. Choose a vest pattern from a crochet book or pamphlet, or download a pattern from the Internet.
2. Measure yourself while wearing the clothing you plan to wear under the vest. Measure your bust and the length from under your arm to your desired hem length. If your waist or tummy is larger than your bust, use the larger measurement.
3. Read through the pattern so you understand all abbreviations and stitches. If any are unclear, look them up in stitch dictionaries or crochet books. If a stitch pattern is new to you, practice the stitch a few times before beginning your vest so that your stitches look consistent.
4. Crochet a gauge swatch and measure it as instructed in the pattern. For a vest, you will need to have correct gauge or your vest will be too big or too small. If your swatch is smaller than the pattern instructions state, use a larger hook. If your swatch is too big, use a smaller hook. If you switch hooks, crochet another swatch and measure it again.
5. Decide on the size of vest you plan to make, based on your body measurements and the pattern sizes. Read carefully to determine if the pattern sizes are for the wearer's bust measurement or for the finished garment, since the finished garment will likely be several inches larger than the bust measurement. If you're using a different body measurement, substitute that for the bust measurement.
6. Chain stitch your beginning stitches and start crocheting according to the pattern.
7. Measure your crochet after the first 4 inches, so that you can be sure you are still getting the correct gauge as instructed in the pattern.
8. Hold the first garment piece to yourself once you reach the armhole. If you need to deepen the armhole, make that alteration now. Write out any changes onto the pattern, so that you remember to make the same changes on the other pieces.
9. Crochet all of the pieces of the vest. Most crochet vests are created using three pieces: left front, right front, and back.
10. Join the pieces by stitching them together using a length of yarn and the yarn needle, matching the edges and corners.
11. Weave in all loose ends and trim any yarn tails.
Tags: bust measurement, correct gauge, finished garment, instructed pattern, larger than, Measure your
